Stacked Deck

by Terry Watkins

She's their ace in the hole No one is better at exposing a cheat than professional gambler and sometimes government agent Bethany James. Now, posing as a glamorous high roller, she'll use every trick she learned at Athena Academy to uncover a mob boss's ugly sins...and his deadly secrets. But when a daredevil with a tantalizing drawl calls her bluff, the stakes--and her heart rate--become much, much higher. Beth can't help but wonder: Have the cards...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373389760
• ISBN13: 9780373389766
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: Silhouette Athena Force
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

A nice surprise...

Bethany James thrives on the game of poker. Heck, gambling is in her blood as her father was involved in one of the cheating crews in Las Vegas until his murder years ago. She's been searching for his identity but now her contact with Oracle wants her to follow up on the mysterious "A" who is plaguing Athena Academy... just as she is getting close. But this job has a different lure... not only could Bethany uncover information about A, but perhaps find out more about her father's murder. What will Bethany uncover in this high stakes game? I absolutely hate poker, gambling, or anything related to those things so it's quite a surprise how much I enjoyed STACKED DECK. Bethany's spunkiness in the face of danger makes her likable even as she spouts off more knowledge of gambling than I ever wanted to know. Those looking for a great action/adventure story with a feisty heroine will enjoy STACKED DECK but if you are looking for a romantic suspense, then this is perhaps not the book for you. There is a love triangle, a bit of an odd one, and yet Terry Watkins made it work. However, the focus of any of the Athena Force books is not on the romantic angle as there is not the traditional HEA. Instead, the stories focus on heroines who are strong even in the midst of chaos and emotional turmoil. Bethany is a superb heroine as Terry Watkins does a great job at providing a story that is both action-filled and concludes in a very thought provoking manner. COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

action-packed romantic suspense thriller

In Las Vegas poker superstar Bethany James is in the middle of calling a bluff during a Texas Hold Em marathon when she receives the call from Delhi her Oracle contact who leaves the message that she is to come to the Virginia townhouse immediately. The Athena Academy alumnus has been selected to go to Monaco because of her ability to bluff and more significant call a bluff. Her cover as wealthy widow Anne Hurley is to get information on casino owner Sal Giambi who Oracle fears is being manipulated by their enemy Arachne. To achieve her objective, she must seduce Giambi's new employee Formula One race-car driver John David "JD" Hawke. However, someone knows who she is as she was attacked in Nevada and now when she meets JD too. As they become better acquainted, their initial attraction blooms, but first her mission requires her to trust that JD is what he says he is because an unknown adversary is holding the cards and not bluffing as the culprit has marked them for death. This action-packed romantic suspense thriller grips the audience with the opening poker sequence and never slows down either in Nevada, Virginia or Monaco. The story line is filled with action, but Bethany who uses her poker skills to raise the ante makes the tale as series fans and poker players will be fascinated by her approach to her duty. Terry Watkins adds to the Athena Force mythos with the fully loaded STACKED DECK. Harriet Klausner