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Carolyn V. Hamilton
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IMPLOSION: The search is on for six million dollars hidden in a Las Vegas hotel destined for destruction! (The Las Vegas Crime Collection) Kindle Edition

by Carolyn V. Hamilton (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 out of 5 stars 87 ratings
Time is running out.

With the pending implosion of the grand old Las Vegas hotel/casino, the Desert Palace, an eleven-year-old mystery of stolen money remains unsolved.

Newspaper reporter Nedra Dean feels the pressure to use every means she can to make this dramatic moment in Las Vegas history her biggest scoop, one she hopes will catapult her to big-time journalism at CNN.

Celebrity maitre d’ Eduardo only wants to reconcile his estranged family before his forced retirement.

Hotel/casino manager John Cusamano schemes to find the money and run away with the love of his life, his boss’s wife.

Elvis impersonator Hector Deatle and star showgirl Candy Bybee are also hot on the trail of the stolen millions.

No one seems to care that the money is rumored to be cursed—everyone who has touched it has died a horrible death. Now cocktail waitress Linda Mayo’s nine-year-old daughter—after secretly finding the money—suffers from a terminal, flesh-eating disease.

And somewhere within the walls of the Desert Palace is hidden that six million dollars, which owner “Crazy” Foxy Craig will do anything to find before the walls come tumbling down.

"A tense, meticulously-plotted story that will easily hook readers.” - The BookLife Prize

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Previous slide of product details
  1. Part of series
    The Las Vegas Crime Collection
  2. Print length
    239 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 17, 2015
  5. File size
    709 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A tense, meticulously-plotted story that will easily hook readers. The storyline is seamless, despite a plethora of characters - memorable, interesting, and incredibly varied. This suspenseful tale of a hotel slated for imminent destruction will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the mad dash for six million dollars in stolen cash begins."
- The BookLife Prize

"Readers who enjoy blends of whimsical description, intriguing dilemmas, and the addition of a flesh-eating curse added to the action for good measure will find Implosion replete with satisfying twists and turns. This will delight mystery fans with laugh-out-loud encounters that inject unexpected, sometimes-black humor into the mix for a fresh taste of originality and surprise. Hamilton creates intrigue, subterfuge, and mystery as she surveys betrayal, lust, mafia influences, and greed against the backdrop of a hotel's demise."
- Midwest Book Review

"Implosion combines mystery with humor in an unusual story especially recommended for genre mystery readers who want more than a simple whodunit tale. Carolyn V. Hamilton fosters charm from the start through a host of fun characters."
- Donovan's Book Shelf

"When six million dollars was stolen from Foxy Craig's casino counting room, all hell broke loose. The money was intended for the mob. Eleven years later, Foxy sells the old casino and orders his manager and chief of security to find the money, which he is sure is hidden in the hotel. There's a tiny problem though - every person involved with this money has died or is about to die in some unsavoury way - the money is cursed. Things fall apart rather spectacularly. This should be a movie. It will be a blockbuster!"
- International Review of Books

"Six million embezzled dollars! It's the stuff of Legend! A mad scramble! Tension, suspense, lots of Action! In the end, who's gonna win?"
- Mallory A. Haws: The Haunted Reading Room Reviews

"I loved the twists and turns in this unpredictable tale of six million dollars hidden in a Las Vegas Strip Hotel that's about to be imploded. The characters— from the casino owner to the showgirl to the Elvis impersonator to the cocktail waitress and the drug dealer—reminded me of a Carl Hiaasen book at its best."
- Carme Pitrello, author of Sing Deadly

From the Author

I know the characters in this story may seem almost too "quirky" to be real, but I assure you, from having lived in Vegas for almost 40 years, I have met most of them.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B016TQFS6E
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Swift House Press (October 17, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 17, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 709 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 239 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 87 ratings

About the author

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Carolyn V. Hamilton

Carolyn V. Hamilton

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Storytelling is my life...

well, maybe not completely...but I do love what I do, and I think that makes all the difference!

After a long career in marketing, graphic design & public relations—the real world of "Mad Men"—I joined the U.S. Peace Corps. In Suriname, South America, I lived for one year in an indigenous village on the northeast corner of the Amazon basin.

I admit to spending long hours in my hammock reading lots of paperback books other volunteers had left behind. Tons of storytelling inspiration.



In Suriname I learned the history of Elisabeth Samson, the first black woman in the 18th century Dutch colony to get legal permission from the government to marry white, inspiring my historical fiction, "Elisabeth Samson, Forbidden Bride."

And I was off and writing...memoirs, a book on art journaling, 4 adult coloring books (one of my other passions), non-fiction books for writers, and more novels.

If you would like to know more about memoir writing, you can visit my webpage, carolynvhamilton.com, where I blog periodically.

And please consider popping over to Facebook and joining our active group, Aspiring Memoir Writers.

