Green Monster-Rick Shefchik

Green Monster
Rick Shefchik
Poisoned Pen, Sep 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9781590585245

The curse of the Bambino was partially buried when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 with a sweep of the Cardinals. Any lingering doubt concerning the Ruth mojo was put to rest in 2007 with a second championship.

However someone signing off as Babe Ruth insists that proof exists that the Cardinals were paid to throw the World Series; that individual demands $50 million or will go public with the evidence that the fix was in. Although he does not believe the extortionist, owner Lucky Louie Kenwood fears the implications of even a rumor as basketball and football are dealing with similar issues. He hires private investigator Sam Skarda to look into the claim and assigns his personal assistant Heather Canby to assist the sleuth. Sam and Heather start with those Cardinals who had a extremely sub-par series; then All-Star right fielder Ivan Hurtado and the league MVP pitcher and third baseman Alberto Miranda. The detective wonders if one of the two stars who played poorly is the source of the allegation and through that player wonders if they can uncover the identity of the blackmailer. They soon find a double helix trail of drug enhancers and gambling that tie to the mob, the owner’s son and Fenway Park; as increasingly Sam and Heather believed the 2004 World Series was fixed.

The premise seems over the top of the GREEN MONSTER although with the NBA referee scandal maybe not. Regardless this is a fun sports whodunit unless you’re a Red Sox fan as the book will be filed in Boston alongside the Buckner error and the Dent homer. Heather’s all star propensity for hitting homeruns in everyone’s bed is a called strike three as it distracts from Sam’s fine sleuthing into what he believes is the second coming of the black sox scandal.

Harriet Klausner