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Cold Poker Gang #9
Heads Up: A Cold Poker Gang Mystery
Retired Las Vegas Detectives Benson Cavanaugh and Bonnie State always worked alone before retiring. But joining the Cold Poker Gang task force push them to work together. Not something they easily want to do.
Searching for clues on a long cold missing person’s case, they explore a shuttered old hotel and casino and find far more than anyone expected.
And that discovery takes them on a twisted journey through the past.
Another very, very twisted Cold Poker Gang mystery novel.
Searching for clues on a long cold missing person’s case, they explore a shuttered old hotel and casino and find far more than anyone expected.
And that discovery takes them on a twisted journey through the past.
Another very, very twisted Cold Poker Gang mystery novel.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 25, 2019
About the author
Dean Wesley Smith
835 books177 followersPen Names
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley
Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.
With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.
Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.
Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.
Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley
Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.
With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.
Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.
Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.
Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 26, 2026
"Been There, Done That - But Happy to Do So"
"Heads Up" is book 9 of the reliably lovable Cold Poker Gang series. Penned by Dean Wesley Smith, "Heads Up" introduces some new protagonists to the gang, giving readers a breath of fresh air. If you're new to the series, this is a decent entry point if you don't feel like going all the way back to the beginning. However, you're missing some great stories by skipping the previous books in the series.
If you've read the other books in the series, you know exactly what to expect out of "Heads Up." Smith presents us with a fascinating head-scratcher of a mystery while making unique use of Las Vegas as the setting. As usual, we get some lite romance that works out a little too easily and numerous trips to various buffets around town that'll leave you wondering how all the protagonists don't weigh 300 pounds. But hey, I find all this endearing and hope you will as well. The fluff serves as an effective counterbalance to some of the book's more twisted content. Some of the debauchery is little disturbing, so reader take note.
If you're looking for short, well-crafted, mystery novels to sink your teeth into, look no further than the Cold Poker Gang. "Heads Up" is a fun addition to the venerable series, and an entry I'm sure you'll enjoy.
"Heads Up" is book 9 of the reliably lovable Cold Poker Gang series. Penned by Dean Wesley Smith, "Heads Up" introduces some new protagonists to the gang, giving readers a breath of fresh air. If you're new to the series, this is a decent entry point if you don't feel like going all the way back to the beginning. However, you're missing some great stories by skipping the previous books in the series.
If you've read the other books in the series, you know exactly what to expect out of "Heads Up." Smith presents us with a fascinating head-scratcher of a mystery while making unique use of Las Vegas as the setting. As usual, we get some lite romance that works out a little too easily and numerous trips to various buffets around town that'll leave you wondering how all the protagonists don't weigh 300 pounds. But hey, I find all this endearing and hope you will as well. The fluff serves as an effective counterbalance to some of the book's more twisted content. Some of the debauchery is little disturbing, so reader take note.
If you're looking for short, well-crafted, mystery novels to sink your teeth into, look no further than the Cold Poker Gang. "Heads Up" is a fun addition to the venerable series, and an entry I'm sure you'll enjoy.
August 24, 2023
Another great mystery with the Cold Poker Gang
Cavanaugh and Bonnie were newly retired detectives from the Las Vegas police department. They did not have a partner at the police station, but were paired with each other when they joined the Cold Poker Gang. They were not happy with the idea, but willing to work together. Their first case was a woman missing for years. Her clothes were found in a closet in an old Las Vegas hotel room. It gets better and better. Love the Cold Poker Gang.
Cavanaugh and Bonnie were newly retired detectives from the Las Vegas police department. They did not have a partner at the police station, but were paired with each other when they joined the Cold Poker Gang. They were not happy with the idea, but willing to work together. Their first case was a woman missing for years. Her clothes were found in a closet in an old Las Vegas hotel room. It gets better and better. Love the Cold Poker Gang.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews