What Really Happens in Vegas

True Stories of the People Who Make Vegas, Vegas

Contributors

By James Patterson

By Mark Seal

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Price

$10.99

Price

$13.99 CAD

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—until now. James Patterson shows the real Vegas in a dazzling journey through “lively tales of those who labor and dream in Sin City” (Kirkus).

“Wild and wonderful…The magic of Sin City doesn’t just happen. Patterson and Seal tell its secrets in beautifully presented snippets that often overlap not just surprisingly, but charmingly too.” —Telegraph (UK)
 

  • Las Vegas is on Luxury Standard Time: every clock in the airport is a Rolex.
  • No dream is too big, no wish is too small—the VIP hosts in Vegas fulfill guests’ every (legal) desire.
  • Jackpots hit when least expected. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has days to find a man who unknowingly won over $200,000 at the slots.
  • “I love love”: the inventor of the Elvis impersonator wedding and the drive-thru wedding has performed hundreds of marriages—and believes in them all.
  • Glamorous yogis take a helicopter across the desert to the Valley of Fire, where they perform sun salutations to the glory of Las Vegas.
  • A gambling VIP “whale” loses $1 million at the casinos, yet still leaves saying, “Had a great time. I’ll be back.”

In What Really Happens in Vegas, full of surprises for both newcomers and Las Vegas regulars, James Patterson and Vanity Fair contributing editor Mark Seal transport readers from the thrill of adrenaline-fueled vice to the glitter of A-list celebrity and entertainment.

  • “Lively tales of those who labor and dream in Sin City…the entertainment value is high.”
    Kirkus
  • “Up tempo, vivid, and fun … an entertaining ride.”
    Publishers Weekly
  • "Unusual facts and tales about Las Vegas... the inner workings of those who live and work in Las Vegas and those who make the city come alive... reads like a novel."
    Library Journal
  • “A breezy, nonstop narrative capturing the essence of a crazy, wide-open town … a dazzling and fun account of America’s entertainment capital.”
    New York Journal of Books
  • “Especially entertaining…What Really Happens in Vegas is a must-read for anyone wondering what really happens in the city Hunter S. Thompson once dubbed ‘the savage heart of the American Dream.’”
    Air Mail

On Sale
Aug 26, 2025
Page Count
400 pages
ISBN-13
9781538710876

James Patterson

About the Author

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Effing Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Princess Diana, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson, and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Learn more at jamespatterson.com

Learn more about this author