Against the Odds by Mara Jacobs

Anna Dawson is a professional gambler.  She has bought her own home, a vehicle and gifts for friends from her winnings.  Unfortunately she also has a gambling problem and often gets into debt, causing her to bring back her alter-ego JoJo to pay off the debt quickly by less-than-legal means. Then one friend is murdered, and she has to team up with Detective Jack to try and find the killer, whilst keeping JoJo a secret.

The synopsis of Against the Odds says:

My name is Anna Dawson, and I'm a gambler.

And like any gambler will tell you, sometimes that's good, and sometimes...not so much. And sometimes it's an outright problem.

I love Vegas, and I love the life I've built, but when one of my friends is murdered, and another one shot at, I know I need to take a serious look at myself. And I need to call in the big guns. Even if that means teaming up with Detective Jack Schiller, a man who's dealing with his own demons.

Right now I'm just trying to juggle protecting my friends, helping Jack while not letting him get too close, and finding a murderer. And, oh yeah, no one can learn about my gambling.

Or this will be the last hand I'm dealt.

I quite liked this book.  Anna isn't some super sleuth, she is not a goody-two-shoes, and she is not a card counting geek.  Rather she is a normal girl who discovers she has a good poker face, and with the help of a bunch of friends, learns how to bet comprehensively on various sporting events.  As someone who is good at maths, I do wish I had learned to play poker when younger, though it is probably better for my bank balance that I didn't.  I often wonder how people become professional gamblers. 

The book is well written and moves at a good pace.  Another book I couldn't put down and read in a day.  I have again, added the sequel to my wishlist.