Bluff is such a unique mystery-thriller, that is very appropriately named! I enjoyed every minute of this poker themed story! Maud Warner is an old poker player, but she’s still a good one! After being swindled out of her family’s money, Maud uncovers the truth and she takes matters into her own hands.
I loved this novel! And I loved Maud! I also happen to enjoy playing poker and will be looking for more from this author.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
This will be featured on my blog on Saturday, December 22, 2018.
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Thankfully, I was on a bus trip and I could read all day. That’s good, because I could keep reading to the end and didn’t have to put this page turner down to let life get in the way. I was pulled in from the very beginning and was happily engrossed through to the last paragraph.

It’s about Maud who shot a man. We know she did it. Sounds simple, right. Not so much. There are twists and turns, cleverly written back stories, interesting characters, unlikable Burt and Sun, high society matrons, poker, fortunes lost or swindled, and, of course, bluffing.

I enjoyed the writing style. Bluff is very effectively written both in first person and third person; first person when Maud is talking about herself, third person when anyone else and other situations are central. Regarding the story itself: the author’s imagination is extraordinary.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved everything about this unique creation and recommend it to my reading friends. Well done, Ms. Hitchcock. I hated to see this one end.

A well-paced and well-written story: money, poker, a murder attempt and an obsessed heroine. Not everything is as it seems. A good thriller to keep you puzzling right to the very end.

There is no question whodunit(Maud Winters), where(at The Four Seasons), with(a gun), to(Sun Sunderland). The only question left then is why and as the story progresses, we learn quite a bit about Maud, a former socialite whose family fortune is no more. Maud has publicly accused Burt Sklar( the man having lunch with Sun Sunderland when he was shot) of stealing her family's money. So did she shoot the wrong man or is there more going on in Bluff than a cursory glance reveals?
Maud was such an intriguing and well-written character. The more I read and got to know her, the more I wanted to understand why. After all, she did murder a man in cold blood and then calmly walk away. Typically, that would be the person I hoped was brought to justice, but in this case, I was rooting for Maud. There are so many twists and turns, years and years of backstory, and when her love of poker is revealed, I had a much better understanding of where this story was headed.
The secondary characters were likable, interesting, and fully developed. As for Burt and Sun, I don't believe either man had even one redeeming quality. So there I am sitting on the couch reading and cheering for the killer( something I rarely do & tells you how I felt about Burt & Sun). Even when everything is revealed, I wasn't 100% sure that Maud hadn't pulled off one final bluff.
I don't know what the author plans next, but I am interested in reading more of whatever Jane Stanton Hitchcock writes.
I received a DRC from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley.

Bluff is an inciteful and clever look into society life and the vanities that exist within. Well written by Hitchcock

Omg this book is so FUN! Gossip, socialites, poker, long-held grudges, murder, appearances for appearance's sake, and long cons, OH MY! This book was everything I love. Badass ladies killing assholes and people talking shit about other people. What more could you want? Let's get to the review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

One-time socialite Maud Warner polishes up the rags of her once glittering existence and bluffs her way into a signature New York restaurant on a sunny October day. When she shoots Sun Sunderland, the "Pope of Finance," as he lunches with "accountant to the stars" Burt Sklar - the man she's accused for years of stealing her mother's fortune and leaving her family in ruins - she deals the first card in her high-stakes plan for revenge.

Maud has grown accustomed to being underestimated and invisible, and uses it. Her fervent passion for poker has taught her that she can turn weakness into strength to take advantage of people who think they are taking advantage of her. It's uncanny how she reads them.

Her intimates in New York high society believe that "Mad Maud" accidentally missed Sklar, her real target. But nothing is as it first appears as she weathers the unexpected while following her script. And while Maud is on the run, the dark secrets of men who believe their money and power place them above the law will be exposed. Betrayal, larceny, greed, sexual battery, and murder lurk beneath the surface of their glittering lives.

One unexpected twist after another follows as we watch a fierce, unapologetic Maud play the most important poker hand of her life. The stakes? To take down her enemies and get justice for their victims. Her success depends on her continuing ability to bluff. And on who will fold.

Can she win?

Maud Warner has been planning to kill Burt Sklar since the day she accused him of taking all her mother's money and no one believed her. But when she goes to the Four Seasons with a gun in her handbag, she doesn't shoot him, she shoots his friend, Sun Sunderland. Why? That is what the society woman Maud used to be friends with, the cops, and the tabloids would love to know. But this isn't just Maud's story.

If you've read any of my past reviews, you know how much I love a book that changes perspectives per chapter. While I would say Maud is definitely the main character in this story, so is Sun Sunderland's widow, Jean, Greta, Jean's best friend, and Danye (I can't say who she is because it is THE MOST UNEXPECTED SURPRISE). They are all affected by the death of Sun Sunderland in one way or another and let me just tell you...be ready to be the most surprised and delighted that you've ever been!

