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Double-Crossed

(Vegas Nights #1)

Ali Vali

4.25 · Rating details · 200 ratings · 57 reviews

Hit woman and thief Reed Gable works for the highest bidder, no matter where the job takes her. An orphan of circumstance, Reed knows the streets of Las Vegas better than anyone. Growing up rough has gotten her to the top of her profession, and she plans to stay there.
Accountant Brinley Myers, a recent hire at the Moroccan Casino, discovers a money laundering operation orc ...more

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ebook, 283 pages

Published September 1st 2019 by Bold Strokes Books

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Start your review of Double-Crossed (Vegas Nights, #1)

Aug 20, 2019 Lex Kent rated it really liked it

Shelves: f-f-bsb-romance, f-f-crime

3.75 Stars. This is a new series that takes place in the Cain universe. While Cain Casey is not in this book, her name is mentioned and other characters from her books like Remi and Dallas are in this. Even with this being in the Cain universe, you don’t have to read the Cain books before you read this. This is the first book in Vali’s Vegas Nights series so you are fine to start here.

I’m a Vali fan. I love her Cain, Remi and Sept books. I love that she writes so many books in the Cain universe 3.75 Stars. This is a new series that takes place in the Cain universe. While Cain Casey is not in this book, her name is mentioned and other characters from her books like Remi and Dallas are in this. Even with this being in the Cain universe, you don’t have to read the Cain books before you read this. This is the first book in Vali’s Vegas Nights series so you are fine to start here.

I’m a Vali fan. I love her Cain, Remi and Sept books. I love that she writes so many books in the Cain universe since it’s like seeing old friends. And really no one writes such bad bad-guys but also such likeable morally grey criminal main characters like Vali does. This book stars Reed a fixer (assassin and thief) who completes a hit on someone and all hell breaks loose. Can she and the people she loves get out of trouble in one piece?

I do have to admit I didn’t like this as much as the Cain and Sept books. I was completely entertained the whole time but I was not as invested as I normally am. Having Remi in this book helped some but I didn’t connect to the two mains as much as I was hoping. I also found Reed to be a little more passive than I wanted. While Cain and Remi scheme like there is no tomorrow, they also get the job done themselves. Reed was relying more on others to fix the mess she was in and for a hit woman that didn’t seem badass enough. I have my fingers crossed that I will grow more attached to Reed in the next book in this series.

For your romance fans out there, there is a romance. However, it is a slow moving romance that never builds up a ton of steam. I understand why it is a slow romance, it had to be because of what happened, but I think it would have been better to let it develop more in the next book instead of rushing it at the end. There are so many moving pieces in this book, Vali always carefully constructs a web of bad guys that she always does brilliantly, but there just wasn’t enough time for the heat and chemistry between the two mains. Behind every good Vail criminal is a strong partner to support and love them so again I’m hopeful book two will help this couple get closer. I do have to mention one of the mains is named Brinley. I have to say I’m not a fan of that name. I was calling her Brinkley for all but the final two chapters when I finally noticed there was not K in her name.

I want to be clear, even with the issues I mentioned I still enjoyed this and was really entertained. I’m probably being over critical because I believe this book could have been at least 4.50 stars with some changes. If you are a Vali fan I have no real doubt that you will enjoy this. If you are new to Vali this isn’t a bad place to start, just know that there are even better books of hers out there already.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
...more

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Sep 07, 2019 Jude in the Stars rated it really liked it

Reed Gable is a thief and a hit woman but when her next contract would entail the death of a child, she just can’t do it. The next few days spent with the little boy and his mother lead her to rethink her life, a life she has chosen for no other reason than it allows her to survive. There’s a lot more happening (a war between Mob families, for instance, which is not surprising since the story is set in the Cain Casey universe) but you’ll need to read the book to find out. I can’t summarize witho ...more

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Aug 16, 2019 Tere rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Reed is a self employed assassin. Raised by an addicted and neglectful mother until removed by the Nevada State, she grew up forgotten in a foster system that spit her out at the age of eighteen. Reed ditched her previous identity and started working towards complete independence from everyone and anything. After all, no one had ever helped her in life.

Brinley Myers moved to Las Vegas with her one year old son. Her previous partner cheated on her and that made her turn to an ill advised night w Reed is a self employed assassin. Raised by an addicted and neglectful mother until removed by the Nevada State, she grew up forgotten in a foster system that spit her out at the age of eighteen. Reed ditched her previous identity and started working towards complete independence from everyone and anything. After all, no one had ever helped her in life.

