The Prop

Hautman's Godless (2005) won a National Book Award for Young People's Fiction, but his impressive, sharply written new crime thriller is definitely for adults—especially those who would rather play poker than do anything else. Peeky Kane, an attractive woman in her 40s, is a prop—hired to keep shorthanded poker games going at a casino owned by a Native American tribe near Tucson, Ariz. She gets paid $110 per eight-hour-shift plus health insurance, keeps any money she wins at the tables (and must make up any losses out of her own pocket). Because she's shrewd and talented, Peeky has managed to put together a small nest egg, some of which goes to her troubled 21-year-old daughter, Jaymie. Peeky's lover, Buddy Balcomb, is also a poker addict, whose own winning streak may be over. Peeky's life takes a few sharp turns after some crooked dealers find a new way to steal money and make her an unwilling accomplice. As this short but action-packed novel shows, Hautman is the kind of cool, expert player who keeps the cards coming. (Apr.)