Gale Massey

Good, but depressing. Narration well done.

FROM PUBLISHER: Everyone says the Elders family are nothing but cheats, thieves, and convicts - a fact 19-year-old Jamie Elders has been trying desperately to escape. She may have the natural talent of a poker savant, but her dreams of going pro and getting the hell out of the tiny town of Blind River, New York, are going nowhere fast - especially when she lands in a huge pile of debt to her uncle Loyal.

At Loyal's beck and call until her debt is repaid, Jamie can't easily walk away - not with her younger brother Toby left at his mercy. So when Loyal demands Jamie's help cleaning up a mess late one night, she has no choice but to agree. But disposing of a dead man and covering up his connection to the town's most powerful judge goes beyond family duty. When it comes out that the victim was a beloved athlete and Loyal pins the murder on Toby, only Jamie can save him. But with a dogged detective on her trail and her own future at stake, she'll have to decide: Embrace her inner criminal, or defy it - and face the consequences.… (more)

The odds were against her from the start. Jamie Elders, 19, comes from a family of thieves, crooks and liars. Her mom, recently out of prison after eight years, Jamie and her younger brother Toby, were raised by their uncle Lloyd. Lloyd runs an illegal gambling ring, and pays money to a powerful local judge. Jamie wants nothing more than to escape Blind River, have a different life, but she has neither the money nor the means. Although her skill at cards may give her a chance, she has one weakness, her brother. After a series of bad decisions, and a terrible twist of fate, Jamie finds her last chance may rest on one decision, and the final turn of a card.

"Follow your heart, but always bet your spades."

Another terrific and tightly plotted debut novel. It is gritty and unflinchingly in it's portrayal of a young woman, who not coming from the best of circumstances, wants her life to be different. One can't help but root for Jamie, she is a character that while she makes mistakes, it is easy to understand her motives. One wants her to succeed. This was also a novel where one can follow the trajectory of one bad decision leading to another, until one is caught circumstances hard to manipulate, know what to do.

Am liking this recent trend that feature young woman, who seem powerless, though turn out to be anything but. Looking forward to what and where this author will go next.

ARC from Netgalley.… (more)