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Double Down
Professional poker player Tim Waverly, hounded by the local crime boss and pursued by an assassin, stands to lose his life unless he can come up with the tremendous amount of cash he needs to buy himself out of trouble
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1991
5 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Tom Kakonis
18 books5 followersTom Kakonis has been hailed by critics nationwide as the heir-apparent to Elmore Leonard… and for good reason. His stunning thrillers Treasure Coast, Michigan Roll, and Criss Cross, among others, blend dark humor with gritty storytelling for compelling, and innovative crime noir capers packed with unique, sharply drawn characters and shocking twists
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 10, 2017
This is the second book in Tom Kakonis's excellent series featuring Timothy Waverly, a professional gambler whose business card wryly describes him as an "Applied Probabilities Analyst."
The end of the first book, Michigan Roll, found Waverly in a world of hurt after he accidentally stumbled into a drug deal that went bad. When all was said and done, $500,000 worth of drugs wound up destroyed. The drugs belonged to a crime boss named Gunter Dietz who blames Waverly for the loss of the drugs and who expects to be repaid. Waverly and his best friend and mentor, Bennie Epstein, manage to raise the $500,000, and Bennie meets with Dietz in Chicago and pays him off. But Dietz now insists on an additional $50,000 in interest and another $250,000 on top of that to compensate him for all his trouble. Generously, he gives Bennie and Waverly two weeks to come up with the rest of the money, Or Else.
Bennie and Waverly have been lying low in Palm Beach, Florida and have scraped up every last dime they can just to pay the first $550,000. Raising another $250,000 is an impossibility, especially in such a short span of time. They know that Dietz will kill them if they don't come up with the money and they're pretty sure that he intends to kill them even if they do.
And with that set-up, the book is off and running. Just when the situation seems darkest, Waverly accidentally runs into an old friend named Caroline, who is now married to another of Waverly's childhood friends who is in Palm Beach putting together a huge investment deal. Involved in the deal are a number of wealthy men including an Arab prince, who fancy themselves to be pretty good poker players. Waverly hopes that he might somehow finagle his way into their games and, by some miracle, raise the money he and Bernie so desperately need. Meanwhile, of course, Dietz has put not one but two supremely mismatched hit men on the trail of Bennie and Waverly with instructions to kill them, no matter how things turn out.
As always, Kakonis weaves a great story, but the real strength of his books lies in his ability to create fantastic characters, as is evidenced here. Timothy Waverly makes a great protagonist, extremely talented, deeply flawed and ultimately very human. The two hit men are the mobsters' equivalent of Oscar and Felix, and Waverly's old girlfriend complicates his problems by suggesting that she might like to be more than just his old friend. There are a number of very good poker scenes and all of it leads up to a smashing climax.
This book was first published in 1991, and like most of Kakonis's other work, has been difficult to find for some time now. Happily, the folks at Brash Books are now in the process of bringing out handsome new editions of all of the author's earlier work and are publishing his new book, Treasure Coast. For this, all crime fiction fans are in their debt.
The end of the first book, Michigan Roll, found Waverly in a world of hurt after he accidentally stumbled into a drug deal that went bad. When all was said and done, $500,000 worth of drugs wound up destroyed. The drugs belonged to a crime boss named Gunter Dietz who blames Waverly for the loss of the drugs and who expects to be repaid. Waverly and his best friend and mentor, Bennie Epstein, manage to raise the $500,000, and Bennie meets with Dietz in Chicago and pays him off. But Dietz now insists on an additional $50,000 in interest and another $250,000 on top of that to compensate him for all his trouble. Generously, he gives Bennie and Waverly two weeks to come up with the rest of the money, Or Else.
Bennie and Waverly have been lying low in Palm Beach, Florida and have scraped up every last dime they can just to pay the first $550,000. Raising another $250,000 is an impossibility, especially in such a short span of time. They know that Dietz will kill them if they don't come up with the money and they're pretty sure that he intends to kill them even if they do.
