Liar’s Dice is a totally gripping and complex drama. I found myself immediately pulled into the story and was eager to find out how it would evolve. The main character Shane is an intriguing and very clever character that I immediately liked. Although the story is dark I did find myself laughing with Shane on many occasions because the character was portrayed so well. I will be looking up this author’s other books to read and enjoy. I have given this book a high 4 stars and would definitely recommend it.

I felt like this book was trying too hard to be Boston. As a Bostonian, I think I am simply more critical of books based in Boston. Just didn’t really feel like MA as I hoped. I am a fan of the mafia plot, but it was not as full of twists as I was hoping. Nevertheless, it was a good read worth the time!

Liars Dice is set in Boston in the 70s and after Vietnam, there are references to the war and to different T.V. shows that brought back memories from that time for me. Shane is asked to look for a mob boss's son but along the way, an old service buddy shows up and the reason why he has shown up just adds to the intrigue of this story. The pages keep turning and you don’t want the book to end, but it does. Well written with very good characters. Very much worth the read.

Shane Cleary is a force to be reckoned with. Former cop and ex-military turned P.I., he plays both sides of the law to get justice. Regardless of what’s thrown into his path – the frozen body of a friend, a mafia boss’ request for help, murdered cops, a drug turf war, a clash between law enforcement agencies – Cleary faces life-threatening situations with stoicism and humor. Adding contrast to his mysterious dark past and dangerous profession, his relationship with lawyer girlfriend Bonnie and his cat Delilah show a different side to Cleary.

A break from my usual mystery genre reads, this noir detective novel caught my attention with its cover and title and drew me in with the concept of a mafia/P.I. story. Not having read the first books in the series, I was immersed into Cleary’s world without knowing his background. Nonetheless, the book worked well as a stand-alone, with references to the protagonist’s backstory, and it left me wanting to read more.

Witty dialogue and clever euphemisms create a realistic picture of the criminal world Cleary navigates, and Valjan’s comments on historical, political, and cultural events bring 1970s Boston to life. The wealth of information and memory-jogging references about the ‘historical’ 1970’s elicits nostalgia for readers who lived through that period and provides a glimpse of recent history for younger readers.

An intricate plot full of twisty action begins with a bang and leads to an explosive conclusion that will leave you with questions, such as, so what’s next for Shane? If you love noir, you’ll love Shane Cleary and Valjan’s depiction of the criminal world of 70’s Boston.

This atmospheric PI novel set in 70’s Boston was my introduction to former cop Shane Cleary. It is the fourth book in a series, but there is no problem reading it as a standalone. It’s hard to resist a classic PI novel set in familiar surroundings in a different era. Little details marking the decade are abundant, sometimes to the point of slowing down the pace of story with slightly too much scene-setting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for a digital advance review copy.

I loved the setting, tone, characters, and storytelling. I don't know why but Shane Cleary reminded of a mystery classic series - Jim Sader by Dolores Hitchens. Some serious hard-boiled/noir vibes here.

This might be the fifth or sixth hard-boiled mystery I read so far. I loved the setting, tone, characters, and storytelling. I don't know why but Shane Cleary reminded of a mystery classic series - Jim Sader by Dolores Hitchens. Some serious hard-boiled/noir vibes here.

A former cop-turned PI acquainted with the mafia, a badass-lawyer girlfriend, a pet cat, and bodies dropping like flies - this book kept me hooked from start to finish. First, Shane is asked to find the missing nephew of a mob boss. Then, he learns one of the war veterans was found dead. The alphabet agencies (two) are in town, and they stop an ongoing homicide investigation, so Shane's former employers ask for his help.

If this wasn't enough to keep Shane busy, his former army buddy comes to town looking for answers and seeking vengeance. The feds warn Shane to keep out of their investigation but when has a warning or worse stopped Shane?

I loved the storytelling and the characters. Plot to story development was impressive. Well, it's not all gore and violence, you know. Humor peppered along - Shane is funny! - makes the read enjoyable. This is an author new to me and I took some time adjusting to the writing, but it didn't stop me from enjoying every bit of this book.