Brinley Myers moved to Las Vegas with her one year old son. Her previous partner cheated on her and that made her turn to an ill advised night with a man, leaving her pregnant with Finn and hounded by the man’s family for money. Getting a fresh start away from them took her to the Moroccan Casino’s accounting department. Soon, her life is upended when her employer takes out a contract on her. Reed is in even more trouble as she struggles to eliminate an innocent person while getting caught in a war between the powerful mob families in Las Vegas.

'Double crossed' is a mob story with romance at the side. Thirty percent into the tale, and the mains had not met yet. There was a lot of mob family related dynamics that made this feel like a Joe Pesci movie. Interesting if you are into it, but not so great for romance fans. If you enjoyed the movie ‘Casino’, this will be enjoyable as well.

I have to say, this book moved me in a few different ways. It made me shake my head at how a child had to endure so much in life and get by with so little support. It also made me question what I was reading when Reed simply committed a double murder. The author even managed to evoke some sadness when Reed left an escort behind. Ms Vali did a great job of conveying feelings, whether it was anger, greed, sadness, regret or loneliness.

Reed isn't an easy to love character. There was something about her not making excuses for her choices that made her a likable character in the end. She openly admitted to Brinley how damaged she was. How she was no better than the people who hired her to eliminate other individuals. On the other side, Brinley falling in love with the person hired to kill her was crazy, but somehow Ms. Vali makes it sound credible in some twisted way. Still, the romance was lacking for me and while the ending clearly sets this as just the beginning of a series, I was not crazy about the choices the mains made. However, I will read the next book and just accept the premise of the story and enjoy it for what it is, an intrigue/thriller book.

Overall, a good mob related novel. 4 stars

ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Aug 13, 2019 Carolyn McBride rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, lesbian-fiction, crime

I am huge fan of Ali Vali, and I'm not sure if I like Sept or Cain better, but along comes another character to charm us in the form of Rebel/aka Reed. A hitwoman/thief with a heart of gold. And Brinley...the luckiest woman in Vegas!

The two of them captured me right from their first encounter, right along with Oscar.

This seems like a great beginning to another engaging series. I enjoyed Sept's tale, and Cain's, and I hope this one will be just as intense. If this first book is anything to go by ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Rosi rated it liked it

This is the start of a new series with mobsters, now set in Las Vegas, very similar to the Cain Casey Saga set in New Orleans also from this author. On this occasion, the protagonists are Reed, a contract killer and a thief, a woman with no past because she has erased it completely since she has nothing good to remember about her childhood in the foster care sistem. And the other woman is Brinley, a single mother that wants to start anew in Las Vegas, fleeing from her abusive partner and his mot ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 Betty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cops, violence, criminals, favorites, intrigue-thriller, lesfic, romance, child-children

Just so you know from the beginning, I am an extreme Ali Vali fan. I have loved every single book I have read of hers, and I especially love the ‘Cain Casey’ and ‘Sept Savoie’ series, so when I heard that she was starting a new series based in Las Vegas, I was over-the-moon happy. After reading Double Crossed, I am still just as happy, if not more so.

For all of us die-hard Ali Vali/Cain Casey fans, this is the beginning of a great new series. We meet Reed Gable, a woman with a horrid past. She w Just so you know from the beginning, I am an extreme Ali Vali fan. I have loved every single book I have read of hers, and I especially love the ‘Cain Casey’ and ‘Sept Savoie’ series, so when I heard that she was starting a new series based in Las Vegas, I was over-the-moon happy. After reading Double Crossed, I am still just as happy, if not more so.

For all of us die-hard Ali Vali/Cain Casey fans, this is the beginning of a great new series. We meet Reed Gable, a woman with a horrid past. She was put in the foster care and group home system at the age of five, where she quickly learned that she could count on no one but herself. As an adult Reed became a hit woman, stealing and killing for those who hire her. She relies heavily on her sidekick and back-up, Oscar, her only friend from her childhood. She kills without mercy until the day she finally reaches the one line she will not cross. That’s the day she meets Brinley Myers, the woman she has been contracted to kill. When she sees that Brinley is the mother of a young son (who is with her at the time of their first contact), she balks, but Brinley has already seen her and realizes what she is there for. But Reed’s past might be Brinley’s only chance for a future. Thus begins a complex and compelling tale that had me on the edge from the first page to the last.

