Green Monster: A Sam Skarda Mystery

Shefchik has done another nice job with Sam. The plot seems at first to require a suspension of disbelief but I think that it doesn't require citizenship in Red Sox Nation to comprehend the possibility of the premise of the story--that a baseball game could be affected by one player's decision to not play his best...Ask most people in Boston about Manny's behaviors and how they affected the Sox...But while the story has baseball in the background Rick has crafted a story with interesting characters from the semi-organized crime world. Nothing complicated here, just a good story with some very interesting twists that offers good entertainment. I can now go back to reading Gertrude Bell's life history to get to sleep faster. I look forward to the next Sam Skarda story. Will Caroline come back?

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (5/08) "Green Monster" is a fictional novel involving a plot to ruin the reputation of the Boston Red Sox. In 2004, the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to become World Series champions, ending an eighty-six-year drought and making believers out of many people. Four years later, Louis Kenwood, owner of the Red Sox, receives a letter stating that the Cardinals threw the series and, if the sum of twenty-million dollars is not paid, the secret will be made public. In response, Kenwood hires Sam Skrada, a private investigator, to find out who is behind the scheme. However, Kenwood requires that his executive assistant Heather Canby must accompany Sam throughout the investigation, leaving Sam in a predicament because he does not know who he can or cannot trust. Baseball enthusiasts and mystery lovers will be enthralled by this book. It contains many action-packed scenes as well as a few surprises along the way. It was intriguing trying to figure out which characters were trustworthy in addition to finding out whether the games were fixed and, if so, why. It leaves the reader wondering what really could happen in the sports world if enough greedy people conspire to interfere with the outcome of sporting events. The author also examines how extortion plots should be handled in terms of paying off the money in hopes of keeping things quiet versus trying to find and expose the source. "Green Monster" is a good story with a thrilling ending. I could not wait to see what would happen next. The ease and speed with which Sam acquired access to the information and the people involved in the accusation was unrealistic. However, it did allow the pace of the book to remain rapid. Rick Shefchik created a wide variety of characters from bookies to mafia members to corrupt policemen, with each serving an important role in furthering the story. Anyone looking for an exciting and fast-paced book should read "Green Monster." It will hold the reader's interest as he tries to figure out what is really happening as the facts are revealed. The plot twists and interesting storyline will provide great entertainment.

I had to have this book being from Massachusetts and a huge Red Sox fan. Mr. Shefchik did not let me down! This guy knows his stuff about the Boston area and the Red Sox in general. Wrap a tight, fun mystery around all that history and this book truly delivers. Sam Skarda is an investigator who I think should have a long career!

Boston Red Sox owner Louis Kenwood received an extortion note singed 'Babe Ruth' claiming that the 2004 World Series in which the Sox finally won and ended the 'Curse of the Bambino' was fixed and the author of that extortion note wants $20 million to keep quiet. If the public were to become aware of this accusation, the value of Kenwood's franchise would be eroded so he turns to detective Sam Skarda to find out if the allegation is true, and who's behind the blackmail attempt. Kenwood's lovely assistant heather Canby is assigned to monitor and accompany Sam on his investigation. The clues lead Sam into the Los Angeles underworld, through the slums of Venezuela, and back to Fenway Park. A good mystery novel must have two essential elements: characters that attract our attention and plots that compel our interest from beginning to end. "Green Monster" by Rick Shefchik is highly recommended reading on both those conditions. Also highly recommended reading for mystery buffs is Rick Shefchik's early Sam Skarda detective novel published by Poisoned Pen Press is "Amen Corner".

As a fan of Shefchik's first book Amen Corner, I was hopeful that more would be forthcoming. Green Monster is the second in the Sam Skarda series and it does not disappoint. Shefchik brings the reader quickly into a suspenseful plot with international intrigue, a little romance and a short deadline to avoid blowing the lid off the Red Sox end of the Curse of the Bambino. This book was difficult to put down and is written in a way that you keep saying "one more chapter, one more chapter." A great book for the summer, a great book for the baseball fan, a great book for anyone who likes a good story.