And with that set-up, the book is off and running. Just when the situation seems darkest, Waverly accidentally runs into an old friend named Caroline, who is now married to another of Waverly's childhood friends who is in Palm Beach putting together a huge investment deal. Involved in the deal are a number of wealthy men including an Arab prince, who fancy themselves to be pretty good poker players. Waverly hopes that he might somehow finagle his way into their games and, by some miracle, raise the money he and Bernie so desperately need. Meanwhile, of course, Dietz has put not one but two supremely mismatched hit men on the trail of Bennie and Waverly with instructions to kill them, no matter how things turn out.
As always, Kakonis weaves a great story, but the real strength of his books lies in his ability to create fantastic characters, as is evidenced here. Timothy Waverly makes a great protagonist, extremely talented, deeply flawed and ultimately very human. The two hit men are the mobsters' equivalent of Oscar and Felix, and Waverly's old girlfriend complicates his problems by suggesting that she might like to be more than just his old friend. There are a number of very good poker scenes and all of it leads up to a smashing climax.
This book was first published in 1991, and like most of Kakonis's other work, has been difficult to find for some time now. Happily, the folks at Brash Books are now in the process of bringing out handsome new editions of all of the author's earlier work and are publishing his new book, Treasure Coast. For this, all crime fiction fans are in their debt.
March 8, 2016
Yet another trip into Kakonis' world of hapless criminals and one decent man who just can't seem to get on a right path. Timothy Waverly, educated, intelligent, did time for murder, great card dealer, absolutely terrible love life. Fortunes' toy, Waverly tries, but it's never quite enough. This time the doodoo he's in is a direct consequence of his adventures from book one, Michigan Roll, and he finds himself scrambling to make money, while under a close oversight from a comically mismatched miscreants. You sort of know he won't quite make it, you pretty much know he won't die (since there is a part three), but it's still a compelling ride from point A to point B. Kakonis is a good writer, although peculiarly given to ascribing his characters such staggeringly racist thoughts and language, that is comes across mostly as vulgar and gratuitous. The poker descriptions did nothing for me, necessary as they are, just not that interesting to read about, unless you're really into cards. Also the book read really long somehow, I was surprised by the page count. Pace wasn't a thing, not sure what it was. But for all that, it was a really fun read and Kakonis has a very special argot and cadence to his books that makes for a fun, enjoyable reading. Plus Waverly, punching bag of circumstances that he is, makes for such an engaging protagonist. Recommended.
May 11, 2023
#2 in the Waverly Thriller trio
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having no idea what to expect from this book, I was drawn in by the easy-to-read writing style. Kakonis builds characters that are approachable, even though they are from a far different world than what I'm used to. Waverly is a fairly down-to-earth and intelligent guy, but I couldn't relate to his card-playing, risky self. There was also some reference to his past that I felt I was missing, so I suspect there was a previous book featuring this character. He's in a sort of no-man's-land between good and evil, in some ways through no fault of his own. On the villain side, I, surprisingly, was drawn to D'Marco because of his intelligence, his thoroughness, and his devotion to taking care of himself. You would think he would be annoying narcissistic and unlikeable, but instead I liked his drive to be excellent at his job, plus he also showed a more human side when he had to deal with Sigurd. (Of course, his job as a brutal assassin was a bit of a turn-off.) Overall, this book was pretty easy to read. However, not being a card player at all, the descriptions of the card games felt tedious. And I suppose that Waverly's tenderness for Caroline made sense since they were old friends and she had problems, but it was frustrating to watch him jump whenever she called. The book made slow but steady progress throughout and kept my interest, with a very exciting, action-packed final scene.