On the personal note, yes it's true that In 2012 I emigrated from the United States to Cuenca, Ecuador, way up in the Andes. I love to travel and return periodically to Seattle to visit family and shop at Costco and Chico's.

Please contact me, comment, or ask writing questions any time at caroynvhamilton@gmail.com!

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
87 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and enjoy its fast-paced plot with plenty of twists. The characters are interesting in different ways, and customers say it keeps them turning pages.

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9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and funny, with one mentioning it provides a great way to get to know the characters.

"This is a fun book to read, full of Las Vegas characters that make for very interesting. Not a great mystery, but a great story...." Read more

"This is a very darkly humorous but, often down right funny, cautionary tale about the old sayings, "be careful what you wish for", and, " what goes..." Read more

"Fun read ... quirky and quite funny at times, this visual romp takes you behind the scenes in "Lost Wages" (what we Nevadans call Sin City)..." Read more

""Highly entertaining action that keeps you turning pages! A great fast paced thriller that I read from cover to cover and would highly recommend...." Read more

7 customers mention "Plot"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast-paced plot with plenty of twists.

"...Not a great mystery, but a great story...." Read more

"This is a very darkly humorous but, often down right funny, cautionary tale about the old sayings, "be careful what you wish for", and, " what goes..." Read more

"Good story line with a lot of twists and interesting developed characters...." Read more

""Highly entertaining action that keeps you turning pages! A great fast paced thriller that I read from cover to cover and would highly recommend...." Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are interesting in different ways.

"This is a fun book to read, full of Las Vegas characters that make for very interesting. Not a great mystery, but a great story...." Read more

"Good story line with a lot of twists and interesting developed characters...." Read more

"Very intriguing plot with lots of characters. All characters were interesting in different ways and very well developed...." Read more

"The characters are real people and you get a taste of the Las Vegas casinos. It is fast-paced and I finished it in one day...." Read more

3 customers mention "Page retention"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy how the book keeps them turning pages.

""Highly entertaining action that keeps you turning pages! A great fast paced thriller that I read from cover to cover and would highly recommend...." Read more

"...I found this to be a great thriller that kept me turning pages!" Read more

"...Kept me turning pages right up until the end." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • lawrence R hamilton
    5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a fun book to read, full of Las Vegas characters that make for very interesting. Not a great mystery, but a great story. If you have never been to Vegas, you will want to go to see if there are that many strange characters in one location. I am sure that Ms Hamilton is very familar with the landscape that she writes about.
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  • Carmen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cursed money!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Money is the root of all evil and this was definitely a story of it. Many have died trying to find the missing six million mans and the destruction of an old casino hotel also saved a young child. Well if no one believed in curses then maybe after this story they will. I'm sure Linda did and she was grateful that it was destroyed in the explosion, she hopes, because it have her what was more important to her.
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  • T C
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    ok
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hummm...
    Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very darkly humorous but, often down right funny, cautionary tale about the old sayings, "be careful what you wish for", and, " what goes around, comes around". I really enjoyed this book. It's pretty easy to figure out what will happen to each of the characters, however it keeps you interested in finding out if you are right. In the end, although the greedy pay, quite often in violent ways, for their greed, the finale will leave you with a smile. It's a quick but, enjoyable read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Pumpman
    4.0 out of 5 stars Crazy in Lost Wages
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Fun read ... quirky and quite funny at times, this visual romp takes you behind the scenes in "Lost Wages" (what we Nevadans call Sin City) to meet some crazy characters straight out of "Abbott & Costello". Only in this crazy desert town could this tall tale ring true. You should read this one ... you won't be sorry.
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  • anabela
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read thoroughly enjoyed it,
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Good story line with a lot of twists and interesting developed characters. Highly recomend you add to your read list as you wont be sorry and will definitly be reading more from this autor.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jane Doe
    3.0 out of 5 stars Quirky characters
    Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2019
    Implosion is about the pending closure of an iconic Las Vegas hotel in order to make way for new condos. Eleven years ago six million dollars were stolen from the casino and has never been recovered. Rumor has it that the money was hidden somewhere in the hotel and a variety of people are determined to find it before the implosion. The hotel owner, an Elvis impersonator and his girlfriend, and the maître d’ of the hotel’s restaurant are only a few who refuse to give up. It doesn’t seem to matter to them that the money is rumored to be cursed, after the original thieves suffered misfortune or death.

    Implosion is filled with quirky characters, including showgirls, a standup comedian, a persistent journalist, and even a madam. The story plays out against the backdrop of a glittery Las Vegas – truly one of the stars of the story.

    Implosion reminds me of the books by Arthur Hailey (Hotel, Airport, etc). There are lots of characters and each have a story but, in the end, they are all linked together. For a fun romp with a colorful mystery, Implosion might be the book you’re looking for.

    Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
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  • Kelly watley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    "Highly entertaining action that keeps you turning pages! A great fast paced thriller that I read from cover to cover and would highly recommend. Interesting twists and plenty of action!
    One person found this helpful
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