Everybody loves a winner, and the Rabbs are major league. Marty is the Red Sox star pitcher, Linda the loving wife. She loves everyone except the blackmailer out to wreck her life. Is Marty throwing fast balls or throwing games? It doesn't take long for Spenser to link Marty's performance with Linda's past...or to find himself trapped between a crazed racketeer and an enforcer toting an M-16. America's favorite pastime has suddenly become a very dangerous sport, and one wrong move means strike three, with Spenser out for good!
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"R B Parker writes the classic gumshoe detective novels. I love his books, however this was not his best. Easy to follow on long drives, not too complex with too many characters. The reader (speaker) has a great voice and is easy to understand."
— SteveS (5 out of 5 stars)
" This book is very unique among the Spenser series, i could not reocmmend it higher. "
— Archy McNally, 8/24/2024" I liked it a lot but not as much as his later Spenser stories. "
— Randy, 2/14/2014" Big leap in Spenser's character development. Well written. Better than his late stuff. Still plan on reading them all. "
— Mailmanr5, 2/13/2014" Same thing: enjoyable early Spenser book. These books are less mysteries and more detective stories, I've noticed. There's no great mystery climax where everything comes together and suddenly everything makes sense. "
— Allison, 2/11/2014" You know, I don't really DO baseball... but this was a damn good book. "
— Megan, 2/10/2014" It was ok, but I liked the first two better - maybe because I hate baseball and this one was all about baseball. "
— Liz, 2/10/2014" This is one of the best Spenser books I've read so far, he's casually dating Susan and hawk isn't in the books yet but Spenser is a more human character. He gets scared, even doubts himself at times and feels remorse about killing the bad guys. "
— Nathan, 1/24/2014" What I want to know is when Spenser has time to shop for groceries. He is always cooking with fresh ingredients but never shops. Does he use Peapod? He makes whipped cream biscuits (recipe he's gotten from a restaurant in Portsmouth, NH) for breakfast with fresh strawberries and sour cream and squeezes a pint of orange juice (that's several oranges), but he eats McDonald's cheeseburgers for dinner the night before. This is all by p. 63. "
— Pam, 1/13/2014" These books are getting better and better. I love the way Spenser narrates the story. The stories are engaging and the characters are growing with each book. I am hooked. "
— Timothy, 1/7/2014" Great read. Easy to see how morals intertwine with life of characters. Recommend...number three on my quest to read all of Spenser by Parker. Wish I had started sooner. "
— Cathy, 12/18/2013" Liked this one better than the first two - maybe Spenser's growing on me. "
— Ryan, 8/15/2013" Maybe I prefer the later Spenser novels with shorter paragraphs; a 2-page paragraph is a bit much. Still no Hawk. Susan appears briefly. "
— Jane, 7/14/2013" A finer return to form. Spenser is more of a flawed hero here, and the way he out-punches the toughie has less of the John Wayne about it (he sucker punches the bad guy first). Not the work of a master prose-smith by any means but a fun read. "
— Ensiform, 6/21/2013" Nancy 5 stars; Ron xx stars "
— Nancy, 6/7/2013" Early Spenser, not quite in its groove yet. but 3 stars because its still parker. "
— JT, 1/19/2013" Spenser and the Red Sox - what's not to like? "
— Rob, 7/4/2012" Mr. Parker's such an awesome writer, and this book is a prime example of his expertise. Spenser's code of honor rings true and strong. I truly enjoyed this book. "
— Yeva, 5/5/2012" This was a good one. As usual, Spencer is hilarious! "
— Natasha, 1/22/2012" Really more about blackmail than baseball. Solid Vintage Parker. "
— Rkutler, 11/5/2011" Spenser and the Red Sox. Can't get much more Boston than that. Great story with a great protagonist. "
— Pat, 7/1/2011" Spenser's one of the best series there is. I had forgotten how much in the early ones he struggles with what to do when he doesn't do it right, and how he absorbs his experiences without making them rigid rules about what to do next time. "
— Esther, 6/16/2011" Another series by a very good crime-mystery writer. Series is about a tough P.I. based in Boston. Spenser is gritty and gutsy. A good read for those who like crime dramas. "
— Karen, 4/24/2011" Maybe I prefer the later Spenser novels with shorter paragraphs; a 2-page paragraph is a bit much. Still no Hawk. Susan appears briefly. "
— Jane, 3/23/2011" Big leap in Spenser's character development. Well written. Better than his late stuff. Still plan on reading them all. "
— Mailmanr5, 1/5/2011" as someone else said, Spenser and baseball in October. Can't beat it. "
— Helen, 10/12/2010" Same thing: enjoyable early Spenser book. These books are less mysteries and more detective stories, I've noticed. There's no great mystery climax where everything comes together and suddenly everything makes sense. "
— Allison, 9/20/2010" good. Spencer is awesome. tricky moral dilemma. "
— Ruth, 9/4/2010" Parker does work for the Boston Red Sox organization. Nice Clem Labine reference! "
— Kit, 8/17/2010" Spenser and the Red Sox - what's not to like?<br/> "
— Rob, 7/28/2010" This is one of the best Spenser books I've read so far, he's casually dating Susan and hawk isn't in the books yet but Spenser is a more human character. He gets scared, even doubts himself at times and feels remorse about killing the bad guys. "
— Nathan, 6/19/2010" Entertaining, as usual. Too bad old Robert Parker bit the dust. I'll miss his books. "
— Seana, 4/17/2010" As with almost all Parker novels his characters have depth and live in a well defined world. But I find moral assumptions he makes offensive. So much so that I find that detracts from my enjoyment of the book. "
— Jason, 3/8/2010Robert B. Parker (1932–2010), long acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction, was the New York Times bestselling author of the Spenser mysteries, as well as the Jesse Stone novels. He was named Grand Master at the 2002 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America, an honor shared with earlier masters such as Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen. He has more than fifty books to his credit.
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.