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having no idea what to expect from this book, I was drawn in by the easy-to-read writing style. Kakonis builds characters that are approachable, even though they are from a far different world than what I'm used to. Waverly is a fairly down-to-earth and intelligent guy, but I couldn't relate to his card-playing, risky self. There was also some reference to his past that I felt I was missing, so I suspect there was a previous book featuring this character. He's in a sort of no-man's-land between good and evil, in some ways through no fault of his own. On the villain side, I, surprisingly, was drawn to D'Marco because of his intelligence, his thoroughness, and his devotion to taking care of himself. You would think he would be annoying narcissistic and unlikeable, but instead I liked his drive to be excellent at his job, plus he also showed a more human side when he had to deal with Sigurd. (Of course, his job as a brutal assassin was a bit of a turn-off.) Overall, this book was pretty easy to read. However, not being a card player at all, the descriptions of the card games felt tedious. And I suppose that Waverly's tenderness for Caroline made sense since they were old friends and she had problems, but it was frustrating to watch him jump whenever she called. The book made slow but steady progress throughout and kept my interest, with a very exciting, action-packed final scene.
June 26, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
A mob boss has given professional gambler Timothy Waverly two weeks to make good on a $300,000 debt…or die at the hands of two hit men. Waverly’s only hope is convince a pill-popping, ex-girlfriend and her loser husband to set him up in a series of high-stakes poker games in Palm Beach with rich Arab prince who cheats at cards. But that’s not the only game that’s rigged. Waverly knows he’s going to be killed as soon as he pays his debt…and that somehow he’s got to cheat death in his biggest gamble yet.
This book was originally released in the early 1990's - and it is quite apparent. There is just a sense of "been there, read that" to this story and it just wasn't very compelling to me. Lots of predictable twists and turns that shows its age also.
Would this have been a better book if I had read it in 1991? More than likely, but after reading these kinds of books for the in-between 26 years, this one just doesn't stack up.
Paul
ARH
A mob boss has given professional gambler Timothy Waverly two weeks to make good on a $300,000 debt…or die at the hands of two hit men. Waverly’s only hope is convince a pill-popping, ex-girlfriend and her loser husband to set him up in a series of high-stakes poker games in Palm Beach with rich Arab prince who cheats at cards. But that’s not the only game that’s rigged. Waverly knows he’s going to be killed as soon as he pays his debt…and that somehow he’s got to cheat death in his biggest gamble yet.
This book was originally released in the early 1990's - and it is quite apparent. There is just a sense of "been there, read that" to this story and it just wasn't very compelling to me. Lots of predictable twists and turns that shows its age also.
Would this have been a better book if I had read it in 1991? More than likely, but after reading these kinds of books for the in-between 26 years, this one just doesn't stack up.
Paul
ARH
May 29, 2018
Tim Waverly ist Berufsspieler und ein bißchen in Verlegenheit, denn Gunther Dietz, ein Gangster etwas größeren Kalibers hat zwei Killer auf ihn angesetzt, beide wunderbar auf gegensätzliche Weise, der eine in seinen Körper verliebt, der andere in seine Ideen, z.B. einen Western nur für Schwarze.
Um am Leben zu bleiben gilt es, schnell ein paar hundert tausend beim Pokern zu gewinnen. Das klappt auch fast, wenn nicht der Araber betrügen würde. Und so muß man dann doch fliehen. Sehr schön, auch die zarte Liebesgeschichte zur Exfreundin, die leider den besten Freund geheiratet hatte.
Mehr davon.
Um am Leben zu bleiben gilt es, schnell ein paar hundert tausend beim Pokern zu gewinnen. Das klappt auch fast, wenn nicht der Araber betrügen würde. Und so muß man dann doch fliehen. Sehr schön, auch die zarte Liebesgeschichte zur Exfreundin, die leider den besten Freund geheiratet hatte.
Mehr davon.
