Grift Sense

Amidst the neon and the big special ugly of Las Vegas, mild-mannered Frank Fontaine is beating the brains out of the Acropolis Casino. The house cops think the dealer, a blonde named Nola, is part of the con, but no one can prove a thing. For Tony Valentine, it’s the first new scam he’s seen in decades—and maybe the best. Three things Tony knows: The blonde is guilty, the grifter has lived a former life, and the biggest scam is the one that hasn’t happened yet.

In a dream world of fake Greek statues, statuesque hostesses, and a casino owner whose sex life might just burn down his own house, Tony Valentine is plying his special trade. 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. . . .“A WELL–PLOTTED DEBUT MYSTERY THAT PAYS OFF HANDSOMELY. . . . Grift Sense delivers a vivid and credible look at the gaming industry through eccentric yet believable characters.”
—Chicago Tribune

“In Tony Valentine, Swain has created a classic detective who will have a long career as a series hero.”
—The Flint Journal

“A TERRIFIC COMING-OUT ROLL . . . FEATURING LEAN PROSE . . . AND AN ACTION-FUELED PLOT.”
—St. Petersburg Times