What happens when the deck is stacked against you…

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American  Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.

…and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?

Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

Book Details:

FREE Kindle edition - October 29/30

Editorial Reviews:

" Luke Murphy's Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one, but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice." —Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author ofPoison Flower

"It's always a pleasure to welcome a new voice to the ranks of mystery-thriller authors. So welcome Luke Murphy, who delivers plenty of both in his debut novel,   Dead Man's Hand . Give it an evening and you may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out." —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of   Back Bay  and  The Lincoln Letter

"Part police procedural, part crime fiction,  Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride." —Anne Frasier,  USA  Today bestselling author of  Hush

"Luke Murphy writes in a clean, mean style, as compelling as a switchblade to your throat. Murphy's the real deal." —Rick Mofina, award-winning author of  They Disappeared

" Dead Man's Hand is a pedal-to-the-metal thriller. Luke Murphy pours a load of talent into his first novel, and it takes off on the first page. Vivid characters and wire-taut plotting make Murphy's novel a five star read. Don't begin  Dead Man's Hand if you need to do anything else today." —James Thayer, author of  White Star

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Be glad. Be very glad. Luke Murphy puts on display the seedy underbelly of Sin City, where deceit, treachery, vengeance and the double cross are practiced like an art form. For a tight taut thriller, bet on a  Dead Man's Hand." —Anthony Bidulka, award-winning author of the  Russell Quant Mysteries

"Calvin Watters is an anti-hero you will cheer in this solid debut that poses twisted questions about crime and punishment." —Julie Kramer, award-winning author of  Shunning Sarah

" Dead Man's Hand gripped me with terror from the first sentence. Tense! Thrilling! Terrifying! Luke Murphy is a great mood-builder on the order of Dean Koontz!" —Betty Dravis, award-winning author of  Six-Pack of Blood

Available at:

Amazon