cover image Las Vegas Illusion

Las Vegas Illusion

Carolyn Slicker Defever. Paisley Publishing (TX), $21.95 (253pp) ISBN 978-0-9626117-6-6

Despite interesting insider details imparted by former blackjack dealer DeFever ( Window Covering Basics ), this first novel fails to overcome some significant problems. Leah, a blackjack dealer at a casino in Las Vegas and the mother of five-year-old twin girls, relishes her newfound independence after a disastrous second marriage. But then handsome and mysterious Jim Henderson enters her life, vigorously pursuing her despite her no-dating-the-customers rule. She finally succumbs to his charm, ignoring her instinct that something isn't right. Only after both she and her daughters fall in love with Jim do they learn that he is actually Douglas Lourdes, an IRS agent investigating Las Vegas dealers' tips. Douglas has woven complex layers of untruth around himself, and Leah must determine how much she can trust the man she loves, which lies were meant to protect her and which can hurt her. Several implausible and too-convenient plot twists (in particular, Leah's instant bonding with Douglas's bitter wife and wealthy mother-in-law), vacillating character motivations and irregular pacing add up to an amateurish effort. (May)