Double Down by Bruce Wessell

Sometimes, the course of a life can change in the blink of an eye, as Bruce Wessell demonstrates in his entertaining Vegas adventure, Double Down.

As a hard-working food sales representative in Iowa, Johnny’s set to win the prestigious Pinnacle Award – until he’s told that some customer returns have disqualified him from winning the award. As if that weren’t bad enough, Johnny goes home to find his attorney girlfriend in bed with another guy.

The day goes really sideways when he gets jerked around by Bernie Jacks, a customer he can’t stand – and then retaliates by impulsively stealing a bag of Bernie’s deposit money from his office. Johnny quickly heads to Vegas to figure things out (and spend some money) but what he doesn’t know is that Bernie is out for revenge and is hell bent on reclaiming what is rightfully his…

The novel captures the essence of Vegas perfectly – there’s plenty of danger and seamy characters, but there’s also the potential for a big win like no other. Wessel has chosen the centerpiece of his dramedy wisely. Johnny is brash and impulsive, but not stupid – he’s a likable underdog who makes you root for him even when he’s making mistakes. Unfortunately, this great characterization is tempered by some grammatical errors, and a narrative that’s repetitive in places.

These issues aside, Double Down is a solid Vegas adventure driven by fun, well-conceived characters, and fantasy fulfillment about going no holds barred in Sin City.