From the Publisher
"Like a pitcher changing speeds, Shefchik takes enough off his characterizations to avoid straight-out stereotypes, and he spins a fair simile now and then—a pitch he should add to his regular repertoire." — Publishers Weekly
"First, it’s a genuinely clever mystery, with the blackmailer not revealed until the last few pages. Second, Skarda is a likable rogue mined from the same vein as Bill Tapply’s Brady Coyne or Ed Gorman’s Sam McCain. Third, the baseball and pop-music trivia scattered throughout provide both a subtle soundtrack and a context for the passion that comes with being a citizen of Red Sox Nation." — Booklist
FEBRUARY 2009 - AudioFile
When the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, the baseball world was turned upside down with sports journalists, fans, and players alike declaring an end to the curse of the Bambino. But what if the curse was never broken at all? What if the Red Sox won only because the games were fixed? This appears to be the case in Rick Shefchik's latest novel, part noir mystery, part all-American sports story. Much praise goes to narrator William Hughes for making this story more believable than the notion that Roger Clemens has never taken steroids. By mixing fact and fiction, Shefchik weaves a plausible tale of deception for which Hughes’s hard-nosed vintage tone is perfectly suited. The result is a classic mystery that engages listeners, whether they’re baseball fans or not. L.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
