First published 1997
Beano Bates pulls off card scams with the best of them until he picks the wrong mark. When he takes eighty thousand dollars from a Mafia don in a rigged game, the don sends men to beat him within an inch of his life. The brutal assault turns deadly when someone gets killed. Beano survives, but barely. Now he wants payback that goes far beyond money. He teams up with a sharp female prosecutor who has her own reasons for wanting to bring down organized crime. Together with his extended family of skilled con artists, Beano designs the most elaborate swindle of his career. The target is the most dangerous mob boss in America and his unhinged brother. This job requires every trick Beano knows and several he will have to invent. One mistake means death, but success means taking down the men who nearly destroyed him.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
407 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: violence