This is also the story of mobsters, several family groups loosely connected to a major New York mob, with each family group trying to capture as much Vegas territory as they can. We also get to see the Jatibon family (from the ‘Cain Casey’ series) again since they are in Vegas with their own business. Though they are secondary characters in this book, it looks like we may see more of them in this series. I hope so, anyway.

There is violence in this book, and lots of killing, but there is also romance, love, and the beginning of a great new reading adventure. I can’t wait to read more of this intriguing story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Karin A rated it really liked it

I love books by Ali Vali. When the reading experience is over, I'm always sad. In this case, I was sad the listening experience was over. This book is narrated by Paige McKinney and she did a great job.

The plot of this book is, per usual for Vali, exquisite. It's not simple, you've got to keep your whits because again: there is a big sideshow in this book. There are characters from another series of Vali. I love those cross overs. If you're not familiar with those characters that isn't a proble ...more

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Aug 19, 2019 Elle rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtq, kindle, netgalley, mystery-crime

2.75 stars - I have to say this missed the mark for me. I had never read anything by this author before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I supposed it's my own fault for only skimming through the summary. When my brain registered "assassin" I automatically expected Reed to be kinda like Black Widow, and well. Let's be honest, those expectations were unrealistic.

Reed, a hit woman and thief, is hired to kill Brinley, an accountant working for the Moroccan Casino in Las Vegas. Refusing to shoot a ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: gangsters-and-bad-girls, 2019-reads, c-spot-reviews, 2021-sapphic-reading-challenge

Welcome back, Ms. Vali. I've missed you.

I haven't had a lot of luck with Vali's recent books and have struggled to finish them for a number of reasons. It bothered me to no end as I really enjoy the Cain series and some of her earlier contemporary romances. With Double-Crossed, I'm back in the Vali fold and found myself devouring the book over less than 24 hours (the dog was not happy to have her morning dog park visit delayed to an afternoon visit because I wanted to finish the book). Is Welcome back, Ms. Vali. I've missed you.

I haven't had a lot of luck with Vali's recent books and have struggled to finish them for a number of reasons. It bothered me to no end as I really enjoy the Cain series and some of her earlier contemporary romances. With Double-Crossed, I'm back in the Vali fold and found myself devouring the book over less than 24 hours (the dog was not happy to have her morning dog park visit delayed to an afternoon visit because I wanted to finish the book). Is the book perfect - no. Did I enjoy the heck out of reading it - hell yeah.

In Double-Crossed, Vali is back to what I think she does best - bad girls. This is more of a suspense/crime novel than a romance; although, there is a romance that is kind of inevitable but doesn't have the sweeping intensity of the Cain/Emma pairing. As the title suggests, this is a book full of conspiracy and double crossings. So much so that at times, I found it a bit exhausting to keep up with all the shenanigans - who was plotting what with who and planning to screw over which family for what reason. There were a ton of mobsters and their families in this one and I think if the plot and characters were tightened a bit more, this would have hit a five star rating for me - as it was, things got a bit convoluted as I tried to keep too many characters who kept popping up and their motivations and end games straight.

Reed Gable, a thief and contract killer, is hired to dispose of a philandering husband in as humiliating a way as possible by his angry wife (and mob daughter). From this point on, a number of seemingly unrelated events involving money laundering, corrupt casino managers and several mob families conspire to put Reed onto another contract to dispose of an auditor who may have dug a little too deep into the books. Faced with the task of having to kill a young mother, Brinley Myers, and her one-year old son, what's a hardened contract killer to do?

Vali seems to have a particular talent in making bad girls into heroes - Reed is a great example. Unlike Cain, who inherits the top spot of a crime family (and manages to expand it through some pretty ruthless tactics), Reed has a pretty shitty past and is more of a self-made woman that gets the job done just as ruthlessly. She's good at what she does and doesn't regret the choices that she's made - and despite what she does at the start of the novel with the cheating husband and his girlfriend, she does have a limit which is lucky for Brinley. Brinley, is a pretty resourceful person in her own right - she's made some bad decisions but has moved on, making the best of things. There's just the right amount of backstory for both Reed and Brinley - Vali doesn't go for over the top angst as she gives a bit of rationale for Reed's actions and decisions and even Brinley's character doesn't dwell obsessively over the past. I liked them both. The romance is almost secondary to everything else that is going on - it could easily be put down to Stockholm Syndrome as Reed has Brinley stashed away in a hideout while she tries to sort out the mess, but I think there's enough there to make the relationship believable (or maybe there's just so much other shit going on that you are desperate to latch onto anything that doesn't have corruption and greed at the heart of it).

