GRIFT SENSE by James Swain

Welcome to Page 11 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 11.

GRIFT SENSE by James Swain

Publication Date: May 22, 2001

Not long after we entered the 21^st Century, I developed quite an interest in mystery books and stories. These included locked room mysteries, crime, detective fiction, and crazy crime and mystery adventures that take place in Florida (of which there are more than you can imagine). Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine has always published great short fiction, along with some reviews, but I also started reading other magazines that helped me find the kind of books I wanted to read, including The Strand Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, and Firsts: The Book Collector’s Magazine. And it was through one of these publications that I discovered James Swain’s Tony Valentine novels.

I wish I could pinpoint which magazine contained the article about this entertaining series, of which GRIFT SENSE is the first, but it was too long ago, and I no longer have most of the periodicals (…along with the time it would take to do all the research!). What I do remember is (and I think it may have been an interview with James Swain, but again, this was a long time ago) that after reading about these books, I soon made my way to a local bookstore to purchase GRIFT SENSE. And believe me, with an opening paragraph like this, it was a hard book to put down.

It was February, cold, and Al “Little Hands” Scarpi was pumping iron outside his double-wide on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Raising the bar over his head, he watched a ponytailed kid on a Harley roar up in a swirl of dust. Parting his leather jacket, the kid removed an airline ticket and spun it like a Frisbee, nailing Little Hands squarely in the chest.

Perhaps the most surprising thing is that I really don’t have much of an interest in gambling. And yet after reading the aforementioned article, I desired to learn more about the character and, basically, to see what is so special about him. The back of the paperback edition tells us that:

While some people have a sixth sense, Tony has a grift sense—and he needs it now to separate a grifter from a scam that’s worse than anyone’s wildest dreams….

The inside back cover tells us that James Swain, the author, is:

…a gambling expert…considered one of the best card handlers in the world.

He’s also an excellent writer and storyteller.

If you like the lights, colors, sounds, and fast-paced gambling action of Las Vegas, along with a fun, well-written story about a man gifted with an ability to sense when those dice are loaded, give GRIFT SENSE a try.

And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!

Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.

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