{"product_id":"when-the-winner-lost-by-anthony-m-rud-paperback","title":"When the Winner Lost, by Anthony M. Rud (Paperback)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA broke, disgraced pilot is recruited by a discreet handler who outfits him in money, clothes, and access-then gives one rule: from now on, he must be a consistent loser. His job is to look rich, careless, and irresistibly exploitable, shedding cash in public games until the right observers decide he fits a certain profile.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChicago's backrooms and club floors reward performance as much as luck. Crooked dice, staged etiquette, and polite conversation mask a system built to sort victims from threats. The more convincingly he plays the fool, the more he feels unseen eyes measuring his instincts and his nerve. When a private invitation finally comes, it isn't a compliment-it's a doorway into a higher game where walking away is not guaranteed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wildside Press LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43184463380689,"sku":"9781667665092","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5981\/5377\/files\/9781667665092_FC.jpg?v=1784069731","url":"https:\/\/startlingstories.us\/products\/when-the-winner-lost-by-anthony-m-rud-paperback","provider":"Startling Stories","version":"1.0","type":"link"}