Remi and Mano Jatibon make an appearance - which makes sense as one of their assets is the Gemini casino in Vegas. They seemed to be the only rational mobsters in the city. It was nice to see them out from under the shadow of Cain and working on their own business dealings and I'm kind of hoping that we more of them and Reed and Brinley.

At one point I had a sinking feeling (and a little bit of anticipation) that this was going to be an ongoing series - I was horrified that I'd come up the end with a massive cliffhanger, but also really happy to anticipate more of Reed and Brinley and the goings on in Las Vegas. Happily, the book buttons up most of the loose ends and can stand on its own - no cliffhanger that will have me waiting a year or more to find out what comes next. Even more happily, I can easily see Vali writing another book with either these characters or at least set in Vegas. It will make a nice counterpoint to the New Orleans based series, give Remi and Mano a chance to stretch their influence and give readers a new setting and great new cast of characters.

This is a good crime and suspense story with a little bit of romance to offset things. There's a pretty gritty undertone and there's no shortage of violence, corruption and greed (and stupidity when it comes to greed). By the end of the book, there's a pretty high body count and one of the protagonists is a contract killer with a fair bit of blood on her hands. Despite that (or maybe because of that) it was a fun read and a very welcome addition to Ms. Vali's bad girl oeuvre.

Recommended especially if you liked the Cain series ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 Kennedy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-ng-romance-intrigue

Bad girl falls for damsel and her toddler in distress, with lots of violence and heavy action. I am a Cain Casey fan and this series is definitely in line to be just as enthralling with a large cast of characters and some character carryover. Brinley Myers, a strong women and protective parent. I like how she evolved as the story unfolded. Reed Gable, hit women and thief. She does what she needs to do to survive. But is it the only way. The bad girl with an unsettling childhood presented in such ...more

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Aug 06, 2019 Cheri rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, lgbtq, romance, crime, netgalley, 2019-genre-challenge, 2019-reads

Ali Vali used to be one of my go-to authors but I've been pretty disappointed with the last few I read. I got burned out on Cain, never connected to Remi, loved Sept but the romance part of Calling the Dead didn't do it for me. And my last venture at a stand-alone romance, The Romance Vote left me unsatisfied with the rushed ending. But I can't seem to stay away from Vali's work and thought Double-Crossed sounded interesting.

I got into it pretty quickly and there was definitely the feel of early Ali Vali used to be one of my go-to authors but I've been pretty disappointed with the last few I read. I got burned out on Cain, never connected to Remi, loved Sept but the romance part of Calling the Dead didn't do it for me. And my last venture at a stand-alone romance, The Romance Vote left me unsatisfied with the rushed ending. But I can't seem to stay away from Vali's work and thought Double-Crossed sounded interesting.

I got into it pretty quickly and there was definitely the feel of early Cain Casey with the tough woman who seems to melt only for a beautiful damsel in distress - and if there's a small child involved, all the better. I was happy and rolling along with the murdery goodness but not too far in, began feeling overwhelmed with so many characters. I didn't realize this was going to be a series set in the same universe as Casey and the Jatibons. Honestly, I probably would have taken a pass had I known. One of the reasons I tend to stay away from long series/large ensemble universes is because it takes the attention off of the characters I'm trying to focus on and connect with and tries to give me snippets and updates on other couples that aren't supposed to be front and center in the current book. I know this isn't a problem for many other folks but it is for me and I felt my interest waning as the cast of characters and family intrigues began to mount.

There were some aspects that I loved about Double-Crossed: Vali is great with creating the feel of the gangster life though the language she uses. There were quite a few lines of dialogue that made me stop just to admire them. She also knows how to crank up the sexual heat. And speaking of sex, I was surprised to find some m/m action in this book. I certainly don't mind it but I thought it was risky since I've seen plenty of upset from lesfic readers whenever a penis is introduced into a f/f romance. I'm not the biggest reader of f/f romance anymore but this was a first for me.

