Night Game begins with a thief that calls himself The Monk entering a room in the King's Club casino hotel in Reno with the intent to steal, but a guest is there and awake so he kills her. We next meet Kasey Atwood, a freelance "spotter" who is hired by casinos, clubs and restaurants, to discover who is stealing from them. Kasey grew up in a casino owned by her parents so knows the gambling business inside out. She now lives with her mother in mother's lodging house, and her estranged father, an alcoholic, has little part in her life.

An old friend, Dianne, persuades her husband Jay King, the King's Club's owner, to hire Kasey to teach his nephew Brad the ins and outs of casino operation. Then Jay tells Kasey in confidence he wants her to look into threats against him, Dianne and the King's Club. Situations designed to intimidate the Kings and ruin the King's Club's business become frequent, and we know from the onset that the Monk is behind them.

Tension escalates as the Monk terrorizes Jay and Dianne, while Kasey fends off Brad and tries to stifle her feelings for Jay, that she has had since she was in high school. The elusive Monk is always one step ahead of them and when he intrudes in Kasey's personal life she knows she has become a target. This intricately crafted plot builds to a dramatic climax.

As in all Carol Davis Luce novels, characters are fully fleshed personalities. The Monk is a fascinating villain, intelligent, devious, brutal, without an ounce on conscience. He uses people and then disposes of them. He moves through the casino under everyone's nose like a ghost.

The plot is intriguing, suspense puts you on the edge and the end comes as a surprise. Another wonderful story, excellently written, full of twists and turns that left me wanting more.
Night Game begins with a thief that calls himself The Monk entering a room in the King's Club casino hotel in Reno with the intent to steal, but a guest is there and awake so he kills her. We next meet Kasey Atwood, a freelance "spotter" who is hired by casinos, clubs and restaurants, to discover who is stealing from them. Kasey grew up in a casino owned by her parents so knows the gambling business inside out. She now lives with her mother in mother's lodging house, and her estranged father, an alcoholic, has little part in her life. An old friend, Dianne, persuades her husband Jay King, the King's Club's owner, to hire Kasey to teach his nephew Brad the ins and outs of casino operation. Then Jay tells Kasey in confidence he wants her to look into threats against him, Dianne and the King's Club. Situations designed to intimidate the Kings and ruin the King's Club's business become frequent, and we know from the onset that the Monk is behind them. Tension escalates as the Monk terrorizes Jay and Dianne, while Kasey fends off Brad and tries to stifle her feelings for Jay, that she has had since she was in high school. The elusive Monk is always one step ahead of them and when he intrudes in Kasey's personal life she knows she has become a target. This intricately crafted plot builds to a dramatic climax. As in all Carol Davis Luce novels, characters are fully fleshed personalities. The Monk is a fascinating villain, intelligent, devious, brutal, without an ounce on conscience. He uses people and then disposes of them. He moves through the casino under everyone's nose like a ghost. The plot is intriguing, suspense puts you on the edge and the end comes as a surprise. Another wonderful story, excellently written, full of twists and turns that left me wanting more.