Divorcee Jimmy Delaney is the owner of a Las Vegas bar and overall he’s pretty happy with the way his life is rolling along. He has a beautiful daughter with whom he spends vast amounts of time. For once he has a pretty firm hold on his drinking and gambling – the two things which caused his wife to flee many years ago. He has a group of regular patrons who serve as not only customers but friends as well. Everything finally seems right. That is until Jimmy’s no-good brother-in-law – who’s also his accountant – walks off with all the money from his video poker machines and in the process reveals that all along he’d been pocketing the tax money that Jimmy was meant to be paying on the bar. Thus Jimmy finds himself in a world of excrement when he learns he must come up with $56,000 for the IRS, or else lose his beloved establishment and his livelihood.
He has a couple ideas of how to come up with the money, but none of them materialize and he ends up trying his luck back in a casino. This time, however, Jimmy decides to take the advice of a friend and seeks out the assistance of a fortune-telling mystic – the Dice Angel – who promises certified good luck and guaranteed results at the craps table. But is she a con-artist or is she the real deal? Afraid you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Some of the best scenes come when Jimmy starts shooting craps. The action is hot, and if you’ve ever rolled the bones yourself in a Vegas casino then you’ll virtually relive the experience through Rouff’s tense narrative. Clearly the author has “researched” the role and offers a very realistic portrayal of the Vegas dream – both the glossy exterior and the seedy underside.
Overall, the book is quite enjoyable as the action is fast-moving and realistic, the characters quirky and likable, and the dialogue very engaging at times. Rouff’s off-beat sense of humor and his love/hate relationship with Las Vegas continually shine throughout in the novel. If you are in the mood for a genuine page-turner, and one which offers a glimpse at the life of a gambler who once again finds himself in way over his head, I strongly recommend Dice Angel.
Check back soon for my review of Rouff’s second book, Money Shot. It’s about a guy who has a one-time chance to win $1 million – all he has to do is sink a shot from the three-point line in front of 15,000 people!
Book Details:
Publisher: Hardway Press
ISBN: 0971714819
Paperback: 242 pages
