Vegas Nerve

by Susan Rogers Cooper

Book Overview

Sheriff Milt Kovak, having joined his psychiatrist wife on a trip to a conference in Las Vegas, expects a welcome vacation, inspecting the casinos. He has left a capable second-in-command to watch over his small town in Oklahoma, but almost as soon as they arrive, Milt gets an S.O.S. call from his cousin Maida. Her pregnant daughter has been beaten by her husband, and Maida's husband, Burl, has thoroughly trounced his son-in-law. The young man is...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031235603X
• ISBN13: 9780312356033
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Yippee!! Another Milt Kovacs!

Sheriff Milt Kovak is back. He's a little out of his element this time. His wife Jean is a speaker at a convention in Las Vegas and Milt has gone along for the vacation, their first since their honeymoon. He's a little nervous about leaving Emmett Hopkins in charge of Prophesy County, Oklahoma; what if Emmett decides he wants the job full-time? That's not gonna happen; there seems to be a crime spree while Milt is in Las Vegas. Plus Emmett is more than a little distracted by his very sudden romance with one of the deputies, Jasmine. Milt also has more on his plate than he anticipates. A shirttail relation calls him in the wee hours of the morning because her husband has been arrested for assault and battery, on their son-in-law, who had kicked their very pregnant daughter in the stomach. Milt goes down to bail the guy out; a day or so later the guy disappears AND the son-in-law has been found murdered. VEGAS NERVE alternates between Milt's situation and Emmett's situation. One keeps waiting for the two to connect. That's part of the tension in the book. Milt has always found the bonds of family to be particularly strong; those bonds are tested in many ways in Las Vegas. Emmett and Jasmine "were the walking wounded, except maybe he was a little more wounded than she was. Hell, he was the walking dead." Can they sort out their respective baggage, still work together, AND have an overt relationship? More tension. VEGAS NERVE, as with most Cooper/Kovak books, is far stronger on character than on plot. Serious and astute readers of the genre will see the ending coming; the pleasure is in watching Milt and Emmett work their way through all the problems.

All kinds of action in Vegas

Sheriff Milt Kovak leaves Prophesy, his small Oklahoma county, in the hands of his capable deputy, Emmett Hopkins. His psychiatrist wife is speaking at a conference in Las Vegas and he's along for moral support. At least that how it starts out. Kovak gets a phone call from cousin, Maida. She's come to Las Vegas with her husband, Burl to see their pregnant daughter. They discover that their daughter is being physically abused. Burl takes on his son-in-law and beats him to a pulp. But son-in-law's daddy is one of the richest casino owners in Las Vegas--and Burl ends up in jail. Within 24 hours Milt gets Burl out as a professional courtesy, the son-in-law is killed, Emmett starts an affair with one of the deputies back home, crime jumps fourfold in Prophesy county, and Maida's four sons show up to help find Dad and save the day. It gets more complicated from there. Long-buried family issues come to light and skeletons come out of every closet. As a reader I found so much going on in Las Vegas that the goings on in Prophesy County seemed little more than a distraction. The author weaves a tale that becomes more complicated as each chapter unfolds. You will be challenged to keep all the characters straight--as well as their whereabouts. Relationships become more complicated and motives multiply. Finally in only the last few pages all is revealed. Armchair Interviews says: Vegas Nerve is complex, fast paced and entertaining to the end. Cooper is an Edgar-nominated author of three mystery series.

down home mystery in Vegas

Although Sheriff Milt Kovak loves his life in Prophecy County, Oklahoma he is looking forward to going to Las Vegas with his wife, who is attending a psychiatric conference. He knows his third cousin Maida Upshank and her husband Burl are up their visiting their pregnant daughter Denise. Milt figures he doesn't have to see them because they have different agendas but when Burl is arrested, he goes to the sheriff's office to see if he can help. Burl saw his son-in-law beat up his daughter and punch her in the stomach. He beat up his daughter's husband and since the man is pressing charges he is arrested. Milt gets the sheriff to release Burl into his custody but when his son in law is found murdered, shot at point blank range, Milt is ordered to bring Burl in. He would but he skipped out forcing Maida to call her sons to come to Vegas to help Milt clear Burl's name. Milt believes it easier to find the real killer and he uses the help that is at hand even if they are unorganized and not too bright. This is a down home mystery that gives readers an interesting look at Las Vegas from a first time visitor. Susan Rogers Cooper creates interesting characters and the audience will have many chuckles following the exploits of Milt on a second honeymoon that winds up in the middle of a homicide looking for a killer. Vegas Nerve is a fascinating and creative mystery that makes readers want to stay up and finish this book. Harriet Klausner

Susan Rogers Cooper Does It Again!

"Vegas Nerve" shows Cooper doing what she does best: capitalizing the FUN in dysfunctional. The new characters are completely three dimensional, and the returning favorites show even more facets than before. I especially liked the side story involving Chief Deputy Emmett Hopkins and Deputy Jasmine Bodine (who has been a favorite of mine since she first appeared in "The Man In The Green Chevy"). "Vegas Nerve" is a great addition to the Milt Kovak series, as well as being a terrific stand alone novel. Do yourself a favor-order this book now!