A Chip and a Chair
Author: Cordelia Kingsbridge
Reviewer: B.
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
It’s been quite a while since the last Seven of Spades story, but I can happily say that the wait was very much worthwhile. Dominic and Levi have been through an awful lot at this point, but I was still glad that the author didn’t let them off the hook in A Chip and a Chair.
With so many twists and turns, I strongly recommend reading this series from the beginning. There’s simply too much going on to try and jump in for the endgame. Even though the author does an admirable job of tying things together without making the act seem overly manufactured, I wish I’d been able to go back through the previous stories before starting A Chip and a Chair. Still, I think doing a complete reread will be highly enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the clues and details light up the second time around.
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about this series is the moral ambiguity/dilemma the author bats around, and A Chip and a Chair brings the characters’ varying perspectives of the dichotomy to the forefront. As is true in real life, the line between murderer and martyr is defined by the many differing facets of public perception. In the case of this story, the “vigilante” part of the justice being sought becomes parenthetical, and the contrasting personalities of the characters who ultimately bear responsibility negate any denial of the importance of what we think, but would never say out loud.
As turbulent as the Seven of Spades series has always been, A Chip and a Chair pushes that definition beyond anything I had expected. At just past the two-thirds mark, we’re treated to the big reveal—and “like the free-fall of a rollercoaster,” the remainder of the narrative shifts to an entirely different sort of bedlam. From this point forward, the story is a mix of a lot of wrong things gone right, and I couldn’t help but find some aspects of it disturbingly fun. The author seems to gleefully shove both readers and characters along the rest of the ride. And what a ride it is.
In lieu of some painkillers and a glass of water, the author brings the series to a close with an ending that’s pretty near to perfect. Exhausted of the manic bursts of determination and bewilderment, and tempered by various shades of grief, A Chip and a Chair concludes with something almost ridiculously lovely and sweet. And despite my usual aversion to confetti-tossed endings, I really wanted Levi and Dominic to have this. On the whole, this story more than met my expectations, making the Seven of Spades series one I’ll enjoy again very soon.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
B.
About the Book:
It’s time to lay all the cards on the table.
Detective Levi Abrams and PI Dominic Russo are reunited and more committed to each other than ever, but they can’t truly move forward with their lives until the serial killer who’s been tormenting them is behind bars. When a secret burial site is discovered in the desert with the remains of the Seven of Spades’s earliest victims, that goal finally seems within reach.
But just as the net is tightening, the neo-Nazi militia Utopia launches their master plan with a devastating act of terror that changes the landscape of Las Vegas forever. As Levi and Dominic scramble to prevent the city’s destruction, they’re opposed by treacherous forces that propel them toward catastrophe. In the end, Levi’s fate may rest in the hands of the very killer he’s been hunting.
The race to save Sin City is on, and these players are going for broke. No matter how hopeless things seem, as long as they’re together and they’ve got a chip to play and a chair to sit in, they’re still in the game.
Release Date: March 11, 2019
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Series: Seven of Spades #5
Genre: Suspense, Romance, LGBTQ, m/m
Format(s): paperback (382 pages), e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge (Seven of Spades #1)
Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge (Seven of Spades #2)
Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge (Seven of Spades #3)
One-Eyed Royals by Cordelia Kingsbridge (Seven of Spades #4)