BLUFF
At twenty-seven, magician Natalie Webb is already a has-been. A card-trick prodigy, she started touring at seventeen, took first place at the World of Magic competition at eighteen, and never reached such heights again. Shunned by the magic world after a disastrous liaison with an older magician, she now lives alone in her New Jersey apartment with her pigeons and a pile of overdue bills. In a desperate ploy to make extra cash, she follows up on an old offer to write a fea-ture magazine article—on the art of cheating at cards.
But when she meets the perfect subject for her article, what begins as a jour-nalistic gamble brings into question everything Natalie thinks she knows about her talent, and herself. Natalie is dazzled by the poker cheat’s sleight of hand and soon finds herself facing a proposition that could radically alter her fortune—to help pull off a $1.5 million magic trick that, if done successfully, no one will ever even suspect happened. With Kardos raising the stakes chapter after chapter, Bluff is a breathtaking work of suspense from a writer at the top of his game.
REVIEWS & PRAISE
"As lithe and cunning as its characters, Michael Kardos's Bluff is a masterly exercise in narrative sleight of hand. This is suspense in its purest form--character-driven, immersive and hopelessly addictive. Prepare to be taken."
―Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of You Will Know Me
"Michael Kardos is a master at ratcheting up the suspense, and Bluff combines poker, a brilliant con game, and two terrific women who run the show. If you haven't read Kardos yet, Bluff is the perfect place to start!"
―Lisa Scottoline, bestselling author of Exposed
"Terrific writing, great characters, an insider's knowledge, and a killer plot. What are you waiting for? Buy this book."
―Peter Blauner, author of Proving Ground and Slow Motion Riot
"Truly gasp-worthy."
―Library Journal (starred review)
"In the tantalizing new thriller 'Bluff,' Michael Kardos reveals himself to be a master at dealing from the middle of the deck."
―Chicago Tribune
"Fans of The Hustler, Rounders, Megan Abbott's Queenpin and the rest of the gambling/hustling canon will want to check this one out as soon as possible."
―CrimeReads
"Buy a ticket and let the magic begin."
―The Oklahoman
"Natalie is a sharp-witted survivor with a relatable self-sabotaging streak whose move into the dark world of card cheats climaxes with a spin worthy of the most adept con artists."
―Booklist
"Let's just say that things do not go as planned...or do they?...Saying anything more gives too much about this delightfully surprising thriller away."
―The Florida Times-Union
"Bluff is an excellent, fast read, full of twists and misdirections and layers upon layers of deception."
―Casino City Times
