# A raw, gritty and fast-moving heist tale - The Gamblers (half price in November)



## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Hi readers and fellow authors,

If you are looking for a fast-paced, twisty, and action-packed slice of noir then try my novel _The Gamblers_. It starts at breakneck speed, ends with a bang and packs in enough incident and tension along the way to keep even the most jaded reader of crime fiction biting their fingernails! The plot revolves around the build up, execution and aftermath of a double heist that involves a lot of drug money. It isn't one for the cosy crowd (I will warn you now - it's violent and the characters swear a lot), but if you're an Elmore Leonard or Jim Thompson fan then I think you'll get a real kick out of it.

You can get this big, complex thriller for only 99p in the UK (normally £1.99) and $0.99 in the US (normally $2.99) for the rest of November. A bargain, even if I do say so myself.

Here are a couple of reviews from the US Amazon page:

*4.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, crazy story*
By Heath Lowrance (Detroit)

Kandinsky is a hardcore gambling addict and loser who owes far more than he can repay to loan shark. He's a guy who's screwed from the get-go. But when he overhears a plan to rob a drug dealer, he convinces himself and his friends--who are even bigger losers than him--that they can pull off a miracle. THE GAMBLERS is a sprawling, complicated novel with lots of intriguing characters, a great sense of humor, and a beautifully constructed sense of impending doom. The large cast are all tied together in really clever ways that you wouldn't suspect, and as each of their personal sagas play out, and wind closer together, you're left slightly amazed that Stanley is able to pull it off. It's a very well-structured novel, but Stanley's real strength is the depth and believability of his characters.

*5.0 out of 5 stars The mutant son of "The French Connection"*
By Mets6986 (New York, NY)

When William Friedkin's movie version of "The French Connection" came out in 1971, it raised the bar for depictions of grittiness and nastiness in the drug underworld. A lot has come along since then, but after finishing "The Gamblers" by Martin Stanley, this is the closest parallel for me.

The hero of "The French Connection" -- Popeye Doyle -- was not especially sympathetic. Neither is the protagonist of "The Gamblers," Kandinsky. In fact, he's a dreadful human being who's trying vainly to redeem himself by the worst means possible. He's surrounded by a huge array of even more loathsome characters, yet some of them (such as Liam the dealer and Dave the ultra-dirty cop) still engage gleams of sympathy as they try to keep their lives on track amid chaos.

The subject matter here is not everyone's cup of tea. The violence is pulverizing (and the raunch factor is very, very high). But I stayed up well past my bedtime last night to finish this because I was compelled to see how it turned out. The intricate web of deceits and double-crosses plays out really well. Every time you think things can't get worse, they do. And the atmosphere -- with a big hand from the regional English locations and accents -- is very rich.

 US Link  UK link


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Martin, and congratulations on your book!

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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

_--Here's a review of The Gamblers by Heath Lowrance, acclaimed author of 'The Bastard Hand' and 'Dig Ten Graves'--_

"THE GAMBLERS - Martin Stanley: Kandinsky is a hardcore gambling addict and loser who owes far more than he can repay to loan shark. He's a guy who's screwed from the get-go. But when he overhears a plan to rob a drug dealer, he convinces himself and his friends-who are even bigger losers than him-that they can pull off a miracle. THE GAMBLERS is a sprawling, complicated novel with lots of intriguing characters, a great sense of humor, and a beautifully constructed sense of impending doom. The large cast are all tied together in really clever ways that you wouldn't suspect, and as each of their personal sagas play out, and wind closer together, you're left slightly amazed that Stanley is able to pull it off. It's a very well-structured novel, but Stanley's real strength is the depth and believability of his characters."


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Here's an excerpt from _The Gamblers_

Dave woke with a groan. He tried to touch his face, which was in excruciating pain, but realised that he couldn't. His hands were bound to a radiator in the corner of the room with handcuffs. He attempted to stand up, but his legs had been bound with rope. Despite several attempts at wriggling his legs, the ropes that bound him were too tight and movement was impossible. He looked around.

Dark curtains had been drawn, reducing the room to shadows. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light he realised he was in the living room. The place smelled of old takeaways and strong booze. Dave tried to wriggle his legs again, realised he couldn't and then opened his mouth to scream.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you."


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

If any readers or authors fancy chatting about their crime genre and noir recommendations I would be glad to read them. In addition to being a writer, I am foremost an avid reader and would love to hear recommendations about authors you have read, whether indie or otherwise, or even your own novel - if you think it's dark enough


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Help shed my UK BBOS, folks. Please give generously  

It would be a crime if you don't


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

BBOS finally shed  

Some kind souls bought it and now I'm even in the top 100 Kindle for Hardboiled books  

Let's see if we can propel The Gamblers a bit higher, eh


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

_The Gamblers_ has finally done better in August than July, thank Heavens. Let's see if we can sell a few more copies this months and see if we can top my best month. Trust me, it's a cracking little tale with a storming ending.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

As things have worked out, after a dreadful start August has ended up being a half-decent month - certainly not my best, but considerably better than my worst too. I'm hoping that things will pick up even more in September.

By the way, do any of you good folks have any crime thriller recommendations on Kindle? I would love to hear them.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump. Gotta keep the momentum up, right?


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Please help shed this month's UK BBOS, folks. Please give generously


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## Sean Patrick Reardon (Sep 30, 2010)

Checking out the sample now, and will most likely purchase later today.  Sounds like my kind of story for sure!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Hi Sean,

Thanks for stopping by and for checking out the sample. I hope you like it!

