Tessie King is determined to save the Royal Palace Casino, but braving a mobster family gathering is more than she intended. Professional snowboarder and casino board member Rafe Lorenzo has helped Tessie arrange for the finale of Battle Buffet to be filmed at the casino in an effort to boost the casino's income and keep Tessie in place as chairman and operating director. Unfortunately, things get quite complicated when a casino guest turns up murdered and FBI Agent Devon Ryder suggests the casino is a hotbed of mob members. Can Tessie dig her way out of this mess, or will she lose everything in her wild gamble?

HEY BIG SPENDER is the second entry in Gemma Halliday and T. Sue Verteeg's Tahoe Tessie series, but I was able to easily jump right in and enjoy the characters and setting. In fact, I'm not normally a huge fan of stories involving mobsters, but Tessie's attitude towards them truly makes the storyline work for me. I definitely intend to read the first book in the series and I suspect other new readers to the series will want to as well, mainly because Tessie herself is so much fun.

Gemma Halliday and T. Sue Verteeg do a great job with developing their characters. Tessie is the perfect main character, dedicated to her friends and family but willing to admit her insecurities and flaws. I absolutely love the scenes with her and her stepmother, particularly when they go to a yacht party. The contrast between them only makes me love Tessie even more. However, Tate Lopez practically steals the show. I adore Tessie's flamboyant but oh so loyal best friend!

HEY BIG SPENDER is the perfect book to curl up with as Gemma Halliday and T. Sue Verteeg craft a darned good mystery chock full of quirky characters. From the tacky (and tactless) LeAnna Aiden to the temperamental chef to mobsters galore, HEY BIG SPENDER is just sheer fun! Gemma Halliday and T. Sue Verteeg definitely hit the jackpot with HEY BIG SPENDER.