Sin City (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The first time I saw the Strip I thought God lived there..." (more)
Key Phrases: super casino, automatic shuffler, card mechanic, Hong Kong, Forbidden City, Las Vegas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though questions linger about just how much Robbins (1916-1997) contributed to the later books published under his name, this posthumous novel moves quickly and is great fun, a roman … clef reminiscent of his early bestselling bildungsromans Never Love a Stranger (1948) and A Stone for Danny Fisher (1952). Packed with vintage Robbins boudoir scenes, it follows a street-smart youth clawing and copulating his way to wealth and power. Born Howard Hughes Jr., the bastard son of the famous multimillionaire recluse, Zack Riordan comes to Vegas in 1966 at age 12, and 12 years later has become the youngest casino security chief on the Strip. The narrative follows Zack's career as he gets involved in a vicious rivalry with the wastrel son and snooty Vassar-educated daughter of his mentor, Con Halliday, the aging owner of the casino Zack has helped save from ruin. When Zack is unceremoniously fired, he crosses continents to cut deals with Chinese criminal elements in Hong Kong and to parlay his quick wits and daring into enough money to finance his own casino, unwinding from hard days of sordid financial exploits by bedding one beautiful woman after another. Returning home, Zack discovers that he has a son by his former mentor's daughter, and finds himself wondering if he has paid too high a price for wealth and power. Those Robbins fans who haven't already fallen by the wayside will be rewarded for their devotion with this unexpectedly lively offering.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Robbins' death in 1997 hasn't kept him from publishing, as many of the works-in-progress he left behind have been completed by author or authors unknown. In the latest, the overblown machismo has been toned down, but the style is still Robbins' and the story is still populated with the usual Robbins characters: wealthy, beautiful people; sexy but submissive women; and the hero, a handsome, poor, tough guy who makes it big. Jack "Lucky" Riordan is the illegitimate and unwanted son of millionaire Howard Hughes, exiled from Las Vegas to face a hardscrabble existence. The tale begins in the 1960s when an adult Riordan returns to Vegas, seeking his fortune in the gaming industry. His street smarts stand him in good stead as he shrewdly acquires wealth and power. As usual, the plot is spiced up with loads of fantastical sex and nymphomaniacal women, but this time Mob entanglements and backstabbing friends add a little twist to the story. Robbins' faithful fans will be lining up for this one. Kathleen Hughes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (August 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765340518
• ISBN-13: 978-0765340511
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #378,346 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gangsters. Gambling. Las Vegas. Violence. I loved it!, January 4, 2003

By	Linda Linguvic (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sin City (Hardcover)

The story is familiar. We root for the street-smart hero, who we learn early on is the illegitimate son of Howard Hughes. The kid grows up tough with the grit and guts to confront power brokers and move up the ladder of high living. Explicit bedroom scenes pepper the fast-moving narrative. And the bad things our hero does are only for well-deserved revenge. The true stories that legends are made of, such as Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo, give the tale a ring of authenticity. When there's lots money around, there's also lots of cheating, and I was fascinated by the many scams and cons from slot machines to high-stakes Baccarat. The constant tension drove the plot, cumulating in a card game in the finale that had me holding my breath.

The book's 383 pages are easy reading and I gulped it down in two sittings. I found it a pleasure to just relax and follow the story. No deep thinking is required. And I didn't learn anything new. It was just pure pleasure. Which is what reading for entertainment is all about.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining-Vegas, sex, travel, deception-the works!, May 26, 2004

By	Georgie Cavitt "an avid book reader" (Evans City, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Took this book on a cruise and it was a perfect quick and easy read. This book kept me interested from beginning to end and was very believable and certainly entertaining. You feel like the characters are alive and you are following them through all their adventures. Being a big fan of Vegas, this book takes you back to it's beginning, with all the faults and dangers that the Commission works so hard to eliminate today. "Sin City" is just that; then and still today - I would recommend this book to anyone that gambles or goes to Vegas and likes a story that has some teeth to it, spicy sex, and provides insight into the cheating side of gambling too. You won't be disappointed!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good reading, March 23, 2007

By	Deborah A. Pankow (El Paso, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even though this book was not written by Harold Robbins, it is still an enjoyable story. The book is an interesting read but the Publisher needs to hire a proofreader who knows how to spell. If not for numerous typos, I would have given the book a 4 rather than a 3.