I won an eARC of Bluff from BookishFirst and omg this book is so FUN! Gossip, socialites, poker, long-held grudges, murder, appearances for appearance's sake, and long cons, OH MY! I was able to read the first couple of chapters before I won the ARC and I was all in by the first chapter. This book was everything I love. Badass ladies killing assholes and people talking shit about other people. What more could you want? Let's get to the review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
One-time socialite Maud Warner polishes up the rags of her once glittering existence and bluffs her way into a signature New York restaurant on a sunny October day. When she shoots Sun Sunderland, the "Pope of Finance," as he lunches with "accountant to the stars" Burt Sklar - the man she's accused for years of stealing her mother's fortune and leaving her family in ruins - she deals the first card in her high-stakes plan for revenge.
Maud has grown accustomed to being underestimated and invisible, and uses it. Her fervent passion for poker has taught her that she can turn weakness into strength to take advantage of people who think they are taking advantage of her. It's uncanny how she reads them.
Her intimates in New York high society believe that "Mad Maud" accidentally missed Sklar, her real target. But nothing is as it first appears as she weathers the unexpected while following her script. And while Maud is on the run, the dark secrets of men who believe their money and power place them above the law will be exposed. Betrayal, larceny, greed, sexual battery, and murder lurk beneath the surface of their glittering lives.
One unexpected twist after another follows as we watch a fierce, unapologetic Maud play the most important poker hand of her life. The stakes? To take down her enemies and get justice for their victims. Her success depends on her continuing ability to bluff. And on who will fold.
Can she win?
Maud Warner has been planning to kill Burt Sklar since the day she accused him of taking all her mother's money and no one believed her. But when she goes to the Four Seasons with a gun in her handbag, she doesn't shoot him, she shoots his friend, Sun Sunderland. Why? That is what the society woman Maud used to be friends with, the cops, and the tabloids would love to know. But this isn't just Maud's story.
If you've read any of my past reviews, you know how much I love a book that changes perspectives per chapter. While I would say Maud is definitely the main character in this story, so is Sun Sunderland's widow, Jean, Greta, Jean's best friend, and Danye (I can't say who she is because it is THE MOST UNEXPECTED SURPRISE). They are all affected by the death of Sun Sunderland in one way or another and let me just tell you...be ready to be the most surprised and delighted that you've ever been!
There are not that many things I can talk about with this book because it is filled with shocking twists and turns and I had such a good time learning about the surprises that I cannot take that fun away from you. But I will say that Maud is a genius! When her family lost all their money, she turned to poker as her "drug" of choice and it teaches her everything she needs to know to lie, bluff, and maybe even shoot someone and get away with it.
The only critique I have is that it wrapped up way too quickly for me. The trial could have been AMAZING and suspenseful and thrilling, but it was pretty much glossed over which was incredibly disappointing, especially when this book was a total winner up until that point. But, other than the too quick ending, this was a brilliantly thought out and well-written book.
If you like mysteries, misconceptions being questioned and thrown out the window (no one suspects Maud to be a killer because of her age), and just some amazing characters and dialogue, Bluff should definitely be added to your TBR. I am giving Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out!
Bluff comes out April 2, 2019 (I know it's a long time to wait!!)
Thank you to BookishFirst, NetGalley (they provided me with an ARC as well), and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
One-time socialite Maud Warner polishes up the rags of her once glittering existence and bluffs her way into a signature New York restaurant on a sunny October day. When she shoots Sun Sunderland, the "Pope of Finance," as he lunches with "accountant to the stars" Burt Sklar - the man she's accused for years of stealing her mother's fortune and leaving her family in ruins - she deals the first card in her high-stakes plan for revenge.
Maud has grown accustomed to being underestimated and invisible, and uses it. Her fervent passion for poker has taught her that she can turn weakness into strength to take advantage of people who think they are taking advantage of her. It's uncanny how she reads them.
Her intimates in New York high society believe that "Mad Maud" accidentally missed Sklar, her real target. But nothing is as it first appears as she weathers the unexpected while following her script. And while Maud is on the run, the dark secrets of men who believe their money and power place them above the law will be exposed. Betrayal, larceny, greed, sexual battery, and murder lurk beneath the surface of their glittering lives.
One unexpected twist after another follows as we watch a fierce, unapologetic Maud play the most important poker hand of her life. The stakes? To take down her enemies and get justice for their victims. Her success depends on her continuing ability to bluff. And on who will fold.
Can she win?
Maud Warner has been planning to kill Burt Sklar since the day she accused him of taking all her mother's money and no one believed her. But when she goes to the Four Seasons with a gun in her handbag, she doesn't shoot him, she shoots his friend, Sun Sunderland. Why? That is what the society woman Maud used to be friends with, the cops, and the tabloids would love to know. But this isn't just Maud's story.
If you've read any of my past reviews, you know how much I love a book that changes perspectives per chapter. While I would say Maud is definitely the main character in this story, so is Sun Sunderland's widow, Jean, Greta, Jean's best friend, and Danye (I can't say who she is because it is THE MOST UNEXPECTED SURPRISE). They are all affected by the death of Sun Sunderland in one way or another and let me just tell you...be ready to be the most surprised and delighted that you've ever been!
There are not that many things I can talk about with this book because it is filled with shocking twists and turns and I had such a good time learning about the surprises that I cannot take that fun away from you. But I will say that Maud is a genius! When her family lost all their money, she turned to poker as her "drug" of choice and it teaches her everything she needs to know to lie, bluff, and maybe even shoot someone and get away with it.
The only critique I have is that it wrapped up way too quickly for me. The trial could have been AMAZING and suspenseful and thrilling, but it was pretty much glossed over which was incredibly disappointing, especially when this book was a total winner up until that point. But, other than the too quick ending, this was a brilliantly thought out and well-written book.
If you like mysteries, misconceptions being questioned and thrown out the window (no one suspects Maud to be a killer because of her age), and just some amazing characters and dialogue, Bluff should definitely be added to your TBR. I am giving Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out!
Bluff comes out April 2, 2019 (I know it's a long time to wait!!)
Thank you to BookishFirst, NetGalley (they provided me with an ARC as well), and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.