If you love hard-boiled mysteries set in the 1970s, you might want to give Liar's Dice by Gabriel Valjan a try.

Shades of Dennis Lehane and Robert Parker– I haven’t read anything so deeply steeped in 70s  noir in a very long time.  I am extremely happy to have read Liar’s Dice. The author’s excellent prose and dynamite plotting kept me turning the pages. The Boston setting is a little like coming home, from its darkest, grittiest corners to the nearest well-lit Dunkin’. The mobsters, assassins, an espresso-drinking journalist, all come alive on the page sharply drawn with wisdom and wit.

I intended to read the books that came before this one, and I will, and so should you, but this can be read as a stand-alone. If you love noir, Boston, more recent historical and crime novels, do yourself a solid and pick this series up.

In Liar's Dice, book four in the Shane Cleary Mystery Series, author Gabriel Valjan takes the reader back to 1970s Boston to follow the latest investigative case of ex-Boston cop turned PI Shane Cleary.

In this installment of the series, Shane is asked to find Sal, the nephew of Mr.B., the mob boss of Boston's Italian North End. There is an undercurrent of a potential territory feud that has it's sights on Boston, and Mr.B. isn't pleased with this development, especially when it involves bringing distrbution of cocaine into the city by the Canadian mob, the Boston Irish Southie Winter Hill Gang, and the NY five families. And if that isn't enough, Jimmy Hoban, a Vietnam veteran and advocate for veterans, the mentally ill, and the homeless, has been found frozen on the street, which draws Shane's attention since he is also an Army Vietnam veteran. And to make matters worse, tension in the city increases when three Boston Police Officers are shot dead, and the Feds show up. Shane has a lot on his plate, but it just gets more intense when an old Vietnam Army buddy shows up, and Shane's memories of Vietnam surface when his buddy Hunter is in town on a personal mission. Shane gets caught up in a dangerous game of Liar's Dice, a game of guesses, bluffs, and deception. Can Shane put the pieces of the puzzle together, and solve the interwining cases that are wrecking havoc in Boston?

Liar's Dice is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, greed, murder, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to uncover enough evidence to solve the various cases that are plaguing Boston. Shane deals with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and wealthy individuals who try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.

This suspenseful storyline is about intertwining cases that Shane slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together, uncovering the underlying mafia tension, drug deals, and corruption in Boston that will keep the reader guessing. With an intriguing cast of characters, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's military past, Liar's Dice takes the reader on one heck of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!

Liar's Dice is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Book Tours.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/03/liars-dice-by-gabriel-valjan-vbt-book.html

Valjan takes readers deep into the mobs of 1970s Boston. The atmosphere is turbulent and our hero, PI Shane Cleary, is in the midst of it. He's a tough fellow, negotiating with mob bosses. He's the kind of man who works the cases no one else wants nor can be trusted to complete. But Cleary knows people and can find information when others wouldn't have a clue where to start.

Valjan has included lots of information about Boston in this novel. We read about the communities, the social structure, the ethnic influence and historical facts. I found out, for example, that Boston was the last city in the country to end segregation. Since Cleary is a Vietnam vet, as is a newcomer to town, there is also quite a bit about the ramifications of those trained for that war.

Valjan's writing style reflects the reality of the era. The mob bosses often spoke in code. Rough people spoke in a rough way. The dialogue in the novel was such that sometimes I didn't understand the give and take going on and the deals being made. Nonetheless, I liked the deep dive into the dark world of mobs in historical Boston. This is a good novel for readers who like a tenacious and hard boiled PI making his way through a dangerous situation.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Liar's Dice is a gripping mystery that left me asking myself, what just happened? It is set in Boston 1970s and the protagonist Shane Cleary is a smart and complex character that I loved reading about as you would never know what he would come up with next and he had me laughing out loud at his wit and antics. I was grateful that the author has a index of characters at the beginning of the book because there are quite a few characters and it is a great guide so you know who is who. The plot has a lot to do with the drug trade and the police. I could not solve the mystery in this but I loved working along side Shane to try to solve it before it was revealed and getting to know his character was heaps of fun. I will definitely be reading more of the Shane Cleary series.

