"Fast-paced story with vivid characters and setting."

As a gaming consultant who spots people trying to cheat casinos, Tony Valentine has friends in low places. However, he never thought his son, Gerry, would be one of them. While on a trip to Vegas for a job, Tony discovers that his son is incommunicado while taking card counting classes. As a last ditch effort to get Gerry to straighten up, Tony had hopes that his son would join him in catching cheats. Instead, Gerry prefers the company of the card counters. While trying to find his son, Tony tries to help a casino owner friend stop a giant cheating scam attempting to pull him under. Meanwhile, somehow, his name has gotten involved with the murder of a cop's mistress.

LOADED DICE does a great job of showing the seamy underside of Las Vegas, as well as the intricate machinations criminals go to in order to make an easy buck. This book is fast-paced with vivid characters and amusing anecdotes - a perfect book to take on vacation.

Reviewed by Vicky Gilpin
Posted May 12, 2004