Many thanks

Martin


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

This constitutes a bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

REMEMBER: ON THE 10TH AND 11TH DECEMBER THE GAMBLERS IS COMPLETELY FREE - GET IT WHILE YOU CAN!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Another bump.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

From Boxing Day through to January 1st _The Gamblers_ is down to 86p ($0.99). Grab it now, because it's going up to £1.99 ($2.99) in 2012 and that's the price it'll be staying at from now on...


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## D.A. Boulter (Jun 11, 2010)

Definitely a well-written book. And a steal at that price. Hope you have lots of sales.

I'm not in Martin's target audience, but I still found the tale compelling. Anyone who has a taste for darker fiction will likely enjoy "The Gamblers".


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Thank you, Doug,

Your post is very much appreciated. 

The price has now gone up, but it's still a very reasonable £1.99 ($2.99).

Martin


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

And another nudge


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Remember folks, The Gamblers is FREE all this weekend. If you want a bargain then you've come to the right place!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

A little nudge to remind readers that I'm still around!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Why not pick this up at the same time as The Hunters and get yourself a double-dose of rich, criminal goodness! At £1.99 or $2.99 it won't break the bank


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Martin--

your poll made me think of what constitutes a "crime" thriller rather than just a "thriller."  I'm not sure I think of Lee Child's "Reacher" series as crime thrillers in the same way I would some of the other authors you list.

Betsy


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Hi Betsy,

That's a very good point you make. A lot of people I know treat Lee Child as a crime fiction writer rather than an out-and-out thriller writer, which is why I put him on the poll list. I personally think he almost forms his own genre, which I think is why he's so successful. His work gets read by those who might not normally touch action-thrillers or crime fiction. But he is often treated as a crime fiction writer in the press. I guess it comes down to how you view his work!

Martin


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

This looks like my kind of book. I'm going to go out and get it.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Excellent. Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.

I've also checked out a few of yours on the Kindle site. They look good. Particularly like the look of _In The Pursuit of the Enemy _(me being a crime thriller fan, and all that jazz).


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## WillPetersen (Feb 14, 2012)

I've got "The Gamblers" on my promotional blog today - http://www.williampetersen.wordpress.com -


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

WillPetersen said:


> I've got "The Gamblers" on my promotional blog today - http://www.williampetersen.wordpress.com -


Thank you very much. I have posted about it on my blog and provided a suitable link to your site on my own http://thegamblersnovel.com

Cheers


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

If you are a fan of noir and hard-hitting crime tales, I reckon you will enjoy this novel a lot.

For £1.99, it's a whole lot of noir for the price.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

March has been quite a good month, saleswise, but it can always get a little better


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Another week, another bump.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

BBOS removal required. Please help


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Thanks to those kindle souls in the UK and the US who were good enough to help shed my BBOS


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

I've just realised that The Gamblers has now been available on Kindle for a year. Happy birthday to Kandinsky, Spike, Liam and the rest of the dirty mob that populates the novel!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

From now until the end of the month The Gamblers is being sold for the bargain price of $1.50 in the US The Gamblers and for 96p here in the UK The Gamblers

After this, it's back to its original price of $2.99 in the US and £1.99 in the UK.

Enjoy!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

The Gamblers is still on sale for the next few days and then it's back to its regular price. Get it while you can!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

After a couple of weeks at half-price The Gamblers is back to its usual, but still a steal, price of £1.99 in the UK and $2.99 in the US.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Come and grab a slice of some bad guys, bullets and bloodshed. Get The Gamblers for $2.99 in the US The Gamblers and £1.99 in the UK The Gamblers. It would be criminal to miss it!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Come and grab yourself a fast moving tale of bad guys, bullets and bloodshed. Get The Gamblers for $2.99 in the US. And the those of you in the UK get The Gamblers for £1.99. It would be criminal to miss it!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

In the spirit of goodwill and as an early Christmas present to you I've knocked $3 off the price of the US price of my violent noir thriller The Gamblers, along with knocking £2 off the price of the UK edition The Gamblers.

However, don't delay because this offer ends at the end of the year and the price is going back up.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

For a limited time only The Gamblers is $0.99 in the US and 99p in the UK The Gamblers.

Grab a copy without delay because it will be back up to $3.99/£2.99 soon.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

My thriller _The Gamblers_, called the "The mutant son of "The French Connection" and given 5 stars by one impressed Amazon reviewer, is on sale for the rest of May.

It is down from £1.99 to 99p in the UK and from $2.99 to $0.99 in the US.

If you're a fan of Elmore Leonard, Ted Lewis, and Jim Thompson it will be right up your street.

The Gamblers UK

The Gamblers US


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

The Gamblers is currently available for free to readers in the US. The Gamblers

It's being price-matched with a freebie on Smashwords, though why it's only free in the US and Germany is something I don't quite understand. Not sure how long it will be free for, so grab it while you can.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Despite reverting to its original price on Smashwords and Kobo, The Gamblers is still available for free on Kindle in the US. Grab it while you still can!


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## Artista (Jul 22, 2011)

Sounds great!! I managed to get it, sounds cool and fast paced like Andrew Gross and Greg Bardsley. I'll do a review when I'm finished.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Thank you very much. I genuinely hope that you enjoy it


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Time for a bump, methinks!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

The Gamblers is only 99p or $0.99 during August, but after that it's going back up to full price and it is staying there.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Not long to go now before The Gamblers (and my other books) goes back up to its original price of £1.99/$2.99, so grab it at its current bargain price while you still can.


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Bump!


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

For the rest of November, you can get this big, complex heist thriller for only 99p in the UK (normally £1.99) and $0.99 in the US (normally $2.99). At these prices it's a steal!


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