A lavish riverboat casino should be the perfect place to unwind after nearly being buried alive, but ex-police officer Rileigh Bishop knows better. This casino is run by a real estate tycoon who’s gathered all the movers and shakers so he can convince them to let him develop a pristine piece of land.

Add in a mix of protestors, and it’ll be anything but a peaceful night on the river.

When the curtain opens for the tycoon’s big introduction, he’s sitting on stage.

With his throat slit.
And his guts on his lap.
Screams.
Chaos.

Security rushes to radio back to shore… but the communication devices have been destroyed. And the boat? Dead in the water.

Every passenger is a suspect.

The killer wants to turn the casino into a floating graveyard.

And Rileigh is his big prize.

A Gamble Either Way is the fourth book in The Bishop Smoky Mountain Thriller series by Lauren Street.

Lauren Street has created a series that I am obsessed with. I have to go and read the other books in this amazing series. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

I really enjoyed this one! The suspense, the chaos and the set up of the plot. Even though I have not read any other book from the series, the characters feel familiar to me and I don't feel that I am missing out much. But I do believe the story does flow better and you'll pick up other things if you have read the previous titles from the series.

The glamorous party boat, guests dressed in fairytale costumes, gruesome murders described in graphic detail --- honestly it's a good mix I never imagined was possible! The female lead, Rileigh Bishop, has been a great MC throughout the story and her actions make sense. I can absolutely see her character growth and development throughout this book, and I am really rooting for her in the future titles of the series. I do wish there were more chapters from Mitch's perspective hehe, I really like him as the sheriff, he is righteous, smart and I must say charming in a way. The plot and flow of the scenes made sense and there were several red herrings so I just kept guessing until towards the end, when I realised, I was like "ahhhhhhhh~~~~, I see I see". It's enjoyable overall!
I do believe the writing is at times not perfect and I had to really ignore stuff for certain scenes to make sense. But maybe because it's an ARC so I hope the final copy has implemented these changes!

Overall 3.5 stars, and onto the next book!!! Thank you for NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for providing me with an e-ARC.

This is another great book in this series. This one is about Rileigh and Mitch as they solve the murders of 2 people while stranded on a River boat. I am really enjoying this series even though the murders are graphic.

I love this series . I feel it is well plotted and love the characters and setting which keeps you engaged .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher

I graciously received an e-ARC of A Gamble Either Way by Lauren Street. This is my true and unprompted review:

While I believe that this book could be a stand-along, I wish I would have read the first 3 books in the series prior to reading this one; had I done my due diligence ahead of time, I believe that this could have easily been a 4-5 star read. However, ever though I went in a bit blind as to what had happened previously, the author quickly sucked me in. The descriptions that are made throughout the book really sets the writing apart, which may be a deterrent for some (i.e. the gruesome details of the murders), although it is something in a book that I look for and appreciate.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for sending me this ARC to review.

This is the 4th book in the series. While it can be read as a standalone, it would be best to read them in order.
A well written detective thriller.
4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

A big thank you to NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the eARC. I am voluntarilyr reviewing this book. This is number 4 in a series, of which I have read none. I found it reads okay as a stand alone. I know I am missing some things-like what exactly does Rileigh do for a living? What is her relationship with Mitch? But in general it reads well. I enjoyed the murder mystery. Although the murder scenes may be a bit graphic for some. Rileigh has amazing inner strength. I found it interesting and very readable. It seemed pretty quick as well. 3.5 stars I will definitely try to read the others.

In the fourth installment of the Rileigh Bishop series, Rileigh finds herself aboard a luxurious riverboat casino orchestrated by a real estate tycoon. This tycoon has assembled influential people to persuade them to allow him to develop a pristine piece of land. There are also protestors, foreshadowing a far-from-peaceful night on the river. The grand unveiling of the tycoon's plans takes a dark turn when, as the curtain rises, he is discovered dead on the stage. Chaos ensues as security attempts to radio for help, only to realize that communication devices are destroyed. Added to that, the boat is dead in the water. The story unfolds with a gripping blend of action and suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sterling & Stone and author Lauren Street for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Gamble either way is a high suspense who done it, murder mystery. The characters are all well built and can be easily related to. The storyline it self keeps you interested, its full of mystery, thrills and suspense. I must admit I found the murders a little too graphic for my liking, if your keen on a bit of gore then it would certainly be a good book to give a go, if not it may not be for you.

