Official Review: Heat in the Vegas Night by Jerry Reedy
Posted: 19 Apr 2020, 21:22
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Heat in the Vegas Night" by Jerry Reedy.]
Heat in the Vegas Night by Jerry Reedy is an exceptionally polished memoir that showcases the author's experiences as part of a team that scammed casinos by cheating at blackjack. The author, who goes by Red in the book, quickly realizes that while the potential rewards are great, it's an incredibly risky endeavor. Any tiny mistake could spell disaster. It takes a great deal of social know-how, strategy, and luck to successfully scam casinos, and burnout is common, with the law always just one step behind. As faces cycle in and out of the group, the stakes are high, and they only get higher.
With memoirs, it's common to find authors with amazing stories to tell but zero writing ability. I was exceptionally pleased that this book beat the odds. The story has just the right amount of detail, from the tactics Red and his group employs to the aggressively macho environment they'd cultivated. It feels almost like you're right alongside the characters, developing strategies to beat both the casinos and the police in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. It's certainly one of the more immersive books I've read in recent years.
The characters are interesting and engaging, too, with their own goals and mannerisms. The nicknames they're given as part of the group help make them even more memorable. It takes a very specific type of person to succeed in such a stressful environment, and many people just don't make the cut. The author does an amazing job of capturing this reality, portraying the characters in a way that feels genuine and raw.
It's worth mentioning that there isn't much of a narrative structure to speak of, as is expected with most memoirs. Despite the lack of a cohesive beginning, middle, and end, tension builds throughout the book as the authorities wise up to the group's tricks, giving the story the right amount of momentum. This pacing is perfect for the kind of story being told, and it never feels like it's rushed or dragging. There are a lot of events we only learn about after a character recounts them, and I found that this provides a real sense of discovery and narrative tension.
All in all, the book tells a fascinating, tense story with remarkable skill, so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It's even edited quite well, as I was only able to find a handful of minor grammatical errors. This an excellent book that anyone interested in professional gambling and casino culture should definitely pick up.
******
Heat in the Vegas Night
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Heat in the Vegas Night by Jerry Reedy is an exceptionally polished memoir that showcases the author's experiences as part of a team that scammed casinos by cheating at blackjack. The author, who goes by Red in the book, quickly realizes that while the potential rewards are great, it's an incredibly risky endeavor. Any tiny mistake could spell disaster. It takes a great deal of social know-how, strategy, and luck to successfully scam casinos, and burnout is common, with the law always just one step behind. As faces cycle in and out of the group, the stakes are high, and they only get higher.
With memoirs, it's common to find authors with amazing stories to tell but zero writing ability. I was exceptionally pleased that this book beat the odds. The story has just the right amount of detail, from the tactics Red and his group employs to the aggressively macho environment they'd cultivated. It feels almost like you're right alongside the characters, developing strategies to beat both the casinos and the police in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. It's certainly one of the more immersive books I've read in recent years.
The characters are interesting and engaging, too, with their own goals and mannerisms. The nicknames they're given as part of the group help make them even more memorable. It takes a very specific type of person to succeed in such a stressful environment, and many people just don't make the cut. The author does an amazing job of capturing this reality, portraying the characters in a way that feels genuine and raw.
It's worth mentioning that there isn't much of a narrative structure to speak of, as is expected with most memoirs. Despite the lack of a cohesive beginning, middle, and end, tension builds throughout the book as the authorities wise up to the group's tricks, giving the story the right amount of momentum. This pacing is perfect for the kind of story being told, and it never feels like it's rushed or dragging. There are a lot of events we only learn about after a character recounts them, and I found that this provides a real sense of discovery and narrative tension.
All in all, the book tells a fascinating, tense story with remarkable skill, so I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. It's even edited quite well, as I was only able to find a handful of minor grammatical errors. This an excellent book that anyone interested in professional gambling and casino culture should definitely pick up.
******
Heat in the Vegas Night
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon