Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC (audiobook format, although review applicable to either audio or text format).

A gripping and suspenseful novel that explores the themes of gambling, violence, trust, and integrity. The story follows Cree Thunderboy, a talented blues singer and songwriter with a knack for picking winning horses at the track. He gets an offer from Win Hardy, a powerful and charismatic man who claims to be a music producer. Win promises to help Cree record his first CD and send him on tour, as long as Cree can keep coming up with the hot tips at the track. Cree agrees, hoping to achieve his dream of becoming a star.

However, he soon realizes that Win is a member of Leo Scalia's mob, and he uses Cree as a source of information for his illegal bets. Win also has ties to Solly Dario, a notorious casino owner who owes him money from a previous loss. When things go wrong for Win at the track, he turns to Cree for help. Cree finds himself in a dangerous situation, where he has to choose between his passion for music and his loyalty to a friend.

The audiobook version of The Next Sure Thing is narrated by Richard Wagamese himself, who brings the story to life with his distinctive voice and accent. He captures the emotions and thoughts of Cree with authenticity and nuance. He also adds some humor and sarcasm to lighten up the mood in some scenes.

This audiobook is well-paced and engaging, and this story will appeal to fans of crime fiction, thrillers, and sports stories.

It offers insights into the lives and struggles of Indigenous people in Canada, and is a story about following your dreams, while being aware of the risks and consequences of your choices.

It is also a story about finding your voice in a world that tries to silence you.

I recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys listening to well-written stories with compelling characters and realistic dialogue.

Difficult one for me to personally review as once I got into I realised it wasn't a thriller like I was expecting so it is not the type of book I would generally listen to
That said its a good story about the underdog working for a cruel and violent mob gangster and how easily it is to get in deep with the mob

Essentially this story is about a man that makes a deal with the devil, meaning that when someone offers you something that sounds too good to be true, it's probably not a good thing. Nevertheless Cree takes the offer and immediately has regrets. Cree has to find a way to get himself out of trouble and fast.

I preferred "Him Standing" which I liked a lot to this book. I'm not that interested in horse racing, but I was interested in how the sense of foreboding danger progressively develops throughout the story. It was a good short story.

The next sure thing is'nt a long story and although it started off slowly but gradually built up to a great little story, Cree Thunderboy wants to sing the blues but has no idea how to make it happen, so when he meets a man at the racetrack who promises to make it happen if he can let him know when Cree spots a winning horse and make the bet for him. but things are never that easy. Narrator Billy Merasty has a wonderful gravelly voice that once you get used to it really adds to the story.

This was another short story and I think I liked this one a bit more than I liked the last of his that I listened to. This one is about horse racing, and it was interesting to get a bit of an inside look at what folks look for when they are betting on horses. This is not an activity I have ever had the opportunity to participate in (nor one that I would like to, if I'm being honest), so I learned a bit from this very short book.
It kind of gutted me a bit at the end, in the 'about the author' bit, because the book was originally published in 2011, so it talks about the author and where he lives and such, but Richard Wagamese died in 2017, but this talks about him in the present tense.

A great read and thoroughly absorbing! Really enjoyed the whole experience and immersed myself. The plot kept me motivated and the characters were colorfully brought to life. Read it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic audio review copy of this book. This is a quick and fun read about a man who plays bluegrass music and has a good luck at the horse races. I enjoyed the way the author told the story.

The Next Sure Thing is a short but fascinating story and Billy Merasty did a great job as the voice of Cree Thunderboy in this new audiobook edition. Thunderboy is a First Nations blues musician who has a side talent for picking winning racehorses. He meets a man named Win Hardy at the track who offers him a recording contract in exchange for helping him place winning bets.. this all sounds too good to be true, and sure enough, it is. Win turns out to be a mobster and I was wondering how Thunderboy was going to get out of this situation but you can always trust Richard Wagamese to dig into the true human nature and come up with creative results! All his books are beautiful, interesting and educational and this short story is no different. I am truly sorry that he is no longer with us but feel lucky to still be able to enjoy and learn from his writing. Thank you to NetGalley and Bespeak Audio Editions for allowing me to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Not super interested in horse racing but the story was interesting overall. The pace was perfect and I really enjoyed the narrator. Ending had me chuckling.