April 23, 2015
Following the events of Michigan Roll (1988), gambler and ex-con Tim Waverly has been hiding out in Florida for a year while the mob tracks him down over a little incident from the first book—the destruction of half a million dollars in drugs, and disruption of the mob’s profitable drug trade up Michigan’s tourist coast. Waverly’s gambling pal Bennie Epstein has collected their loose bills and heads north to pitch a deal to Dietz, the cold, calculating, and sadistic Chicago mafioso hunting for Waverly. Epstein and Waverly offer to pay the mob back, plus interest; everything’s square, and they walk away (alive). Dietz has other plans, and demands an extra $300,000 to cover damages, payable in two weeks. On top of that, he’s not planning to just walk away: with Waverly in his gunsights, his plan is to take the cash, see if the pair can scrape up the extra $300k, and then snuff them both anyways.
As coincidence has it, Waverly just bumped into his high-school sweetheart the other day. After getting invited to her husband’s meet-and-greet for the rich and famous, he found out about her husband’s secret deals: a backroom poker game involving an Arab prince who throws around millions in cash. That, he hopes, is his ticket out of this jam; otherwise there’s no way he’ll be able to come up with enough money in time. D’Marco Fontaine—the local hitman hired to shadow and ice Waverly—has made his presence continually known, tailing the gambler and keeping him off-balance. Of course, he has his own problems—one of Dietz’s lieutenants shipped his nephew off to Florida, ostensibly to learn something from a real cold killer… and said nephew, Sigurd Stumpley, is a slovenly slob whose presence disgusts Fontaine, the proverbial thorn in his side. His continual fuckups—and other outside interference—may cost Fontaine his perfect shot to end Waverly…
Thus begins another fast-paced, hard-boiled thriller, and already you can tell there’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of action heating up. Kakonis’ writing is well and hard-boiled; maybe not as bone-cutting sharp as in Michigan Roll, but it retains both the exhilarating pacing and deep characterization. It’s a fascinating look at life in the underworld, a grim portrait of desperate and broken men. Waverly himself is more desperate here than in the first book, with Fontaine putting the screws to him; he’s like a man on a tightrope, balancing his need to win enough cash to pay Dietz off with the rekindled relationship with his childhood crush. Gambling makes a center-stage appearance near the finale, and there’s some great poker sequences where Waverly needs to out-duel a bunch of wealthy bit-players, a cutthroat redneck, and an Arab prince. The tension is ratcheted up for an amazing and bloody finale, where all the plot threads—and various thugs—converge on Waverly and Epstein.
One of the aspects that made Michigan Roll a standout for me was its characters, namely the oddball pair of mafia enforcer thugs who’d pontificate, argue, wax philosophical, and turn into blood-curdling sadists, depending on the time of day. Here, we have a perfect odd couple: D’Marco Fontaine is a professional, priding himself on his regimen of diet and exercise, and infuriated that he let himself get talked into taking a hanger-on. Sigurd is a lazy, slobbish racist, just about nearly worthless as a mafia enforcer; he spends more time checking in with his mother back in Chicago, rambling on about his “brilliant” film and advertisement ideas, and bragging about his many overblown achievements. He ignores just about every piece of good advice (and every command) Fontaine issues, which leads to some of the most absurd screwball comedy you can find in a crime novel; seeing the two of them interact and even grow as characters is pure entertainment.
Double Down follows the same formula that made Michigan Roll a knockout read; it may not be as razor-sharp, but at times it’s more inventive, and Kakonis’ pacing really hits its stride. The expert characterization shines and the dialogue cracks like a whip: this is a novel that just oozes style and low-life atmosphere, a brutal and crass portrait of underworld desperation. Also, it’s great to see the gambler Waverly actually do quite a bit of gambling. If you like a lean, mean thriller in the vein of Elmore Leonard, Double Down is a safe bet. If you have yet to read Michigan Roll, look into that one; if you liked it, you won’t be disappointed by the first of two sequels.
I received an e-ARC from Brash Books and NetGalley in exchange for an open and honest review.
