Risky Games

After the laudable Wrapped in Wishes, Bicos's latest suffers from a triple whammy of overplotting, bio-scientific laboratory shenanigans and a plethora of unnecessary secondary characters that make this a confusing read. Disgraced scientist Dr. McCall Sayer uses her considerable intelligence to play the riverboat casinos while she bides her time to even scores with Clark Cosmetics, the unethical company that orchestrated her downfall. Her uncanny luck at blackjack, along with her gorgeous gams and burgundy-colored hair, brings her to the attention of twice-divorced, ex-New Orleans prosecutor-turned-casino-manager Jake Donovan. But this enormously appealing pair of lovers can't begin to rescue a story that tries too hard to satisfy the strictures of both suspense and romance. Less, in this case, would have been more. Author tour. (July)