Wild Card — James Swain

DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE Review by George Easter

I've been a big fan of this series since its inception
with GRIFT SENSE. Swain has a natural gift for storytelling.
The various scams are fascinating in their ingenuity and for
the clever detection that thwarts them. And Tony Valentine
and his crew are among my favorite characters in
crime fiction. It's a shame that this and JACKPOT are
only available on the Kindle (or on an IPad with a free
Kindle app �" which is how I read them). He's also published
two other e-book originals �" one a Jack Carpenter novel
and the other a stand-alone (his first novel). I'd say that it's
almost worth buying a Kindle to read them, but I'll let you
make that decision.

WILD CARD by James Swain Rating: A This novel takes
us back to Tony Valentine's early days as a policeman in
Atlantic City, New Jersey and how he came to be an expert
on gambling scams and crime. It also treats the reader to
his wife, the love of his life. In all the books in the series to
this date, Tony is a widower and we know little about his
beloved wife and Swain gives us a sweet portrait of
that loving relationship.

We also see the forces that shape his son, who at this
time is just about to enter his teens.

Highly recommended.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

From the bestselling mystery series Lee Child calls “Top class suspense ... one of my favorite series.” comes a novel of murder, mobsters and a police detective who doesn't know when to say quit.

It's 1979, and the Boardwalk Empire of Atlantic City is being torn down, replaced by a glitzy casino and all the terrible crime that goes with it. Cops on the take, mobsters stealing a million dollars a day, a serial killer preying on young women, and more con men and hustlers than you can shake a stick at, define the new Atlantic City. Only one man can clean up the little city by the shore, Detective Tony Valentine.

With the mob breathing down his throat and a sadistic killer stalking him, Valentine will put his own life in peril, and risk his career, to insure that justice prevails.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Swain is the author of fourteen nationally bestselling mystery novels. His novels have been chosen as mysteries of the year by Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have received three Barry Award nominations, a Florida book award for Fiction, and the prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. His Tony Valentine novels have been purchased by Langley Films (Cops, Brooklyn's Finest) for theatrical release, with the author to write the screenplay.

PRAISE FOR THE TONY VALENTINE SERIES

“Top class suspense... must reads for me, and one of my favorite series.”
�" Lee Child

“In this series, the main character is a big winner.”
�" Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“The momentum is great, the writing nimble, the action intricate.”
�" Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Swain has hit on a winning combination.”
�"Washington Post Book World

“Mixing humor, suspense, poignancy and insider-lore, Swain is one terrific writer. A thoroughly winning book.”
�"The Wall Street Journal

“Ingenious entertainment.”
�"The New York Times Book Review

“Swain's mysteries are a sure bet.”
�"The Chicago Tribune

"This series has got to be one of the finds of the decade."
--Kirkus Reviews