There are not that many things I can talk about with this book because it is filled with shocking twists and turns and I had such a good time learning about the surprises that I cannot take that fun away from you. But I will say that Maud is a genius! When her family lost all their money, she turned to poker as her "drug" of choice and it teaches her everything she needs to know to lie, bluff, and maybe even shoot someone and get away with it.

The only critique I have is that it wrapped up way too quickly for me. The trial could have been AMAZING and suspenseful and thrilling, but it was pretty much glossed over which was incredibly disappointing, especially when this book was a total winner up until that point. But, other than the too quick ending, this was a brilliantly thought out and well-written book.

If you like mysteries, misconceptions being questioned and thrown out the window (no one suspects Maud to be a killer because of her age), and just some amazing characters and dialogue, Bluff should definitely be added to your TBR. I am giving Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out!

Bluff comes out April 2, 2019 (I know it's a long time to wait!!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maud Warner used to be a socialite. Her family has lost its' millions . One day, she walks into a restaurant and shoots Sun Sunderland. Sunderland was lunching with top accountant Burt Sklar, who Maud believes stole her family money.
Maud is not mad. She is a poker player with a plan for revenge that is revealed piece by juicy piece as the story progresses. People keep underestimating Maud, and she uses this to her advantage.
While Maud is in hiding, the evil that men do will be found out. Men as powerful as Sunderland and Sklar has enriched themselves on the suffering of others. Bluff is a tremendously entertaining feminist novel, where the power of sticking together is everything.

A murder mystery at its finest with an unlikely murderess at its core! Bluff doesn't make you wait to find out who murdered a man in cold blood. This bit is told right in the beginning and we are left to unravel the mystery as to WHY it happened. I loved the twisted plot and the pacing of the story. The characters and their back stories were fascinating, and I LOVED that the main character was an older woman named Maude. Mad Maude for the win! She was a character I loved rooting for. The revelations as to who she was working with, and their end game was jaw dropping. It was nice to have her as our main character. She was extremely intelligent and very humble. She knew that she would fly under radar as she fled the murder scene because she was an older woman. People don't see older women, and especially don't suspect them of being capable of waltzing into the Four Season's Restaurant and shooting someone at point blank range. Mad Maude's love of poker meant she always had an ace up her sleeve and her bluff game was impeccable. Hence the name of the book. The slimy men she went after deserved every bit of what she had planned for them. I felt like I needed a shower after reading their parts of the book.
I am so happy to have had the chance to read this. I haven't read anything by Jane Stanton Hitchcock before, but you can count on me picking up her books the next time I venture out to the bookstore.

I have got to say that this is one of my favorite books for this year! The author starts with a bang, literally and continues to reveal why the killing was justified throughout the book. Maud is a likeable character, who seeks revenge for her mother’s lost fortune. She is also a master at the poker table and this whole book is about her “bluff.” I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, including quirky Danya and the lady who was better than a gossip magazine, Magma. In fact, I liked all of the characters, except for those due retribution, of course. The novel is written in such a way that the reader is quickly drawn into the story and the desire is to continue to speed read until the end. I didn’t understand the poker hands or jargon, but that did not distract from my total enjoyment of this amusing and entertaining book. Readers of tongue-in-cheek mystery will really enjoy this book and will want to buy it for a gift for all of their girlfriends.

Bluff is Jane Stanton Hitchcock's sixth novel and pays homage to her newfound love of poker. The story is a quirky whodunit in which we already know whodunit, we just don't know why. Mad Maud Warner, former New York City socialite is convinced that shady Burt Sklar robbed her mother Lois of her fortune and had a hand in the death of Maud's beloved brother, Alan. She's taken every opportunity to let all of New York's elite know what a crook Sklar is but instead of gaining sympathy, all Maud has done is reinforce Sklar's claim that she's bonkers. And bonkers she seems to be when she walks into the dining room of the Four Seasons and takes a shot at Sklar in broad daylight. The only problem is, she misses Sklar completely and instead mortally wounds Sklar's best friend Sun, one of the most powerful men in the city-- then walks right out the front door.

Maud's story is intertwined with Sun's wife Jean, Sklar and his inexplicable crush on a stripper, and a debt that goes far beyond mere money. With more twists and turns than the New York Thruway, Bluff is an entertaining read that keeps you guessing until the moment Maud finally puts all her cards on the table. And even then you'll be left wondering whether or not she's bluffing.

"Honestly"....this book was alot of fun, so many twists and turns!

"Candidly"....I was sorry to see it end, I so enjoyed my time spent with these characters.

"Truthfully".... will be sure to follow the author Jane Stanton-Hitchcok to see what she has up her sleeve for our next outing.

