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Dead Man's Hand

A Calvin Watters Mystery, Book 1

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Dead Man's Hand

By: Luke Murphy
Narrated by: Conner Goff
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About this listen

What happens when the deck is stacked against you....

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas police, finds him to be the perfect fall guy.

...and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last 12 years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?

Against his superiors and better judgement, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

Reviews for Dead Man's Hand

"You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out." (William Martin, New York Times best-selling author of The Lincoln Letter)

"Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one, but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice." (Thomas Perry, New York Times best-selling author of Poison Flower)

"Murphy writes in a clean, mean style, as compelling as a switchblade to your throat…the real deal." (Rick Mofina, award-winning author of They Disappeared)

©2018 Luke Murphy (P)2019 Luke Murphy Crime Thrillers Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense Las Vegas Thriller Mystery Scary

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I really enjoyed the second book, so much so that I had to listen to the first book as well. Glad I did I really enjoyed this book and it explained so much about the second book that I might have to re listen to it to appreciate more. Even though I knew what the out come was and who the mastermind was it was still very enjoyable, mainly because so much was going on. Despite the main charter being a leg breaker there is no graphic descriptions of violence, just a few deaths. The story is told by a number of the characters, to give there perspective of the situation, which works well for the story and helps you follow along nicely, especially as there is a lot of characters. The cast of characters was interesting and the author didn't spend hours describing there home life or history but just enough to make them human and interesting. I hope there is a book three in the works because I will be keeping an eye out for it.
When a big casino boss is murdered it looks like an open and shut case, Calvin Watters a leg break for a loan shark is the obvious suspect but for two Las Vegas detectives it is to obvious. As the pair goes against orders and investigate the prime suspect go on the run leaving them with more questions than answers. Is Calvin being set up? Is there a hitman in town and who has the money or neve to hire one? and who had the real motive to kill the boss? As bodies start dropping before they can get the answers it is a race against time to bring it all to a happy conclusion.
I liked the narrator and thought he did a good job with the voices. I like it when an author sticks with the same narrator as it lend a sense of continuity to a story.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Aces high

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An injury to the knee destroyed Calvin's hope of a superstar sports celebrity. Tatooed, big and black, he now worked as a Collector, recovering money from those who didn't want to pay their debts. But Calvin wanted out, had been saving up: just one more job ...
Dale was a Los Vegas cop and Jimmy his partner. When the owner of a prominent casino is found murdered, and police receive a call implicating Calvin, Dale's suspicions that this is a set up grow as the body count rises. But with his chief suspects deemed untouchable, this is going to be a hard case to break.Sent

This is a murder mystery full of intrigue and twists, the characters as important to the story as the plot itself. And they are not straight black and white, but definitely flawed. Well written, almost plausible, this is a great read from page one. And the narration by Connor Goff is also well performed, making the reading experience even more satisfying.

My thanks to the rights holder of Dead Man's Hand, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. I look forward to the future volumes in this Calvin Waters Mystery series. Recommended.

I want to be superman again.

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Characterisations are paper thin, dialogue particularly clunky, story isn't engaging either unfortunately. The amount of repetition of the characters name is almost comical.

Narration is very flat, one note too.

If rest of series was free I still wouldn't bother.

Not a fan, I won't bother with the rest of series.

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