Bluff (Hardback) Jane Stanton Kitchcock

Winner of the 2019 Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing

"Bluff is a triumphant and thrilling return. Not only can Hitchcock stage a murder mystery that's as comedic as it is clever, but she also skewers the social elite―a world in which she grew up―with a satirical touch that's both razor-sharp and subtly sympathetic."―The Strand Magazine

From New York Times bestselling author Jane Stanton Hitchcock comes a noir crime thriller full of wit, charm, and intrigue. For Maud Warner, the only way to get revenge is at the poker table―and she likes her odds.

One-time socialite Maud Warner polishes up the rags of her once glittering existence and bluffs her way into a signature New York restaurant on a sunny October day. When she walks out again, a man will have been shot.

Maud has grown accustomed to being underestimated and invisible to young New York socialites, and she uses her ability to fly under the radar as she pursues celebrity accountant Burt Sklar, the man she believes stole her mother's fortune and left her family in ruins. Her fervent passion for poker has taught Maud that she can turn weakness into strength to take advantage of people who think they are taking advantage of her, and now she has dealt the first card in her high-stakes plan for revenge.

One unexpected twist after another follows as Maud plays a deadly game of poker. The stakes? To take down her enemies and get justice for their victims. Her success depends on her continuing ability to pull off the biggest bluff of her life―and on who will fold.

Can she win?

April 2024