★★★★★ "Right off the bat (pun intended), Bill's aspirations strike a chord with the vagabonds within us all. It connects with those internal parts of ourselves aching for something new, something inspiring, something completely foreign, so far flung from our places of comfort, packaged into a life-altering adventure that confronts the stagnant qualities of the status quo." -Nerdication

"Darnborough brings his grandfather's extraordinary story to life." - Frances Osborne, author of The Bolter, A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year

Winner, Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence - Historical Fiction, Spring 2024

As featured in the movie Downton Abbey: A New Era (Carnival Films, 2022)

In the twilight of the 19th century, as the Old West collides with the opulence of the Gilded Age, one man embarks on a journey that will redefine his life. The Gambler's Game is a captivating historical fiction saga that follows the extraordinary life of a mid-western baseball player turned high-stakes gambler. His audacious spirit leads him from the dust chocked plains to the refined ambiance of English garden parties and the allure of Belle Epoque Monte Carlo. This romantic and fast-paced tale will transport you to a time when anything was possible, where dreams were chased, and risks were taken.

This is a story of self-discovery in a rapidly changing world. The Gambler's Game lures readers into a realm where the echoes of gunshots meet the clinking of champagne glasses, and the magnificent network of railways and steamships takes the reader on grand adventures. Bill ultimately finds himself torn between his love of gambling and a woman who might make him give it all up.