Someone is shooting up Dirty Sam’s.
Will the Long Harbor police get their man, or woman, before a casino heist, a slots player who disappears in a puff of smoke, a crossbow-toting florist, and an undercover agent who makes a mean goulash, complicate the investigation.
Oh, for the simpler days of illegal gambling.
The quirky character descriptions alone intrigued me before I even knew what this book was about. A cross-bow toting florist? I needed to know more about this person.
Long Harbor is filled with some unsavory characters, and it’s difficult to figure out who’s trustworthy – but that’s part of the charm of this book. There’s no shortage of suspicious characters, and they’ll keep the reader guessing where their loyalties lie, and who did what.
Character development is a strength for this author, and I could easily envision each character, along with their good traits, flaws, and weaknesses. I also snickered several times over things they did or said, and imagined an Ocean’s Eleven-type soundtrack playing in the background.
Although the author wrote another book set in Long Harbor with several of the same characters, both are considered standalones. I struggled with the extensive character list – remembering who was who, but that could be because I didn’t read the first book. I wouldn’t say reading it is a necessity, but it may help with the confusion.
If you enjoy quirky, well-written characters, a briskly paced plot, and a good heist story, I highly recommend The House Always Wins.
I received an ARC from the author.
Books and Such 
Anytime someone uses the word “quirky” my interest is piqued.
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Same here, Staci – quirky towns, characters, etc. I was a big fan of Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure – mega quirkiness in both!
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I ADORED Northern Exposure!
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I remeber reading this, yes his characters were memorable.
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I agree, Rosie – he does a great job with character development.
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This sounds very interesting, Teri. Good to see you back on line.
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Thanks, Robbie! It was a busy break with traveling – still trying to catch up.
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I like the intriguing part of guessing who did it in a book, Teri. I hope you were surprized at the end.
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It was a bit of a surprise, Jina – so many suspects to choose from!
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Thanks, Teri.
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You’re very welcome, Tom – thanks for sending me a copy!
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This sounds like a lot of fun. I adore quirky characters.
This may have to meander its way onto my TBR 😉
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It really was, Mae. The characters made the book for me.
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Haha. You had me by mentioning a place called “Dirty Sam’s.” Thanks for sharing, Teri. Best to Tom. Hugs.
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It’s a great name, isn’t it? Thanks for swinging by, Teagan – hugs!
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This sounds like such a fun read! I have been trying to read more thrillers and less fantasy so I am definitely adding the first to my tbr.
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It was definitely fun and engaging. I like to switch up genres also – keeps me from getting bored. Hope you enjoy it!
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A fabulous review to share, Teri. Bravo to Tom! 🙂
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Thanks, Natalie – Tom wrote a creative, entertaining book.
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