Green Monster
A Sam
Skarda Mystery
Rick
Shefchik
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-524-0 (1590585240)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-524-5 (9781590585245)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): After a second World Championship in four years, the
Boston Red Sox have finally buried the Curse of the Bambino—or
have they? Sox owner Louis Kenwood receives an extortion note signed
“Babe Ruth” claiming that the 2004 World Series was
fixed—and demanding $50 million to keep the information from
getting to the press and the Commissioner’s office.
If the allegation of a fix becomes public, Kenwood fears irreparable
damage to the value of his franchise and to his legacy as “Lucky
Louie,” the man who finally brought a championship to Boston
after 86 years. Thus, the Red Sox turn to private detective Sam Skarda
to find out who’s behind the extortion plot.
Kenwood insists that his beautiful executive assistant Heather Canby
accompany—and monitor—Sam on every step of his
investigation. Unsure whom he can trust, Sam follows the clues to the
Los Angeles underworld and then to the slums of Venezuela. Can he
assemble all of the pieces to this puzzle before more lives are lost
and scandal blasts the Red Sox Nation?
Review: Private
investigator Sam Skarda is hired by the owner of the Boston Red Sox to
track down and stop an extortionist in Green Monster, the second mystery
in this series by Rick Shefchik.
For Lou Kenwood, the self-made billionaire owner of the Red Sox, life
is good. His beloved team has now won two World Series under his
leadership and he's revered by people of Boston. But someone wants to
take that all away, threatening to go public in 5 days with evidence
that the 2004 World Series was fixed. The written note was short and to
the point: pay $50 million or be exposed. It was signed "Babe Ruth".
Fearing publicity and loath to involve the police, Kenwood uses his
connections to hire Sam Skarda, a former police officer working as a
private investigator in Minneapolis, who he trusts can investigate the
case without bringing any attention to it. Skarda quickly locates some
of those involved in the scheme, but realizes time may run out before
he can put a name to "Babe Ruth" and prevent a scandal from rocking the
sports world.
Fans of baseball novels will undoubtedly be thrilled with Green Monster and overlook the
flaws that make this mystery no better than average. The plot itself is
rather disjointed and tends to be inconsistent in terms of its
credibility. There are long stretches on the history of baseball
(especially some of its more disreputable periods) that may appeal to
sports enthusiasts, but are likely to be skimmed over by most readers.
Skarda's relationship with Kenwood's assistant, Heather Canby, is
prurient to say the very least. Sex may add color and interest for some
to the story but it accomplishes little in the way of advancing the
plot here. The subplot set in Venezuela is also a distraction and is
not only unnecessary but seems to exist merely as transitional filler.
But probably the most serious flaw here is that Green Monster is set up as a
whodunit-style mystery yet the identity of "Babe Ruth" is fairly
obvious from early on in the story. Red herrings and alternate suspects
are eventually proffered, but too late to generate any real suspense.
A more tightly-constructed plot might have helped Shefchik pull off the
"sports noir"-type novel he seems to have attempted. To use a baseball
metaphor, he didn't strike out with Green
Monster, but did manage to advance the runner. Maybe the third
inning of the series will be more successful.
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of Green Monster for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Green Monster? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Amen Corner
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), March 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-411-2 (1590584112)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-411-8 (9781590584118)
Green Monster
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), September 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-524-0 (1590585240)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-524-5 (9781590585245)
Omnimystery keywords for Green Monster ...
Location(s) referenced: Boston, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, California,
Venezuela.
