Author Topic: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May  (Read 29121 times)

Becke Davis

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Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« on: April 07, 2020, 07:38:42 pm »
Thanks to Jay for the suggestion for a May feature focusing on sports-related mysteries. This conversation started on another thread (I'll copy those posts here), but I've been finding a lot of good book suggestions on Goodreads:

Troy Soos is a writer and teacher based in Winter Park, Florida. Soos is best known for his "Mickey Rawlings" series of historical baseball novels (seven books set from 1912 to 1923). He also authored a four-book historical mystery series set in 1890s New York featuring Marshall Webb and Rebecca Davies. Soos has written a nonfiction history of early New England baseball history, "Before the Curse," and two mystery short stories ("Pick-Off Play" and "Decision of the Umpire") now available as e-books. His newest release is "The Tomb That Ruth Built," the seventh in the Mickey Rawlings series (published March 2014).

Examples:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1535068.Murder_At_Wrigley_Field

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1535073.The_Cincinnati_Red_Stalkings

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2020, 07:43:36 pm »
Thanks to Jay for the suggestion for a May feature focusing on sports-related mysteries. This conversation started on another thread (I'll copy those posts here), but I've been finding a lot of good book suggestions on Goodreads:

Troy Soos is a writer and teacher based in Winter Park, Florida. Soos is best known for his "Mickey Rawlings" series of historical baseball novels (seven books set from 1912 to 1923). He also authored a four-book historical mystery series set in 1890s New York featuring Marshall Webb and Rebecca Davies. Soos has written a nonfiction history of early New England baseball history, "Before the Curse," and two mystery short stories ("Pick-Off Play" and "Decision of the Umpire") now available as e-books. His newest release is "The Tomb That Ruth Built," the seventh in the Mickey Rawlings series (published March 2014).

Examples:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1535068.Murder_At_Wrigley_Field

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1535073.The_Cincinnati_Red_Stalkings

The start of this topic, from a different thread:

Let's make this easier. Instead of trying to read all these books we mention during a monthly feature, let's just make the feature a focus of conversation. That way we can add to our to-be-read piles without feeling pressured to read those books within the month.

All of you are welcome to suggest books you've already read and authors of featured books are invited to introduce themselves and tell us about their books, too.

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2020, 07:45:06 pm »
Posted by Jay (JRob):

With everything going on in real time, I think skipping April is probably a good idea. I've seen many authors and readers posting stuff about how it has been hard or even impossible to focus on their work. I've found reading hard the last week or so.

I had to read almost an entire book today so that I could do the review which was due today. So move to May is what I say.

Baseball season would be in full swing if things were going on. How about May being a sports mystery themed month?

I would suggest Nicole Asselin's Murder at First Pitch as one of the reads for people here. I loved the book myself.


JRob

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2020, 09:01:30 pm »
I read one of the Troy Soos books. I'm pretty sure it was MURDER AT FENWAY PARK, but I can't remember for sure.

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2020, 09:24:18 pm »
I read one of the Troy Soos books. I'm pretty sure it was MURDER AT FENWAY PARK, but I can't remember for sure.

Did you like it? As a native Chicagoan, I'm interested in the Wrigley Field book. And I used to live in Cincinnati, so I'm also interested in the Black Stockings book.

I was surprised how many types of sports have been featured in mystery novels.

JRob

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2020, 12:36:53 pm »
I read one of the Troy Soos books. I'm pretty sure it was MURDER AT FENWAY PARK, but I can't remember for sure.

Did you like it? As a native Chicagoan, I'm interested in the Wrigley Field book. And I used to live in Cincinnati, so I'm also interested in the Black Stockings book.

I was surprised how many types of sports have been featured in mystery novels.

It was OK but I wasn't blown away by it.

I've also read sports mysteries by sportswriters Mike Lupica and John Feinstein. There was one basketball themed mystery that I liked a lot too that centered on the Boston Celtics but I can't remember the title just the plot, which I can't describe because it would give away part of the story.

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2020, 08:46:21 pm »
I'm going nuts trying to think of other sports-themed mysteries I've read. I hope I'll think of more eventually, or I'll be tearing out my hair until I do!

JRob

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2020, 08:52:38 pm »
I'm going nuts trying to think of other sports-themed mysteries I've read. I hope I'll think of more eventually, or I'll be tearing out my hair until I do!

Didn't Roberta Isleib have some golf themed mysteries?

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2020, 09:06:58 pm »
I'm going nuts trying to think of other sports-themed mysteries I've read. I hope I'll think of more eventually, or I'll be tearing out my hair until I do!

Didn't Roberta Isleib have some golf themed mysteries?

She sure did - my dad loved them! http://robertaisleib.com/golf/index.htm

JRob

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2020, 04:40:06 am »

She sure did - my dad loved them! http://robertaisleib.com/golf/index.htm

I think I have one of those.

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2020, 01:54:46 am »
I read one of the Troy Soos books. I'm pretty sure it was MURDER AT FENWAY PARK, but I can't remember for sure.

Did you like it? As a native Chicagoan, I'm interested in the Wrigley Field book. And I used to live in Cincinnati, so I'm also interested in the Black Stockings book.

I was surprised how many types of sports have been featured in mystery novels.

It was OK but I wasn't blown away by it.

I've also read sports mysteries by sportswriters Mike Lupica and John Feinstein. There was one basketball themed mystery that I liked a lot too that centered on the Boston Celtics but I can't remember the title just the plot, which I can't describe because it would give away part of the story.

Was that Celtics book written by the authors you mentioned? Google came up with this one, in case you're still looking for the title of the book you mentioned:

PLAY DEAD by Harlan Coben https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/307644/play-dead-by-harlan-coben/

The others that turned up on Google were memoirs, not mysteries.


JRob

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2020, 09:55:25 am »

Was that Celtics book written by the authors you mentioned? Google came up with this one, in case you're still looking for the title of the book you mentioned:

PLAY DEAD by Harlan Coben https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/307644/play-dead-by-harlan-coben/

The others that turned up on Google were memoirs, not mysteries.

Oh man, that's the one! Wow, so I have actually read a book by Coben after all!

Becke Davis

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2020, 10:21:15 am »

Was that Celtics book written by the authors you mentioned? Google came up with this one, in case you're still looking for the title of the book you mentioned:

PLAY DEAD by Harlan Coben https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/307644/play-dead-by-harlan-coben/

The others that turned up on Google were memoirs, not mysteries.

Yay! I may have that one, too. I'm sure I read it but it was a long time ago. I'm due for a reread.
Oh man, that's the one! Wow, so I have actually read a book by Coben after all!

CarlaZ

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Re: Sports-Related Mystery Novels - Feature for May
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2020, 08:13:19 am »
I posted this on the April thread but I see we've switched topics to Sports Mysteries to May.

There's a terrific Emma Lathen mystery that centers around the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. It features John Putnam Thatcher, her banker sleuth, who investigates a fraud scheme that swindles Sloan Guaranty Trust out of a half million dollars. There's a murder of a skier, too. Lots of scenes with the athletes who are at odds with the Olympic committee.
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