As coincidence has it, Waverly just bumped into his high-school sweetheart the other day. After getting invited to her husband’s meet-and-greet for the rich and famous, he found out about her husband’s secret deals: a backroom poker game involving an Arab prince who throws around millions in cash. That, he hopes, is his ticket out of this jam; otherwise there’s no way he’ll be able to come up with enough money in time. D’Marco Fontaine—the local hitman hired to shadow and ice Waverly—has made his presence continually known, tailing the gambler and keeping him off-balance. Of course, he has his own problems—one of Dietz’s lieutenants shipped his nephew off to Florida, ostensibly to learn something from a real cold killer… and said nephew, Sigurd Stumpley, is a slovenly slob whose presence disgusts Fontaine, the proverbial thorn in his side. His continual fuckups—and other outside interference—may cost Fontaine his perfect shot to end Waverly…
Thus begins another fast-paced, hard-boiled thriller, and already you can tell there’s a lot of moving parts and a lot of action heating up. Kakonis’ writing is well and hard-boiled; maybe not as bone-cutting sharp as in Michigan Roll, but it retains both the exhilarating pacing and deep characterization. It’s a fascinating look at life in the underworld, a grim portrait of desperate and broken men. Waverly himself is more desperate here than in the first book, with Fontaine putting the screws to him; he’s like a man on a tightrope, balancing his need to win enough cash to pay Dietz off with the rekindled relationship with his childhood crush. Gambling makes a center-stage appearance near the finale, and there’s some great poker sequences where Waverly needs to out-duel a bunch of wealthy bit-players, a cutthroat redneck, and an Arab prince. The tension is ratcheted up for an amazing and bloody finale, where all the plot threads—and various thugs—converge on Waverly and Epstein.
One of the aspects that made Michigan Roll a standout for me was its characters, namely the oddball pair of mafia enforcer thugs who’d pontificate, argue, wax philosophical, and turn into blood-curdling sadists, depending on the time of day. Here, we have a perfect odd couple: D’Marco Fontaine is a professional, priding himself on his regimen of diet and exercise, and infuriated that he let himself get talked into taking a hanger-on. Sigurd is a lazy, slobbish racist, just about nearly worthless as a mafia enforcer; he spends more time checking in with his mother back in Chicago, rambling on about his “brilliant” film and advertisement ideas, and bragging about his many overblown achievements. He ignores just about every piece of good advice (and every command) Fontaine issues, which leads to some of the most absurd screwball comedy you can find in a crime novel; seeing the two of them interact and even grow as characters is pure entertainment.
Double Down follows the same formula that made Michigan Roll a knockout read; it may not be as razor-sharp, but at times it’s more inventive, and Kakonis’ pacing really hits its stride. The expert characterization shines and the dialogue cracks like a whip: this is a novel that just oozes style and low-life atmosphere, a brutal and crass portrait of underworld desperation. Also, it’s great to see the gambler Waverly actually do quite a bit of gambling. If you like a lean, mean thriller in the vein of Elmore Leonard, Double Down is a safe bet. If you have yet to read Michigan Roll, look into that one; if you liked it, you won’t be disappointed by the first of two sequels.
I received an e-ARC from Brash Books and NetGalley in exchange for an open and honest review.
June 7, 2015
Tom Kakonis has been hailed as a successor to Elmore Leonard. It’s true that his clever and gritty thrillers have some resemblance but I can’t put them in that lofty company just yet. Leonard’s literary polish and creativeness set a high standard that Kakonis approaches, but this book doesn’t reach that level.
The protagonist, Tim Waverly, is a gambler who seems to have a dark cloud hovering over him. A drug boss warns him that he has two weeks to pay back $300,000 for some drugs he burned or face an untimely death. He manages to finagle his way into a high-stakes poker game with some big shot developers and a rich Arab prince where he hopes he can win enough money to pay the debt. He realizes that even if he does come out a winner at cards, he will probably still be a target for hit men. The story has many characters, many twists, and a lot of violence. How Waverly survives the turmoil provides an ending that you will have to read for yourself.
