My latest British crime thriller was launched in a casino last week. Not the most obvious place for a writer to hang out, until you realise that The Bride’s Trail features a missing croupier. I should add that the Grosvenor Casino, where the launch took place, is extremely well-controlled and nothing like the rather louche speakeasy from which glamorous blonde Kat vanishes. The atmosphere at the Grosvenor is one of relaxation rather than hard-nosed punters aiming to break the bank. Interestingly, another of their branches even has its own chaplain.
What unites gamblers at all such establishments is their belief in Lady Luck. Statistics favour the house of course, but these are games of chance and big wins can happen. Doesn’t everyone wonder, even just once, what they’d do if they won a life-changing amount (as downtrodden Szymon does in After The Interview)?
That lure is arguably what drives us to play the National Lottery (apparently the odds on the jackpot are poorer than being struck by lightning), invest in shares and stretch our finances to buy a property “before prices rise”.
How about trying your luck in a free, easy, and pleasant competition? Post a review of thriller The Bride’s Trail on Amazon or Goodreads.com by 30th September, and I’ll include you in a prize draw to win a signed paperback copy! That could be at least one thorny Christmas present problem solved…