While this is the 4th book in the Shane Cleary Mystery series it’s the first one I’ve read, though I won’t be able to say that for long as I’ve now ordered the previous books in the series. Love the setting: 70’s Boston, and our hero Shane Cleary, an ex-cop and Vietnam vet. He’s complex and yet totally believable. This time around he’s being asked to track down the nephew of a local mob boss. Is he just a junkie or is he selling drugs, and if so does he having the backing/approval of someone higher up? But it’s not long before things get more complicated. Shane has to confront memories of his past when a vet is found frozen to death and an old service buddy shows up. Valjan does a wonderful job weaving a complex tale loaded some truly memorable characters. This was my first time reading anything by Mr. Valjan, but it he is now firmly on my radar! If noir/old school detective stories are your thing, definitely check this one out. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an ARC of Liar’s Dice.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liars-dice-gabriel-valjan/1143151325?ean=9781685122072&bvnotificationId=736db86c-c2ab-11ed-a0a5-12d01ad4bd9d&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/243425398

Ok read not really my type of book but I do like to try books that are different from what I normally read . Was worth a read .

Vietnam vet & ex-cop turned P.I. Shane Cleary gets a visit from Tony Two-Times. Shane is asked to find Sal, the nephew of the local crime boss. But Shane is also distracted by the discovery of a Vietnam veteran is found frozen to death on the Boston Common & the arrival of a former army buddy looking for justice. Shane has to navigate the fiercely guarded turf of 1970's Boston organized crime and work to avoid adding himself to the growing body count.

This is a well-told story of loyalty, revenge and greed.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Level Best Books. All opinions are my own.

Gabriel Valjan has done it again. He has captured all the good, the bad, and the ugly of 1970s Boston. By the end of Liar’s Dice, Valjan will have you second guessing your ideas of good guys and bad guys, except when it comes to Shane Cleary. He’s better than ever. While we learn more about him and his dark past, we are still left with a sense of hope.
I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next installment.

Shane Cleary, the mean streets poet of 1970’s Boston, is back in Liar’s Dice, a thrilling sequel to the equally riveting Hush Hush. Cleary’s complicated backstory, as a Vietnam vet and ex-cop, informs his unflinching code of honor and entangles him in a web of intrigue that spans borders and unspools at breakneck speed. Those transgressed boundaries are largely local, in the patchwork divisions of organized crime in Boston’s fiercely guarded turf, but the multiple narrative threads extend far beyond the neighborhoods Cleary knows so well and Valjan paints so vividly.
The secondary characters pop with energy. These include the unforgettable Tony Two-Times, mob boss Mr. B, and Hunter, whose name says it all. For this reader, it’s the language that delivers the greatest pleasure. Valjan’s references, which give equal weight to pop culture, tv commercials, and Dante, are delivered in the hero’s spare prose, and despite the deceptively offhand tone, they all pack a punch.
The plot doesn’t simply deliver on its promise of suspense; it embraces the conventions of this genre, transcends them, and delivers an unforgettable story of pride, revenge, and a loyalty that knows no bounds. Highly recommend.

Liar’s Dice by Gabriel Valjan, set in 1970s Boston is an intriguing, fast-paced mystery that kept me flipping the pages, needing to find out what would happen next. Shane Cleary is a complex, brilliantly written protagonist who had me laughing out loud at his musings. I can’t wait to read another of his investigations. A terrific read.

With sharp-as-a-knife prose and a world-weary, literature-quoting main character, Liar's Dice is a spectacular addition to this great noir mystery series. Storm clouds are gathering as crime families from New York to Canada vie for supremacy in Boston’s 1970s-era drug trade, federal agencies and the cops have their own agenda, and they’re more than a little miffed to find P.I. Shane Cleary smack in the middle of their business. Cleary might survive their ire, but he can’t outrun his own past, not when a visit from an old friend brings back memories–some might say nightmares–of his military service in Vietnam. I'm already jonesing for the next installment in the Shane Cleary mystery series. Highly recommend.