A Gamble Either Way by Lauren Street confused me at first, for all I had was a local meeting and a fancy dress on a paddle steamer taking 20 percent into my Kindle. Things abruptly changed with a horrific murder and remarks about shoes and socks.
I found it difficult to finish because the killings were so graphic that they belonged under the genre of horror rather than crime thriller.
An independent review for NetGalley / Sterling & Stone

The fourth in Lauren Street’s Smoky Mountain series, A GAMBLE EITHER WAY is an icy ride on a paddle-wheel river boat. Ex-military, ex-police, private investigator, Rileigh Bishop has all the chops of her training and whiz-bang powers of logical deduction. She is also likable with deep roots in the Tennessee hometown, to which she has returned. In this book, she’s faced with a closed room puzzle, a sadistic murderer loose on the icebound boat, multiple misdirections, and time running out to save the innocent and prevent even more crime. While the book is a standalone, I would prefer to have read previous ones to fill in details of characters and relationships. There is still plenty of ground to explore in this series. Readers who enjoy a bit of suspense, a puzzle, a gutsy protagonist, and the wonderful Tennessee setting will enjoy this book, but I hope the published version will have fewer errors.


With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a prepublication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rileigh Bishop is no longer a police officer, but she seems always to be involved in the cases happening in her small hometown. The sheriff, a man that Rileigh has a simmering romance with, asks her to accompany him to a masquerade party on a local riverboat, sponsored by an outside developer threatening to destroy the pristine wilderness of the town. His murder while on the ship and the sabotaging of the boat leaves everyone stranded in the middle of the lake with no communication to the outside world. Rileigh and Sheriff Webster must solve the mystery and apprehend the perps before it's too late.

Mama’s secret food recipes aromas of cooking homemade delicious food was profound in description and impact, made me hungry just reading those portions as ingredients in a sippy soup pot the elements of this book came together to paint the picture of the mystery and adventures to be discovered.

I received a copy via NetGalley to review prior to publication.
The Story
Rileigh Bishop, still traumatized by events in the last book in the Bishop Smokey Mountain Thrillers series (which I have not read but which sounds pretty good), boards a paddlewheel boat for a luxury lake cruise in Tennessee. She and the other guests expect to be wined and dined by the city guy promoting a huge community development—a controversial project that has drawn loud and sometimes violent protests.
Instead, the promotor turns up dead in a very public manner, the victim of a gruesome murder. Rileigh investigates despite inclement weather and sabotage. When the bad guy commits another grisly murder, Rileigh suspects things are not as simple as they seem. Why would a murderer strand the steamship in the middle of the lake and get rid of all means of communication with land? Why would he or she take such risks of discovery?
What I Liked
A Gamble Either Way is an entertaining closed-circle mystery in which you have a set number of suspects, all confined to a limited setting, each having the motive and opportunity to commit the crime. The groundwork is well-laid, and the ultimate revelation of the murder seems logical. (Of course, Sorchia had it figured out from the beginning—at least part of it.)
A larger story is afoot, as should be in a series, and tantalizing bits of mysteries yet to be solved along with a budding romance surface throughout. What happened to Rileigh’s sister Jillian all those years ago? Who is sending the mysterious postcards from all over the world with nothing but a smiley face in the content? Is Rileigh’s mother delusional when she swears she’s seen Jillian on the steamship? Does that hunky sheriff notice Rileigh as much as she notices him?
I hate to nitpick (Oh, we all know I really love to nitpick)
I have to mention the editing issues. Quite a few mistakes, misspellings, strangely worded sentences, repetitious wording, and monotonous sentence construction—enough to detract from the well-thought-out plot and the character development. Nobody’s perfect, but this one would benefit from some attention to those details.
The Verdict
I liked it. Four out of Five stars. Even though A Gamble Either Way is the fourth book in the series, it stands alone and does a fine job of teasing the series without leaving readers confused. Characters are nicely rounded, and the flavor of the dialogue is definitely southern—in a good way. By the way, at the end of A Gamble Either Way, you’ll find a link to get the first book in the series FREE if you sign up for the author’s newsletter.

I love this series. The characters are so easy to get attached to. They feel like old friends. The author has a real knack for intertwining the mystery of each story with Rileigh’s personal struggles, but not in a way that is distracting. It actually makes you want to keep turning the page. We’re getting closer and closer to finding out who the postcards are from! And Rileigh and Mitch are getting closer too. I have a feeling in the next book, something’s going to give. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Huge thanks to Sterling & Stone and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Rileigh and Mitch are back in another mystery. Rileigh, Mitch, and practically the whole town are going to a masquerade party on a river boat. A man had rented it out and they were waiting on him to come on stage and tell a fairytale story. When the curtain rises, someone has killed him. They need to go back to the docks but the engine is not working and the phones have been destroyed. So they are stuck on the riverboat, in a freezing storm, and no way to call for help. Then another body is discovered and Rileigh is in the race of her life. She must keep the killer from blowing the boat up.
Fairly good story. Plenty of action and suspense. Hope the typos are fixed. It will leave you guessing to the very end. I was honestly shocked. I hope Mitch and Rileigh finally get together.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley *

Great book and series! Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had high suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, revenge, double crossing, A great who done it, great plot twist and some crazy twist and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book and series! They're well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!