When a corrupt casino owner tries to strong-arm a naïve young woman into giving up the home she loves, the ghost of a notorious Las Vegas racketeer mysteriously arrives to help her take on the powers that be.
Industry Reviews
A love story. Vegas. A house with deadly secrets. Brian Rouff does it again with The House Always Wins.--Gretchen Archer "author of the Davis Way Crime Caper Series " From its quintessentially Vegas title to its rewarding ending, The House Always Wins is the story of young love, a cross-country road trip, a haunted house, and a war with a corrupt casino owner--all captured with the depth and detail only a genuine Las Vegas insider can deliver. Brian Rouff weaves past and present seamlessly in this unique tale with a Vegas ghost so real you won't have any choice but to believe.--Megan Edwards "author of Getting off on Frank Sinatra " A whirlwind romance leads an unlikely pair of newlyweds to Las Vegas, home of every dream and nightmare they can imagine--from predatory developers to a friendly ghost. Rouff spins a guilelessly winsome fable whose charming heroine needs to have everything from her ghost's personal history to the ritual significance of her newborn's bris explained to her--which means that the reader gets treated to all these explanations too. Las Vegas may be overexposed, but Rouff, as usual, finds a fresh angle. His mobster ghost story is funny and poignant and contains inside intel on Vegas that only a longtime resident could mine.--Matthew O'Brien "author of Beneath the Neon " Brian Rouff's latest, The House Always Wins, is a masterful piece that takes the reader down a serpentine path leading to a chilling finish that surprises and delights. Like his other books, it captures the spirit of Las Vegas and keeps the reader in suspense throughout an engrossing story.--Marc David "author of 1,001 Things You Didn't Want to Know " The House Always Wins rings true of old time Las Vegas. Oddly built one-of-a-kind homes? Check. Dead mobster haunting the place? Check. Over-reaching casino owner taking more than he's entitled to? Yeah, it's Vegas, baby!--H. G. McKinnis "author of A Justified Bitch " Las Vegas is a city of ghosts. Some apparitions haunt its mobbed-up past. Others seem to walk among us. Author Brian Rouff understands Las Vegas and its ghosts better than most, and it shows in his latest novel, The House Always Wins. It's entertaining and intriguing and will make a great addition to your Las Vegas bookshelf.--John L. Smith "author of Of Rats and Men and Even a Street Dog " A page-turner with a humorous twist you won't want to put down.--Morgan St. James "author of A Corpse in the Soup " Anna Christiansen takes on City Hall in this gripping Sin City story. Her mission in The House Always Wins is a classic tale that's equally suspenseful, well-written, and memorable. Author Brian Rouff keeps the pages turning as he pulls out all the stops in his latest Las Vegas novel.--Cathy Scott "author of Murder of a Mafia Daughter and The Killing of Tupac Shakur, journalist and blogger " The House Always Wins is a fun ride through Vegas old and new where the underworld meets the afterlife. From prenatal care to departed gangsters, there's a little bit of everything in here.--David G. Schwartz "author of Tales from the Pit: Casino Table Games Managers in Their Own Words " Gripping, adventurous, and romantic, this witty read will keep you guessing and give a glimpse into the real world of Las Vegas, one that Rouff is clearly familiar with. Scary, good fun.--Constance Ford "author of Little Bird " Brian Rouff's The House Always Wins features a plucky heroine who blindly leaps at love, finds a new home, and, in fighting for both, finds herself. Love with a bit of intrigue, wrapped in humor, and tied with a bow of Las Vegas magic, the story is a delight!--Deborah Coonts "author of the "Lucky O'Toole" Vegas adventure series "