I think if you're a die-hard Ali Vali/Cane Casey fan and read every book, you'll be incredibly happy with this one and will be thrilled to find a new series to follow in the same universe. And if you're like me and have taken a break from the author's series books but are intrigued about this one, it's well worth your time. I definitely liked Reed and Brinley. (I can't not comment on Ms. Vali's always interesting character name choices. Never a boring name for a main character.)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this one. ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 R rated it really liked it

Double-Crossed was a crime story about the dirty and dangerous business of the mob and all those that were involved with them. Respect and loyalty were rewarded while betrayal and being double crossed were punished in a rather swift and permanent manner.

Rebel Jones was only five years old when she was placed in the foster care system after her mother overdosed. When she was 18, she was released from the system but soon found herself doing 4 years in prison for robbery; prison taught her how to Double-Crossed was a crime story about the dirty and dangerous business of the mob and all those that were involved with them. Respect and loyalty were rewarded while betrayal and being double crossed were punished in a rather swift and permanent manner.

Rebel Jones was only five years old when she was placed in the foster care system after her mother overdosed. When she was 18, she was released from the system but soon found herself doing 4 years in prison for robbery; prison taught her how to become a better thief. After her release, Reed became a very successful thief in Las Vegas and an occasional hired killer if the price was right. Brinley was a young mother with a one year old who took a job as an accountant at one of the local casinos and unbeknownst to her controlled by the mob. She started to put her life together after a difficult past few years, but found her and her son’s life in danger by the same people who employed her. When Reed and Brinley’s worlds collided, the outcome was not what either one of them expected and the danger for both of them intensified.

With a slew of characters in this story, there was always something going on and initially it was hard to keep track of these characters and how they were connected either by association or family ties. But once the story evolved, the connections became clearer with who was involved in the usual mob related crimes like money laundering, revenge killing or killing to silence someone, drug trafficking, and mob wars. There was also the softer side of the mob life where family was concerned and some tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy for their children.
There were some parts, however, that were difficult to read especially when innocent lives were taken, but it was the reality of this world and couldn’t be ignored.

I liked how the author slowly allowed Brinley to see the real Reed and come to understand her life choices and the circumstances that made her that way. It was also interesting how the author developed the relationship between Reed and her friend from foster care, Oscar, and how they too bonded by circumstance and the will to survive. These relationships were well executed and written and gave the storyline a compassionate element in an otherwise violent and stoical environment.
If you enjoy anything mob/crime related then Double-Crossed will definitely be worth the read.

...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Lexxi Kitty rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pov-multiple, date-ad-21st-century, job-accountant, lesbian-fiction, genre-crime, lgbt, first-in-series, setting-continent-north-america, length-260-519-novel, there-is-a-kid

For whatever reason, Ali Vali has been an author I’ve always enjoyed, but not one that I’ve gone out of my way to buy (at least the back catalog). I’ve read 10 books by them (including this one) and one short story. Except for one book I rated 3 stars, and one I DNF’d (heh, I’d thought I’d stopped that one because of the formatting, but looking at it again just now, I see I stopped that one because the melodramatic babbling got on my last nerve and I stopped reading at 34.24%), I’ve mostly rated For whatever reason, Ali Vali has been an author I’ve always enjoyed, but not one that I’ve gone out of my way to buy (at least the back catalog). I’ve read 10 books by them (including this one) and one short story. Except for one book I rated 3 stars, and one I DNF’d (heh, I’d thought I’d stopped that one because of the formatting, but looking at it again just now, I see I stopped that one because the melodramatic babbling got on my last nerve and I stopped reading at 34.24%), I’ve mostly rated everything between 4 and 5 stars. This book here is not an exception – another solid four star book.

Two point of view book. Brinley Myers is a single mother who has taken a new job in a new city at the Moroccan Casino as an accountant. She got her kid out of her one time with a man, I think, at least, it was worded that way. And the kid does play a largish role in the book, but more as a ‘she has a kid’ than as an individual character. Unfortunately for her, her very first day at her new job put her on the path to death, or at least into the path of a contract killer. Her immediate boss has pulled her and her co-worker, another single-mother, into doing an internal audit. Unluckily for her, the audit is of the ‘real’ books. The owner of the casino wanted to do an audit for reasons explained in the book. He intended Dean, Brinley’s boss, to do the audit, though, not others. So, obviously, they need to die – the two women doing the audit on the real financial statements/numbers.

