Today began with a dead woman sprawled across the hood of the new, candy-apple red Ferrari California. Heck of a thing to do to a young woman…and a Ferrari. Even worse, the weapon of choice was a stiletto…and not the kind you’re thinking of. Nope, this was a Jimmy Choo stiletto—five inches of high-heeled, bejeweled perfection. Someone had embedded it in the poor girl’s carotid.

So, that’s how my day started—a bit unusual even for me—and it has gone downhill from there.

As the Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas’ most over-the-top resort, it’s not unusual that the call about the Ferrari girl rolled to me at 3 a.m. Of course, the fact that I was trying to hide from a broken heart in one of the private apartments at the Babylon, also put my number at the top of the speed dial list.

Accessibility clearly has its downside.

Death by Jimmy Choo … there are so many things wrong with that I don’t even know where to begin.

And, that was just the first of the blindsides I didn’t see coming today. The second followed closely on its heels…. Oh, sorry, bad puns and innuendo are usually my only defenses against panic.

The second blindside had to do with the lady on the Ferrari, and really, all I can say about that is well, it really hurts when a trusted friend betrays your trust.

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day.

Of course all of this comes at the worst time—the Sin City Smack Down Poker Tournament is ramping up at the Babylon bringing with it all manner of players, pimps, hookers, and hangers-on. I thought I was sort of getting a handle on things when I got a call about Shady slim Grady, one of the founders of Texas Hold ‘Em and a personal friend of the Big Boss, my father and the owner of the Babylon. It turns out Slim had turned up dead in the lav on one of the Babylon’s rather expensive corporate jets.

Now, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am starting to see a pattern, and it seems a murderer has joined our little poker party. I really resisted leaping to that conclusion, but when the Poker Room Manager expired from a deadly dose of cyanide, the fact that we have a murder roaming among us was sorta hard to deny.

And, between you and me, I take it real personal when someone messes with the Vegas magic.

Even though I’ve been pretty scattered lately with Teddie, my former lover, taking a powder, and my mother getting knocked up (please, she’s a former hooker—she should know what causes that) three murders have gotten my attention.

And, if I’ve learned anything, which is sometimes in serious doubt, it’s that what happens in Vegas is rarely what should happen.

Sorta like my love life—an enduring mystery. So Teddie disappears and another pops up to take his place—it’s like the Whack-A-Mole game at the state fair. I just need a large enough bat to protect my heart—not something I’m very good at. In fact, I’m pretty clueless.

But, right now, I gotta run. There’s a murderer playing games with me and, that just won’t do, not one little bit.

Meet the author
My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I currently reside in Las Vegas, where my friends assure me I cannot get into too much trouble. Silly people. I am the author of WANNA GET LUCKY? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel for 2010 and double RITA™ Finalist), LUCKY STIFF, SO DAMN LUCKY and two digital novellas, LUCKY IN LOVE and LUCKY BANG. My upcoming releases are two digital novellas, LUCKY NOW AND THEN, Parts One and Two (March and April 2013) and the fourth Lucky novel, LUCKY BASTARD (May 14th in hardcover). I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.

Books are available at retail and online booksellers.