Whoa. That was a rollercoaster suspense read!!!! If you are looking for a fast paced book with lots of twists, this is it!!

"Bluff" started off slow, but finished with a BANG! I got so wrapped up in the last part of the book I could hardly put it down.

This is my third Michael Kardos novel and I have to say -- excellent writing. Looking forward to the next book.

Certainly not the sort of thing typically found in my reading diet, this is a phenomenally gripping yarn. It’s immensely enjoyable to witness the characters’ motivations and all the intricate workings of their multiple cons unravel. Kardos’s obvious delight in the telling is infectious and gripping.

The best pop novel I’ve read in centuries.

4.5 ⭐️
I’ll listen to anything Julia Whelan narrates but man, this was a great high-paced, italian-job-esque listen.

How is this book not more widely known? It's been a long time since I read a book in a single day, but this was pure fun from beginning to end. I love a great heist story!

I went into Bluff by Michael Kardos blind off a recommendation. I didn’t even know what genre it was in. Basically two women, one a magician and one a card sharp, team up and attempt to cheat their way to winning a million dollars off a group of jack butts. The book leads up to a high stakes poker game that left my heart racing. It’s a beautifully built suspense novel and it’s a lot of fun. Julia Whelan narrates the audiobook so you know it’s good. I highly recommend it! -x

This book was amazing. The skills of the characters, the commitment, the tension - all great.

Ahoy there mateys!  Though the First Mate and I have very different reading tastes, occasionally we do recommend books to each other. We read and talked about the book and I enjoyed his viewpoint so I ordered asked him to write a review.  So you get one from me and a bonus additional review from me crew.  Please note that I write like I talk and the First Mate writes like he thinks.  Hope you enjoy!

From the Captain:

The First Mate recommended this to me.  I listened to it on audiobook and it was a fantastic thriller.  I actually loved this and had no idea where the plot was going or how the book was going to end.  It was fun and satisfying.  It follows Natalie, a has-been magician who is barely making ends meet.  She is trying to write an article about card cheats but in tracking down her subject, she is drawn into a scheme that could make her fortune.  Things don't quite work out.  I loved that I was kept guessing.  I loved rooting for Natalie.  I loved all the details about close magic and card tricks.  I cannot get too much into the plot because it is better to go in blind.  I highly recommend this.  Arrr!

From the First Mate:

Bluff is kinda a book about close stage magic. Kinda. It’s also kinda about card sharks. It’s also kinda a book about living on the edge of poverty and the desire to make the right choices. And it’s a book about consequences. Unexpected, life-changing consequences.

We find our protagonist, stage magician Natalie Webb, at a low point in her life. Formerly a stage magic prodigy, Natalie has been performing at company retreats to make ends meet. Things are not going well. We gradually learn how Natalie got started in magic, what choices she made over the years that got her to this point, and the direction that she feels is best to take her into a better future. The bad choices of the past, however, often lead to bad choices in the future.

Natalie finds herself in a series of ever escalating scenarios where she has to question who she can trust and what decision might have the least amount of fallout. Always a likable protagonist, it’s very easy to sympathize with what Natalie is dealing and many of the choices she makes. Not all of the choices are defensible (Kardos see to that), and Natalie rarely has enough information to make informed decisions.

Bluff is a very effective thriller. The plot moves swiftly and the tension continues to ratchet up. I can honestly say that I had no idea how the situation was ultimately going to be resolved. Where it ended up was, to me, extremely surprising and satisfying.

Highly recommended to fans of small time crime thrillers and fans of card tricks being used outside of a magic setting. Avoid if squeamish as there are a few grisly elements towards the end.

OH MY GOD, WHAT DID I READ

This book got better as it progressed, and in the end I really enjoyed it. An interesting insight into the world of magicians and card cheats