Thank you Poisond Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was amazing! Just like anything by Jane Stanton Hitchcock. This was the first time I have received a free copy of one of Jane's books, typically I purchase them. And I purchase them for myself and as presents. She is such a talented and sophisticated story teller, and the twists and turns are amazing. I could not recommend this book highly enough. This will be the go-to present for all of my friends in 2019. Cannot wait for more from this author.

Thanks to netgalley/author/publisher for ARC of the book.

First time i am reading this author and to say that i am extremely pleasantly surprised. This book had me hooked start to finish. So many sub plots, complex mystery but all loose ends tied together at the end. I did not care for the poker references but it did not take the focus away from the mystery.

All in all a recommended read for all mystery lovers and i just found another favorite another!

Maud, Maud, 'Mad' Maud....how I love you! You are just simply brilliant!



The cover is unique and awesome.

This was an ingenious, well thought out, intelligent novel which deserves many praises!

So, so, so, so GOOD!

The title Bluff is... well pretty much what the title says. The book is pretty well thought out, well executed to the end and gets major points for its originality of the story.

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I absolutely adore Maud, the ex-socialite who was scammed out of her inheritance by greedy climbers. She is also a poker player. Her love for poker knows no bound. She integrates the themes and concepts of poker rules into her life. She uses them to her advantages.



I just love the snarky humors on upper class society.



The novel started out with a bang and ended with the most satisfying bang. I cannot wait to see what the author has to bring to the table.



I'd give this book a high 4 stars!



I received this highly entertaining ARC from Poison Pen Press from Net Galley and BookishFirst in exchange for my unbiased and honest review. Thank you!

#Bluff #MustReadFiction2019
Bluff is one of the those books that you don't expect to like and then once you read it you can't believe know one else has heard of it. Please take the time and read this book. It is funny, devious, and all out just a wonderfully wicked book.

Bluff by Jane Stanton Hitchcock – 5 Stars
Publisher: Poisoned Penn Press
ISBN: 9781464210693

One would expect this to be a book about Poker. In a way it is, but without any games, not a real card dealt or nor a chip played. Instead, this story is only constantly compared to the phases of a Poker hand/game, to emphasize the need to use the Bluff in order to be the unchallenged winner.

The shuffle and deal, not always exciting but necessary, initiate the story through Chapter 38, but in Chapter 39 you discover the Cut abruptly changes things, plus funny dealing from the bottom of the deck has also been happening without you knowing it. Much is like a real poker game and the plot keeps its cards close to the chest. But, Don’t Fold yet. All the information in these first 38 chapters is important to produce a complete and necessary profile of each character -- maybe not necessarily a correct one -- and to deliver a very exciting hand to play. Mad Maud is one of the main characters and remains a central focus throughout. Because of events in her past, she quickly, within the beginning pages, offs Sun Sunderland, a billionaire, in public in front of many witnesses. She just became the dealer and a most interesting player as well. The plot continues with an elite group of friends and enemies wondering why she shot Sun when she was even madder about dealings his lunch buddy Burt Sklar had with her mother. Throughout the story, Maud distributes the aces from the bottom of the deck and twists and nurtures a story into a giant Bluff. But, who bluffs and who blinks? And, finally, who wins?

You don’t want to fold your hand too early and will want to relish all the details re the Bluff. This is an excellent mystery full of secrets and surprising twists.

Reviewer: Rich

The title says it all. It kept me questioning Maud’s hand every page until the end. Fabulous characters, plots and suspense. A great book. I will be looking forward to more books from this author.

Wow. 5 stars just for pure originality, keeping the plot line straight, and sheer fun. There are so many moving parts to this story, nefarious characters doing dirty deeds and Mad Maud in the midst of it all making sure the devil gets his due. This was just an absolutely fantastic book, the way the bad guys are brought down is sheer delightful unique fun, and its all wrapped up with a nice conclusive red bow which I always appreciate. Great read!

Even if I initially felt a bit disconnected from it, I loved this book. I would even say it is an excellent one when it comes to shining light on people.
I doubt anyone would be disappointed with this book. A fabulous plot and heroine makes this book an absolute must read.

I have read a few of Jane Stanton Hitchcock's frothy "society" novels and thoroughly enjoyed the "snark" and humor. But, this novel was in a class of its own in the way it used success at poker as an analogy for success in life. The "take" may not be unique, but the book itself was fresh and clever and very entertaining.

Perhaps because I am "a lady of a certain age," I immediately bonded with the heroine (or is she technically an anti-heroine?) . She used her perceived invisibility as both a shield and a weapon-- and proved far from defenseless.

The characters are so perfectly drawn that I could cast the mini-series without any effort and I assure you that I would tune in (even though I know what the outcome is). The book is not so much a mystery, as a caper. And a wonderful character study. Yes, it is light reading, but that doesn't preclude it being well-written and well-done. I loved every minute of BLUFF.