Con man Joe Marlin was used to scoring easy cash off beautiful women. But that was before he met Mona Brassard and found himself facing the most dangerous con of his career, one that will leave him either a killer—or a corpse.
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"In addition to it being an enjoyable pulp experience, it also served as a nice peek at 1961. And the book contained the funniest one sentence description of Vegas and its residents that I've ever read. Though I saw the twist coming, the ending is totally messed up and will stay with me for a while. I can't imagine readers' reaction in 1961."
— Micah (4 out of 5 stars)
“The narrative is layered with detail, the action is handled with Block’s distinctive clarity of style, and the ending is a stunning tour de force.”
— New York Times" I did not expect that ending, whoa. Disturbing. "
— Charlie, 2/11/2014" 1960's Lawrence Block. Very pulpy. Gritty read with lots of noir elements. Fun read, though very dark. "
— Wendy, 2/10/2014" Nice piece of hard boiled crime writing from the 60s. The ending was a bit grim and unexpected. "
— Manosthehandsoffate, 2/8/2014" A brilliantly written example of hard-boiled crime fiction that is hard, gritty, cynical, and bitter - like a cold cup of coffee sitting next to a passed out drunk at an all-nite diner. If Hemingway wrote pulp, he would produce something like this book. Pure, uncut awesome - like the suitcase of smack the plot revolves around. "
— Jeffrey, 1/24/2014" "The bird in your cage is not the same bird as the wild thing you caught in the forest. There is a difference." "
— Jared, 1/22/2014" I thought it would be fun to read this old mystery. I expected to just breeze along, knowing how it would all come out. Surprise! The ending is not what I expected at all. "
— Sheryl, 1/10/2014" Really one of his best works, and I'm already a huge fan. He took a predicatable storyline and did an amazing job of bringing it to a new and understandable conclusion. "
— Hnmestel, 11/14/2013" One of my favorite books evar. "
— Man, 10/30/2013" Dark, o very dark ending, unforgettable. The revenge here is not so much hard-boiled as flame-tempered cold steel. And it begins in such an innocuous fashion! Makes Eddie Bunker's novels cozy. Who knew Block had such a sadistic streak? "
— Jim, 10/19/2013" This a solid-if-unspectacular noir/crime novel that nicely evokes the period in which it was written (the early '60s). If you're looking for a pulpy, dimestore paperback read, Grifter's Game scratches that itch. "
— Jim, 7/29/2013" Despicably fun "
— Librarymary, 6/1/2013" A nice quick read. I liked the main character and the ending. "
— Cybele, 3/12/2013" Conventional noir plot takes a memorably bleak turn. "
— Gary, 2/13/2013" I had a lot of fun with this one - loved the pacing, phrasing, etc. Good old pulpy pulpy. "
— Morbus, 12/26/2012" Slightly above average pulp fiction. Easy to figure out the twist, and it drags a bit in the middle. But Block's writing is enjoyable, and the ending is a bit of a jolt. Originally published in 1961, so it's got an authentic retro style. "
— Mark, 6/10/2012" This was the first volume of the Hard Case Crime series. It is a reprint of a story from 1961 called Mona. It is a rough book, but still a quality read. The ending I don't want to give away, but it is rough. "
— Greg, 3/18/2012" I read this little noir pot boiler on a return flight to Sydney. It goes along at a cracking pace but I've got to say the ending was just too dark for my taste. What had been a likeable central character became a monster whose revenge plumbed the depth of depravity. "
— Glen, 3/10/2012" early Lawrence Block.... "
— Larry, 2/29/2012" I like to read Lawrence Block's novels and stories. This was an entirely forgettable despite being a part of the great series from Hard Case Crime from Charles Ardai. Do not waste your time. "
— Adam, 10/19/2011" I did not expect that ending, whoa. Disturbing. "
— Charlie, 10/3/2011" Great fun, good twists, and an incredibly strong voice. It's the first Block I've read, and I'll definitely be checking out more.<br/>Only thing I disliked was the ending. I'll keep things spoiler free, but it was a bit... well, horrifying. "
— Sam, 9/5/2011" This a solid-if-unspectacular noir/crime novel that nicely evokes the period in which it was written (the early '60s). If you're looking for a pulpy, dimestore paperback read, Grifter's Game scratches that itch. "
— Jim, 8/28/2011" Nice piece of hard boiled crime writing from the 60s. The ending was a bit grim and unexpected. "
— Manosthehandsoffate, 7/25/2011" Really one of his best works, and I'm already a huge fan. He took a predicatable storyline and did an amazing job of bringing it to a new and understandable conclusion. "
— Hnmestel, 7/16/2011" 1960's Lawrence Block. Very pulpy. Gritty read with lots of noir elements. Fun read, though very dark. "
— Wendy, 5/6/2011" Memorable pulp from the early 60s. So bleak and depraved you'll need a shower or three afterwards though. "
— Michael, 1/2/2011" Great pulp read. Hard Case Crime books are hit or miss, but this one was a hit. "
— Dave, 11/27/2010" Great ending, rest of the book was uninspired and dull "
— Matthew, 10/27/2010" the first Hard Case Crime novel. Block is a great crime writer. "
— Nicholas, 7/22/2010" One of my favorite books evar. "
— Man, 1/31/2010Lawrence Block is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series and dozens of short stories and articles. He has won multiple Edgar, and Shamus awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of America, and many others. Aside from being a mystery writer, he has also written a number of episodes for television, including two episodes of the ESPN series Tilt; he also cowrote the screenplay for the film My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones. Block currently lives in New York City with his wife, Lynne.
Alan Sklar, a graduate of Dartmouth, has excelled in his career as a freelance voice actor. Named a Best Voice of 2009 by AudioFile magazine, his work has earned him several Earphones Awards, a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award (twice), a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and Audiobook of the Year by ForeWord magazine. He has also narrated thousands of corporate videos for clients such as NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, IBM, Dannon, Pfizer, AT&T, and SONY.