Bill McCulloch

Professional gambler Johnny Sharansky is experiencing a losing streak when his luck takes an even worse turn - he falls in love.She is out of his league, respectable, young, an engaged. She is also a gangster groupie. In order to impress her, Johnny pretends to me more connected than he is and plans a "heist" to give her the excitement he craves. Things go horribly wrong and Johnny finds himself deking and weaving for his life.

I liked Johnny but I didn't get his attraction to Margaret. She was a spoiled princess who defied her father at every turn but expected Daddy to handle any problem she got herself into. Perhaps it was an early midlife crisis on Johnny's part. Johnny's world was interesting and I enjoyed those parts. I get that Margaret was needed to cause the trouble Johnny had to overcome but she really wasn't worth it. More Johnny, less Margaret.… (más)

A Dandy Little Game by Bill McCulloch is an interesting story set in Chicago during WW II. The story follows Johnny Sharansky, a small time gambler. The story starts off with him on a long losing streak and how he eventually goes bust. During this streak, he meets a classy society dame at the bar in the Palmer House that grabs his interest. The only problem is that she is engaged to a lawyer that work in her father's law firm. She is also interested in something to liven her life up and the thrill of cheating on her fiancee with a professional gambler is something she is looking for.

The story revolves around Johnny breaking his losing streak and his attempts to capture the attention of this dame. He makes her think he is a little more than a small time gambler by planning a heist and carry a gun. This is when the story gets going. The early part of the story was a little slow as the author got all of the characters introduced and sets the plot up.

I would like to tell you more about the story at the end but it would spoil the plot.

If you are interested in a crime/love story set in the early 40's in Chicago, this is the story for you. It is also a good entertaining read for a vacation where you don't want anything heavy and very involved.… (más)