Which leads to the other main character and how the two characters meet. Though that character, Reed Gable, had already been in the book doing stuff. Stuff like killing people. She’s one of those elite killers, even though 1) she is an independent contractor type (not a member of any specific crime ‘family’; 2) her main job is being a thief not assassin. One thing leads to another and . . . oops, the one without much problems killing, just couldn’t get themselves to kill a kid and his mother. And so the book unfolds from there – attempting to figure out how to ‘fix’ the situation, and stuff. Meanwhile, the two women grow close, though one believes the other should ‘stay away’ for their own good, since they, Reed, are ‘damaged’.

Good solid book. Quite interesting and well-written. For those who care about such things: yes, Cain Casey was mentioned in the book, but more in passing. Several people from that series, though, do play important roles in this book. Specifically Mano, his sister (and her partner Dallas), and the rest of their crime family – who are partners with Cain Casey’s crime family. Mano runs a casino in Los Vegas, and Dallas and sister pay a visit (the sister is more important to the Casey series, but I’m drawing a blank on her name – it’s something like Remi? Remi Jatibon?). You do not need to read the Casey series, the side short story, nor the side series before reading this book here. Though you might get more out of this book if you do read them first. Not needed to understand this book, though.

Rating: 4.35

November 8 2019 ...more

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Aug 07, 2019 Aleana Harris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

I was really into this story but then it fell flat to me I get that you had to get the main characters to meet.

Reed had a tough childhood but it gave her the means of survival along with her friend Oscar she became a hit woman and thief.

Brinley is accountant with a one year old son name Finn she came to Vegas to get away from her ex when she get a job at Moroccan Casino where she and her emplo ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Megan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, netgalley-review, 2-stars

2 Stars. This book was just okay, it dragged a lot. This book is about Reed Gable, a woman who works as a thief and assassin for the highest bidder in Las Vegas. When she is sent to kill Brinley Myers, an accountant for a casino, she cannot complete the task. Reed cannot kill a mother and decides to go against her employer and protect Brinley and find out why she was sent to kill her. They work together to try and take down the people trying to destroy her.

I found this book a little confusing. ...more

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Aug 12, 2019 Best Lesfic Reviews rated it really liked it

Ali Vali could well be crowned the Mario Puzo of lesfic since she has a special affinity to Mob/Mafia series and admittedly does them really well. This one is the first of a new series.

Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co... ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Colleen Corgel rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, f-f-romance, mystery

This one took me a while to read, which surprised me a bit. It doesn't really focus a lot on thief and hitman for hire, Reed, and her mark, Brinley. Instead Vali works hard to set up the movers and shakers of the Vegas underground, before a ton of action actually goes down. Of course, Reed's actions on a job sets off a domino effect that has the Mob families in charge of Las Vegas reeling. We see what the heads of families are doing in reaction to the killing of a prominent mobster, and the sche ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Toni rated it liked it

3 Stars

This is the first book in the Vegas Nights series by Ali Vali.

This book was pretty complex in reality. The whole money laundering storyline was top notch. It was the back and forth between the families as they put out hits on each other in retaliation which made this book sing. You can tell this book is female focuses since a lot of the important positions in it were filled by women instead of men. I could totally buy that scenario but what I found lacking was the whole lesbian romance.

Th ...more

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Sep 10, 2019 Cathy Geha rated it really liked it

Double Crossed by Ali Vali
Las Vegas Nights #1

Reed Gamble and her friend Oscar had a hard childhood. They have stayed together through it all and established a lucrative business taking things. Sometimes those things are the lives of people but usually take things instead of lives. One day Reed’s moral compass is tweaked and she makes a decision she then needs to deal with. What was that decision? Not to fulfill the contract to kill…

Brinley Myers….

Brinley is a single mother who has just moved fro ...more

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Oct 03, 2019 Angel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, opposites-attract, contemporary, favorite, lesbian-fiction, thriller, mystery, action, suspense

Woohoo! Ali Vali does it again! She has crafted another mind-blowing and captivating novel that has the perfect blend of new and beloved characters from her other books and I'm already a huge fan of the Vegas Nights series. By now, I'm pretty sure that everyone had to know this was coming but if you didn't, well here's my confession—I'm completely smitten with Reed and I feel as though I've cheated on the one and only, Cain Casey. Just when I thought that I would never have another fictional wif ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 XR rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

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Nov 06, 2019 Tony Hisgett rated it liked it

Shelves: review, thriller, lgbt

This book isn’t quite what the publicity blurb promises, it is really a vicious ‘Mob Soap Opera’ and the described relationship between Reed and Brinley is only a small part of the book. There is a tenuous tie-in with the Cain Casey books, but the Las Vegas gangsters aren’t nearly as interesting.

There is an intriguing, but difficult start to the book. During the first two chapters the author introduces what will be the two main characters, but she also mentions dozens of other people, there are ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Mel rated it liked it · review of another edition

Reed Gable, thief and hit woman, is contracted to take out Brinley Myers, who happens to have just started a new life in Vegas to get away from from the druggie father of her one year old son. Brinley has been employed as an accountant at one the casinos when her manager asks her and her fellow colleague to audit the books, this leads them to discovering some anomalies in the ledgers and now that they've had access to the books potentially uncovered the casino's money laundering business, Brinle ...more

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Aug 15, 2019 Domi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Mixed feelings about this one, I loved the early books in her Cain Casey series. But the last 2 or so I haven't even read cause I lost interest. I cannot even tell you why cause the storyline is interesting and I have a connection to the Cain and Emma, but maybe it was the over-exposure of other characters?

Which is also what put me off in this one as well...I expected to get a nice romance between bad girl hired contractor Reed and unsuspecting innocent single mom Brinley, but I got a story abou ...more

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Aug 17, 2019 Cheryl rated it liked it · review of another edition

Gambling, drugs and a hit woman sounds like a pretty big novel, and Ali Vali does well in delivering an interesting story.

Reed is the best hit woman in Vegas, but is this latest contract too much? Brinley is a brand new accountant thrown into the dirty books of a casino and finds herself in a tonne of trouble. Double crossing is just a part of a regular day.

What I liked was the attraction between Reed and Brinley. It seemed genuine but a bit light in developing the relationship.

As a con, it was ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Miss R rated it it was amazing

Hit woman and thief Reed Gable works for the highest bidder, no matter where the job takes her. An orphan of circumstance, Reed knows the streets of Las Vegas better than anyone. Growing up rough has gotten her to the top of her profession, and she plans to stay there.

Accountant Brinley Myers, a recent hire at the Moroccan Casino, discovers a money laundering operation orchestrated by the New York mob and suddenly her life, and those in it, become collateral damage.

Reed has Brinley in her sigh ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Dr E rated it liked it

Killing a cheating husband, you can agree with (in fiction), but the 19 year old, I found that hard to get past. This made it difficult to engage with one of the main characters of the book. I know it was integral to the plot development and the whole point of a contract killer is not being nice, but still it held be back from enjoying the story and the burgeoning romance. Likewise with the other character, starting an affair with a killer didn’t feel like a proper reaction to a death threat, es ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Shiki rated it it was amazing

Guys, I just finished this book last night and I am going through serious withdrawls. I have to say, I am never gave this author a chance. I listened to two previous books on audio and I was underwhelmed. But!!! I am not re-evaluating my take on this author after this book.

First I sincerlery HOPE this is a series and that we do not have to wait ages for the next one to drop.

Now the book:

Crime families, mob wannabes, drugs, sex, theives, and my ultimate favorite, assasin (I have a soft spot fo ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Penelope rated it liked it

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a great read by Vali, I loved Reed and it was amazing being able to walk into her life. I would recommend reading the Cain Casey series before this one as there are a lot of characters in the previous book. The only issue I had, which I have in a lot of Vali's books is that there was a lot of pages of dialogue with the mob characters. I found myself skipping through these pages to get back to Reed's story. If there was more of Reed I would have rate ...more

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Sep 21, 2019 Patty rated it it was amazing

Double Crossed is a crime thriller and the first book in the Vegas Nights series. This is a great book with plenty of action set in “Sin City” Las Vegas.

The two main characters are Reed Gable and Brinley Myers. Reed is a thief and part time assassin for hire. She was a product of a broken foster system and had a very rough childhood. While part of the foster system, she met her best friend, Oscar, who becomes her partner in crime. Reed grew up on the streets of Vegas and knows the ins and out o ...more

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About Ali Vali

Ali Vali

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Ali Vali is the author of the long-running Cain Casey "Devil" series and the Genesis Clan "Forces" series, as well as numerous standalone romances including two Lambda Literary Award finalists, Calling the Dead and Love Match, and her 2017 release, Beauty and the Boss. Ali also has a novella in the collection Girls with Guns.
Originally from Cuba, Ali has retained much of her family's traditions an ...more