One character, Sigurd Stumpley, almost carries the story with his crude and boorish behavior. Unfortunately he won’t be around for his own series but Kakonis might try to revive a similar spirit for a change-of- pace personality in his next stories. A well-done portrait.
I had a problem with unevenness in Kakonis’ writing. One minute he is waxing philosophically with classical citations, the next he is spouting obscenities that would embarrass a longshoreman. Periods of heavy introspection are interrupted with blasphemous rants about racial groups, fat women, and body functions. Too much self-examination and deep thinking creates a wordiness that makes the clarity and flow seem murky. Much of the verbosity could have been pared.
Some snappy comebacks and great one-liners, however, kept me in the book. The author has a great sense of humor that makes the dialogue sparkle in places. An enjoyable read from an author with talent.
November 1, 2023
Double Down A Waverly Thriller by Tom Kakonis
304 Pages
Publisher: Brash Books
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Crime Thriller, Gambling, Murder, Florida
Timothy Waverly has just returned to Florida from Traverse City, Michigan. When he left there, Timothy destroyed a bag owned by Deitz, a mob boss. Now that Timothy has been spotted back in Florida, Deitz sends a guy to track him down and demand repayment. Timothy runs into Caroline, an old friend and her husband. She invites him to a party at their house in West Palm Beach. Deitz gives Timothy a two-week window to get the money or die.
This is the second book in the Waverly Thriller series. The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I did not like the racial slurs in this book and thought the first book was much better. If you like action adventures with gambling, you may enjoy this book.
304 Pages
Publisher: Brash Books
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Crime Thriller, Gambling, Murder, Florida
Timothy Waverly has just returned to Florida from Traverse City, Michigan. When he left there, Timothy destroyed a bag owned by Deitz, a mob boss. Now that Timothy has been spotted back in Florida, Deitz sends a guy to track him down and demand repayment. Timothy runs into Caroline, an old friend and her husband. She invites him to a party at their house in West Palm Beach. Deitz gives Timothy a two-week window to get the money or die.
This is the second book in the Waverly Thriller series. The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I did not like the racial slurs in this book and thought the first book was much better. If you like action adventures with gambling, you may enjoy this book.
April 27, 2015
This is the second book in the Timothy Waverly series. "Double Down" picks up right where "Michigan Role" left off. Bennie and Waverly have to pay $550,000 and an additional $250,000 as compensation for all the trouble they caused Dietz. They will be killed if they don't pay up. Bennie and Timothy are lying low in Palm Beach. They scraped together the first $550,000 but the other $250,000 will be impossible. Waverly has plan that involves playing poker with some very wealthy men.
I enjoy the character of Timothy Waverly. Trouble always finds him. The writing of Tom Kakonis is full of action and suspense.. I enjoyed reading Michigan Roll and Double Down. I will definitely read the third book in the Waverly Series.
I enjoy the character of Timothy Waverly. Trouble always finds him. The writing of Tom Kakonis is full of action and suspense.. I enjoyed reading Michigan Roll and Double Down. I will definitely read the third book in the Waverly Series.
April 6, 2015
In the second of Tom Kakonis’s books about professional gambler Timothy Waverly, Waverly is desperate to pay off his debt to vicious mob boss Gunter Dietz. With two of Dietz’s collectors/hit men on his trail, Waverly hopes he can come up with the money in some very high stakes poker games. The tension and suspense just keep getting ratcheted up and the appearance of Waverly’s old girlfriend brings its own set of problems and opportunities. This is another romping good read by Kakonis.
Thank you to Brash Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to Brash Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
April 23, 2015
The action and activity in this book are real solid, the story is as worn out as an old shoe. Every twist and turn is totally predictable. A couple of the characters are entertaining, thank goodness, because they provide most of the fun that is to be found here. I think Kakonis is probably a good writer, but I am speculating wildly that he had to crank out a book for his publisher on a deadline and this is the result.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews