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Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite
Gerent’s Last Hand by James Darnborough features a curious protagonist. Gerent Duvalier is a Sorbonne-educated mathematician. He is also a gambler who not only knows the odds but possesses the ability to recognize and note the “tells” of his opponents. This combination allows him to make a good living without resorting to any dishonest tactics. Unfortunately, his ability to understand the psychology of his opponents does not extend beyond the gaming tables. He lacks, as we might say today, “emotional intelligence,” the ability to understand the wants and needs of others. As Gerent moves from Paris to Montreal to Denver to Lincoln, Nebraska, he finds love and makes friends. However, he unwittingly makes enemies who resent his gaming talents and his often arrogant wit at their expense.
Author James Darnborough breathes life into the world of the 1880s in which Gerent travels with understated elegance. With a sparse style, he develops each setting without flowery language and exposition. His characters, too, are developed with the same restraint. We learn about them primarily through their speech and actions. This is especially true with Gerent, whose single-minded pursuit of gambling and its lifestyle drives him from his family, his education, and his sweetheart to a world he doesn’t know as well as he thinks he does. This circumspect approach can make for a challenging read, though I very much enjoyed the challenge. In fact, I hope to read the author’s companion book, The Gambler’s Game, based upon his grandfather’s life in the American West. I highly recommend Gerent’s Last Hand to those interested in professional gambling and the many choices the men and women who pursue it make.
