Murder in Vegas: New Crime Tales of Gambling and Desperation

By Michael Connelly

Book Overview

Las Vegas. Lost Wages. Sin City. An artificial oasis of pleasure, spectacle, and entertainment, the gambling capital of America has reinvented itself so many times that its doubtful that anyone knows for sure what's real and what isn't in the miles of neon and scorching heat. Las Vegas is considered the ultimate players destination-no matter what your game. Almost anything is available-for a price, mind you, and sometimes losers walk away from the tables with even less than just an empty wallet or purse-sometimes they don't walk away at all. Now the International Association of Crime Writers and New York Times -bestselling author Michael Connelly have gathered twenty-two crime and mystery stories about the ultimate playground, Las Vegas, and what can happen behind the glitz and glamour. From a gambler who must-must-win at the roulette table to stay alive to a courier who's only mistake was accepting a package with Las Vegas as the final destination, come to the true city that never sleeps, where fortunes are made and lost every day, and where snake-eyes aren't found just on a pair of dice. Featuring stories by:James Swain, S.J. Rozan, Wendy Hornsby, Michael Collins, T.P Keating, J. Madison Davis, Sue Pike, Joan Richter, Libby Hellmann, Tom Savage, Edward Wellen, K.j.a. Wishnia, Linda Kerslake, John Wessel, Lise McClendon, Ronnie Klaskin, Ruth Cavin, A.B. Robbins , Gay Toltl Kinman, Micki Marz, Rick Mofina, Jeremiah Healy

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765307391
• ISBN13: 9780765307392
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Forge Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Stories of Deception, Desperation, and Death

"Murder in Vegas" is an interesting anthology of short stories set in and around Las Vegas, all of which contain a murder. The similarity between the stories stops there, with the authors choosing a number of plot lines to tell their tale. We have stories of desperate gamblers, beautiful show girls, down and out druggies, and even a story about bird-watching in the desert. My favorite story was "Killer Heels Kill Twice as Dead", by T.P. Keating, an author who I'd not read before. In this wicked tale of revenge, a smart show girl tries to get out of an unfair contract she signed under duress. She's out for revenge, and the story is a good one. One of the most enjoyable things about reading an anthology such as this is the exposure to new authors. In addition to T.P. Keating, I also really enjoyed the stories by Wendy Hornsby and Ruth Cavin, other authors whose work I'd not read before. Not every story in this collection really appealed to me, but there were enough good ones to definitely recommend the collection. If you're looking for to immerse yourself in the glamour and desperation of Las Vegas (without risking your money at the gambling tables), definitely read this book.