Wager Tough

In August, 2014, years before the legalization of sports betting in the United States, when a mob-connected bookie named Zany is murdered, Eddie O’Connell is assigned to take over Zany’s operation and find the killer. The trail leads to an exclusive, private gambling club where simulcast wagering on horse racing is used as a front for illegal sports betting. With the assistance of Paula “Rudi” Rudinger, the manager of Zany’s bookie operation and former lover, Eddie meets those who owe gambling debts. Eddie had run up a gambling debt of his own, but now finds himself doing collection.

Another bookie makes a grab for the gambling club’s business and seems like the perfect suspect. Eddie doesn’t buy the theory and must walk a fine line amid the cops, the club’s high rollers, and a local crime boss who only cares about the store’s flow of revenue during the upcoming football season. Each faction wants Eddie out of the picture, but he won’t leave until he gets justice for Zany.

368pp. | July 30, 2021 | 9781736593233