Dice Angel    by Brian Rouff Order:  USA  Can Hardway, 2003 (2003) Paperback      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth It is hard to believe that Dice Angel is a first novel. Jimmy Delany, owner of Jimmy D's, a neighborhood bar in Las Vegas, has fallen on hard times. His ex-wife remains the shrew she was when they were married. His ex-brother-in-law has been up to no good. The IRS is about to take him for all he has. And his ex-wife's niece is seriously ill. Yeah, yeah, everyone has a story. But Jimmy Delany's story is worth listening to. It is told with great wit and intelligence. The protagonist, who could be hard-boiled and tough to reach, is sympathetic and understanding. All the characters seem drawn from real life and you can love or hate them as you wish. The dialogue is short, clipped and very real. So real, readers will want to break into some of the conversations with observations of their own. Oh, what is a dice angel? Read the book to find out. I wouldn't steer you wrong. Dice Angel is a fun book with an insight as to what Las Vegas is like from the perspective of a resident, what living in 'sin city' is really all about. This is the first book from Brian Rouff. I hope it is not the last. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews