This is an absolutely fascinating look into the world of grifters and con artists in Las Vegas. The action was continuous, the characters shallow, but it doesn't really matter. I couldn't put this book down. Even with the explanations, I didn't understand a lot of the cons, but it was a very interesting read regardless.

Super Con is another insider Vegas gambling adventure written by James Swain. Swain is the author of a couple of series featuring gambling locations and cons and this entry is the third in the Billy Cunninham books. I would not recommend beginning with this one for a couple of reasons. One is that there is already some relational backstory that the reader will understand, but it is best understood if you have read the backstory in the previous novels. Secondly, this entry in the series is fairly weak, which I put mostly down to a lack of editing.
Cunnnigham's driver is kidnapped and he is coerced to join another team in order to throw the Super Bowl. His desire to get his team-member back, do a great "super" con like the one put before him, but also take revenge on those who are coercing him are all elements of the satisfying plot.
What gets in the way is Swain's desire to share more inside knowledge than is needed for this story. I love reading about gambling tricks and con games, and that is one thing I love about his books. However, perhaps knowing that he will never write enough books to fit everything the knows in, he adds additional gaming or con information in almost every scene, even though it has nothing to do with this story. Though it is nice to get an insider's view of things, it dilutes the story and works against what might have been a taught thriller instead.
As I said, I would not recommend this as your first Swain novel, and unless you want to read all in a series, you might even skip this one.

James Swain penned an action-filled narrative that held my undivided attention. The scenes were perfectly played out with each short chapter seamlessly rolling into the next. It made for an easy, entertaining read. The characters, Billy being my favorite, were well drawn-out. Only regret was that this book had finally come to an end. I knew it would happen. And it was only when I got to the end that I realized I was able to finally let out my breath. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone.

Billy Cunningham is a swindler, cheat and con man. Not the guy you would normally bring home to meet Mother. His digs are in Las Vegas. That's where the action is. His type anyway. Nonstop. Not alone, he's got a crew. Under watchful Casino eyes, they worked their are cons and grifts in sync to rip off their not so willing hosts. Their schemes varied from casino to casino, game to game. Masters of crime. The Nevada Gaming Control Board had unsuccessfully been after Billy a long time. He had been Public Enemy number one on their radar.

One day, Billy was visited by Chinese mob boss, Broken Tooth. A removable cap revealed a broken tooth. Seriously? He wanted Billy's help to scam the upcoming Super Bowl. No one else would do. Billy refused. In retaliation, Broken Tooth kidnapped Billy's driver and friend, Leon. Either he played ball or Leon was going to to have his chips cashed in. The choice was clear. Go along with the blackmailed scheme. For now.

The Las Vegas Rebels would be playing the Louisville Volunteers at the Super Bowl. The game, just a couple of weeks away. A few of the rebel players were staying at Caesars. The star player, Night Train McClain was their unspoken leader. Hustler's themselves, they cheated unsuspecting victims at poker. Billy would need their cooperation to pull off the Superbowl scam. So, he arranged to pay them a visit under the pretense of being a sucker with a lot of money to lose. They didn't know who they were dealing with. Billy took them for everything they had. Then as an act of good faith, he gave it all back. That got their attention. After laying out the plan, they became willing participants of the scam.

There were many ways to bet on the Super Bowl. Not just win or lose. Props are some of the better-known betting strategies. For example, a bet could be placed on when a team had its first penalty. Another could be made for when a team suffered its first injury. It went on and on. If some players on either team conspired to pull off some of these props, then a great deal of money was there to be made without necessarily throwing the game. In a nutshell, that was the scam.

Throw into the mix special agent Grimes of the gaming board looking to put Billy in his crosshairs. He needed to make a high-level arrest to get a desired promotion. Billy's old flame and cheat mentor, Maggie was back in town. More complications. They had parted under unfavorable circumstances. The NFL players recruited for the scam appeared to be nothing more than Party Boys. Not the most dependable. Anything and everything could go wrong. Could any of this go right? Game time.

This ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Gratitude sent to Thomas & Mercer for allowing this pre-release edition made available.

Conmen, grifters, Card mechanics, magicians, Carneys, tricksters, gaffers, and any other sleight of hand fascinated us. They say a sucker is born every minute and it’s great fun to watch the circus sideshow or three card monte hustlers as long as some other guy is the sucker, the mark, the fool. And, we all love Las Vegas even though most folks walk away from there with emptier pockets. In this third book in the Billy Cunningham series, Swain offers us once again a chance to run with the hustlers, the tricksters, the conmen, and it is such tremendous fun.

You see Billy runs a crew of hustlers who know all the cons and all the tricks and take the casinos for thousands if not millions in bigger and bigger scams. There’s always got to be that one last con game before you retire.

Of course, Billy’s merry little crew isn’t just waltzing the yellow brick road and encounters a few road blocks like a bigger meaner crew, a gaming agent that has it bad for Billy and who’ll stop at nothing to get him, and the entire NFL who will cuckoo if there were one whiff of the Super Bowl being fixed. Some of the scams worked out here are crazy and some of the action crazy but Swain makes it all work. The book, like the earlier ones in the series, is a whole lotta fun. It’s fast-moving and filled with action.