Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
Nina Reilly's new client ought to be dancing in the streets. She's just won the biggest slot machine jackpot in Lake Tahoe history. But if Jessie Potter claims it, she's putting herself and her little boy in harm's way. Someone's out to get the young woman, and the only one who seems to be on her side is Kenny Leung, an awkward but likable techno-wizard who's about to go bankrupt. Nina comes up with a plan to help Jessie collect her jackpot without revealing her identity to the powerful man who believes she killed his son. But her client's pursuer is already on the sniff. Though he was unable to convince the police to charge her with homicide, he and his sleazy lawyer counter Nina's maneuver by filing a writ of execution that will deprive Jessie of her rightful winnings. And just to thicken the plot, there's someone else threatening Jessie--a very angry man who believes she stole the jackpot that should have been his. He will kill anyone who stands in the way of his claim.
Nina may be a crafty lawyer, but she's not quite as deft in juggling her personal and professional lives. Paul van Wagoner, her investigator, isn't happy with their romantic relationship, and Nina herself, still mourning the death of her husband, is reluctant to commit to more than a casual romance. Perri O'Shaughnessy doesn't devote a lot of ink to her heroine's emotional concerns, but she's good at plotting, excellent on the legal maneuvering, and handles her secondary characters well, particularly Leung, whose computer expertise illuminates the technical aspects of slot machine gaming. This is a series that keeps getting better. O'Shaughnessy fans who've stuck with Nina since her somewhat plodding earlier adventures will be glad they stayed the course. --Jane Adams
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
layers of intrigue
Customer Rating:
I had never read perri o'shaughnessy until i picked up 'writ of execution' at a library sale. I was a third or so the way thru when i looked at the back cover to see if there was a bio, as i began to suspect this might be a female writer. to my surprise, 2 females. sisters! I was drawn in to this book by the charactors, and layers of mystery surrounding each one. From the slot machines to the court room, including personal difficulties unrelated to the mystery. wonderful balancing act. Definitely a charactor driven book, i can't wait to read another. I love finding gems like this thru serendipity.
You Put A Few Bucks In A Slot Machine And Your Life Changes...
Customer Rating:
... though not always for the better.
A young woman wins a multi-million progressive jackpot on a slot machine.
Desperate to hide her identity she takes off with the stranger who was playing next to her (a down on his luck computer programmer who is is minutes away from putting a bullet in his brain) and heads off to lawyer Nina Reilly.
In a first attempt to hide her identity, a quick marriage between the two (for the pice of one million dollars) is arranged, to allow the woman to give a false identity to the press who are covering the event and to hide her from whoever may be on her tail.
The plan does unravel, due to a lawsuit, and there is also another claimant who would kill to get her millions. He has his reasons for thinking the jackpot should be his.
Overall I found this an enjoyable book, though there are some weaknesses that the other reviews have pointed out. I waivered between a 4 and a 3 star rating. Ultimately, what made the difference for me is that the book went into some interesting details on the gaming industry, how these large jackpots actually work, and what the gaming companies can or cannot do. This bit of research made the difference in my rating.
A good crime/legal/detective novel with enough twists and turns to keep me interested.
SO SO...
Customer Rating:
This is a mediocre legal thriller, and my first introduction to this author. While moderately entertaining, I probably will not seek anymore novels by this author, as the writing tends to be pedestrian and formulaic. I also found the character of the attorney, Nina Reilly, to be uninteresting and an embarrassment to women in the legal profession. Perhaps, this was in part due to the fact that I listened to the unabridged audio book, where the reader infused Ms. Reilly's character with a breathy, little girl voice, that made her sound just this side of stupid.
Still, the book had its interesting moments. The plot revolves around a young woman, purportedly of Washoe Indian descent, who calls herself Jessie Potter and has just won a seven million dollar plus jackpot at a Nevada casino. She wishes to maintain a low profile, as she has a deep, dark secret, so she retains Ms. Reilly as her attorney, seeking to collect the jackpot, while maintaining her privacy. Unbeknownst to Ms. Reilly and her client, someone else feels entitled to that jackpot and will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get it.
In constructing the plot, the author, through one of the secondary characters, gives an interesting account of how these jackpots are designed to work, as well as a bird's-eye view of the gaming industry. Moreover, the courtroom scenes are of some interest. Still, this is not enough to make this a top notch legal thriller, as the writing never rises beyond hack status. The plot was too pat and contrived, at times, and the characters remain two dimensional throughout. I found myself neither caring for nor very much liking any of the characters. This over rated book remains simply a quick, throwaway read.
Beyond belief
Customer Rating:
This was my first Perri O'Shaughnessy book. I got it free at the Bouchercon in Austin last October. I MIGHT read one of the earlier titles but it won't be first on my list. Perhaps it is the result of co-authors, but I found the writing to be difficult to navigate. Many times it was hard to determine who was talking. Too many thoughts to oneself interspersed with dialogue. Too many coincidences to make the story believable.
I admit I am not fond of the female in jeopardy genre. And this one had TWO women making foolish assumptions and stupid moves. I had little sympathy for either of them.
Nina Reilly is the single mom to a young boy. He is conveniently absent or accounted for often during the book, although Nina sporadically wrings her hands in concern for him. Her detective, Paul, seems to want to be with her regardless of her personal difficulties but he is often oblivious to those difficulties, too.
This book was just too PC for me. A little of everything was thrown in for good measure, along with a lot of editorializing on the favorite soap boxes of the authors.
Still, I finished it and did find it somewhat entertaining. The sisters need a good proofreader.
Consistent fun
Customer Rating:
A story full of twists and turns. Its a very interesting plot, winning the big pot, was it a strike of luck or a bad joke from the devil? What deep dark secret can keep the winner from collecting what is lawfuly hers? These and more mysteries lead our picturesque team of the sensitive but persistent lawyer, the reliable with an almost frightening sense of protecting detective and his naive indian partner to play a who done it game with very powerful and dark charachters, that sometimes wear their angel disguises to perform their evil duties.
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