UNLUCKY

Author: Jana DeLeon ISBN: 0505527294 11/2007 SUSPENSE Publisher: DORCHESTER

Everyone in Royal Flush, Louisiana, knows Mallory Devereaux is a walking disaster. At least now she's found a way to take advantage of her chronic bad luck: by "cooling" cards on her uncle's casino boat. As long as the crooks invited to his special poker tournament don't win their money back, she'll get a cut of the profit. But Mal isn't the only one working some major mojo. There's a dark-eyed dealer sending her looks steamier than the bayou in August. Turns out he's an undercover agent named Jake Randoll, and for a Yank, he's pretty darn smart. Smart enough to enlist her help to catch a money launderer. As they race to untangle a web of decades-old lies and secrets amid a gathering of criminals, Mallory can't help hoping her luck's about to change...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Jana DeLeon writes a perfect tale of mystery, suspense, and comedy. UNLUCKY is the story of Mallory, a young lady who has the worst luck ever, something I can relate to. Mallory hopes to change her luck by working with cards at her uncle's casino boat. Mallory believes it will be the perfect scam and her luck will turn around.

Wrong. Meet Jake Randoll, a hot, dark-eyed, hunk of a man who is dealing more than cards. Jake just happens to be an undercover agent who is trying to catch a money launderer. Jake enlists Mallory's help to catch the culprit in amidst a boat full of lies, deceit, and criminals.

This novel was fantastic! UNLUCKY has suspense, intrigue, romance, and best of all, laughter. I laughed until I cried with this book. Poor Mallory and I could be sisters! It's quite ironic when your heroine can't get a break because of her bad luck. But as DeLeon's story progresses, the reader is caught up in the web of lies that needs to be untangled, and you cannot put the book down until it is solved. Will Mallory's bad luck extend to Jake? Only turning the pages will tell.

Grab a box of Kleenexes for the laughter, sit back and enjoy. Absolutely one of the best romantic suspense novels I have ever read.

Kym Oetting