Monday, June 11, 2018

Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge


In this game, the stakes are life or death.

The Seven of Spades is back with a vengeance — the vigilante serial killer has resumed their murderous crusade, eluding the police at every turn. But a bloodthirsty killer isn’t the only threat facing Sin City. A devious saboteur is wreaking havoc in Las Vegas’s criminal underworld, and the entire city seems to be barreling toward an all-out gang war.

As Detective Levi Abrams is pushed ever closer to his breaking point, his control over his dangerous rage slips further every day. His relationship with PI Dominic Russo should be a source of comfort, but Dominic is secretly locked in his own downward spiral, confronting a nightmare he can’t bear to reveal.

Las Vegas is floundering. Levi and Dominic’s bond is cracking along the seams. And the Seven of Spades is still playing to win. How many bad hands can Levi and Dominic survive before it’s game over?

Add to Goodreads –


Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica☆☆☆☆☆
Cash Plays is book #3 in the Seven of Spades series and I can already say this is going to be one of my favourite series ever! I am totally and completely in love with Dominic and Levi. Their relationship becomes more serious and Dominic gets to meet Levi’s parents when they come to town. Levi’s parents are good value with big personalities. But as the story goes on, problems arise between them when work sends Dominic on a downward spiral, and even though I knew Dominic’s troubles were coming, it still killed me.

The relationship issues combined with Levi’s search for the Seven of Spades killer, a gang war in Vegas, and Dominic’s hunt for a missing college student combine to make a gripping story that I loved every minute of, even when my heart was being squeezed uncomfortably when our heroes where doing things that were clearly not going to end well. There is plenty of action in the story and I have to say I hope at some point this series is made into a movie because I’d love to watch Levi’s fight scene brought to life.

Three books into what will be a five-book series, I have a few ideas about who the serial killer might be, but I think they might be too obvious. I want to go back and re-read the series so far before the release of One-Eyed Royals in September (book #4), to see if I’ve missed any obvious clues. Also, I’m totally enamoured with the series and I just want to read it over and over again.

A tip for readers impatiently waiting to get your hands on Cash Plays or any future books in this series, if you pre-order these books directly from the publisher (Riptide Publishing), they give you access to download the book 48 hours before the release.


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/M Thriller
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

WHEW! This is a nail biter and mostly because you can see the train wreck coming and there is nothing you can do to stop it!

If you're new to these books, make sure you start at the beginning, as you'll not want to miss anything that leads up to this one.

Dominic and Levi have a great relationship. They just click and even though there are some darker aspects to Levi's personality that he doesn't like to talk about or acknowledge, Dominic is able to keep Levi level headed.

Levi's still being stalked by the Seven of Spades serial killer, but now, with the FBI involved, he has to be content with the agent thinking he's capable of becoming a serial killer and hitting on his boyfriend. While Levi is having a difficult time coping with the murders, the gangs of Vegas gearing up for an all-out war, and his own personal feelings about his tendencies and what he's capable of, Dominic is nowhere to be found. Levi is just doing his job as best he can, but without Dominic to help level him out, Levi is kind of drowning.

Dominic is now a PI. One of his first solo cases is searching for a college co-ed who seems to have disappeared. What he finds is a situation that not only tests him professionally, but also tests him on a deeply personal level. He finds himself in a situation that not only he's unable to walk away from, but it sucks him right back in whenever he thinks he can try to remove himself.

This is an emotional read and even though you know what's happening, you can't help but be sad when things do hit the fan. Will Dominic and Levi find level ground again? Is the killer as close as he seems? I cannot wait for the next book as I believe more questions will be answered and hopefully more will be asked. I am anxiously waiting to read book four.


Sarah☆☆☆
The third book in the Seven of Spades series takes readers into the gangster underbelly of Las Vegas.

This isn’t my favourite book in the series. I enjoyed the action scenes but I’m not sure the book really pushes the series forward. We don’t get much closer to the identity of the Seven of Spades and Levi and Dominic’s relationship is in an uneasy holding pattern that I found frustrating. After all of the character and relationship development in the second book, I was disappointed to get pared down versions of Levi and Dominic in this book.

I finished the story feeling like it was way too short – but at over three hundred pages, it really isn’t. I just missed the more intellectual side to the investigation into the identity of the Seven of Spades and I was hoping for more of Levi and Dominic’s personal and family life.

I’m still hooked on this series but I’m hoping the next book is more like book two.


Also Available in the Seven of Spades Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Kill Game post.


Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing

For reviews & more info, check out our Trick Roller post.



Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.

Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!

Connect with Cordelia

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads


http://riptidepublishing.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Cash Plays (Seven of Spades #3) by Cordelia Kingsbridge to read and review.

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