‘Dragged into a violent underworld of dog fighting, crypto gambling, and ruthless enforcers, Crowe must dig deeper — even when the powerful want the truth buried forever.‘
– The Payout Game
[ About The Payout Game ]
On the Dublin coast, nothing stays buried for long…
Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe is looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Roscarrig, a town on Ireland’s rugged east coast.
But when a body is discovered on the rocks below the lighthouse during a charity regatta, Crowe’s plans for peace are abruptly shattered.
The victim — one of Ireland’s most flamboyant celebrity bookies — is a man more accustomed to the bright lights of Dubai and New York than the bleak shoreline of North County Dublin.
When the death is hastily ruled a misadventure, Crowe isn’t convinced. His investigation draws him and his small team — Nesbitt, Redmond, and newcomer Megan Loughnane — into a dark underworld of illegal dog fights, crypto betting, and ruthless politics.
As the stakes rise, Crowe must uncover the truth before another life is lost — and before the killer cashes out for good.
[ My Review ]
The Payout Game by Robert Craven publishes January 24th and is the third instalment in this contemporary Irish crime series. Featuring Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe it is described as ‘a gritty, high-octane crime thriller set on Ireland’s rugged coast, perfect for fans of hard-edged detectives and atmospheric noir.’
When the body of Adam Gamble, a celebrity bookie, is discovered at the base of a lighthouse on some very exposed coastline, Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe is first on the scene. Already on the wrong side of his superiors for his rather unorthodox approach to policing, Crowe is just about hanging onto his badge. When the powers that be shut down the case very fast, Crowe’s antenna are up and he dives straight in like a bull in a china shop. Crowe is a man on the edge with little to lose. Already relegated from the city to the seaside village of Roscarrig, Crowe lives a solitary life, surviving on TV dinners, takeaways and too much whiskey. Crowe has his demons. His wife has left him and his current relationship has all but disappeared. But in the midst of all his disillusionment with life, Crowe still believes in justice.
Crowe knows that something is radically wrong with how this investigation is being handled so decides to do things his own way which inevitably gets him in a whole lot of trouble.
Garda Inspector P.J. Crowe is a very appealing fictional character. His gritty no-nonsense attitude and his strive for justice is both admirable and engaging. He is a very loyal individual, fully prepared to put his body on the line when the need arises. He is battered but he is always completely relentless in his investigative endeavours.
I have read both A Kind of Drowning (Book 1) and Malign Intent (Book 2) and have really warmed to this series. These are short novels, with all three moving at a breakneck pace which adds a real sense of drama and old-fashioned noir to the experience.
Gambling, high-stakes and murder all combine in The Payout Game with an exciting storyline and the irascible yet witty Garda P.J. Crowe at the helm.
[ Thank you to Robert Craven for a copy of The Payout Game in exchange for my honest review ]
[ Bio ]
With over three decades of experience in writing short stories and novels, Robert Craven is a highly accomplished author based in Dublin, Ireland. His Eva series, which includes titles such as “Get Lenin,” “Zinnman,” “A Finger of Night,” and “Hollow Point,” has received widespread acclaim and numerous four and five-star reviews on both Amazon and Kobo platforms. In addition, Craven’s novel “The Road of a Thousand Tigers” reached #1 on Kobo downloads during the summer of 2019 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Aside from being a talented writer, Robert Craven is also a former touring musician and a respected reviewer for the Independent Irish Review Ireland. As a member of the Irish Writer’s Union, Robert Craven is an active member of the writing community and continues to inspire and engage readers with their compelling and imaginative storytelling.
https://www.robert-cravenauthor.ie/
