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Green Monster: Book summary and reviews of Green Monster by Rick Shefchik

Green Monster

Green Monster
A Sam Skarda Mystery
by Rick Shefchik
Published in USA Sep 2008,
306 pages.

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Green Monster Summary

After a second World Championship in four years, the Boston Red Sox have finally buried the Curse of the Bambino—or have they? Sox owner Louis Kenwood receives an extortion note signed “Babe Ruth” claiming that the 2004 World Series was fixed—and demanding $50 million to keep the information from getting to the press and the Commissioner’s office.

If the allegation of a fix becomes public, Kenwood fears irreparable damage to the value of his franchise and to his legacy as “Lucky Louie,” the man who finally brought a championship to Boston after 86 years. Thus, the Red Sox turn to private detective Sam Skarda to find out who’s behind the extortion plot.

Kenwood insists that his beautiful executive assistant Heather Canby accompany—and monitor—Sam on every step of his investigation. Unsure whom he can trust, Sam follows the clues to the Los Angeles underworld and then to the slums of Venezuela. Can he assemble all of the pieces to this puzzle before more lives are lost and scandal blasts the Red Sox Nation? Green Monster is the second novel in the Sam Skarda series, following Amen Corner.

A sports fanatic's dream, Green Monster is saturated with baseball trivia, lore, and mystery. This sequel to the golf mystery, Amen Corner, is sure to attract baseball fans as well as fans of the likable ex-cop Sam Skarda.

Green Monster Reviews

"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.

The information about Green Monster shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.

Green Monster Reader Reviews

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Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Mary
Spotlight on Red Sox Nation
This is a great beach read - fast paced and a quick summer read! All baseball fans will love this mystery. The characters are multifaceted and there are good twists and turns not all predictable. I found it to be a very enjoyable page turner, sheer enjoyment not "great literature"! As a Red Sox fan, I loved the familiar players and local places and anyone from Boston especially would love to read it!

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Stephen
For those huge Sox fans!!!
I've never been a big fan of continuing series books so I go in with a bit of hesitation here. After reading this book, I would summarize it as a good mystery novel but maybe not for your average fan. This one will get its most enjoyment from diehard Red Sox fans. Though I like the Sox, I must admit that they are not my favorite team.

The character development could have been better, however the twist and turns are enough to keep you turning the pages.

All in all, not a bad book just don't expect to see it come Edgar award time.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Melanie
Loved it....
Being a die hard Red Sox fan certainly made this an enjoyable read for me. I loved reading about all the local references and some of the details from the World Series games that Boston won!!!

Although I *am* a true Red Sox fan, I do believe that any lover of baseball would truly enjoy this book. It was well detailed and the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the character development as well!!!

A great book made even better by adding a little bit of Red Sox Nation!! :)

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Rebecca
Green Monster by Rick shefchik
I was excited about reviewing this book because, being a baseball mystery, I thought boys in the high school where I teach might enjoy it. The mystery had lots of baseball information especially about the Boston Red Sox and the Green Monster which is a big green wall in the Boston outfield. I love sports and that part was good along with an ok mystery. Unfortunately, the book was filled with gratuitous sex which, for me, only made it difficult for me to get through. I felt the author was showing off his manhood or something and just throwing all the hook-ups in to be "manly"?! What the offensiveness did was make this book unsuitable for all but some men who are real Red Sox fans.

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Marge
Red Sox fans will want to love this book
Author Rick Shefchik isn‘t from Boston, but he definitely understands New England fans’ passion for baseball. The story lines of World Series, athletes and drugs, love, families, guns, murder, and power weave together in a fast tho often confusing pace. Red Sox fans will want to love this book but the characters are one-dimensional. This is not a brainy book, but it’s a fun and enjoyable mystery.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Eileen
Titletown
Green Monster is a great selection for Red Sox fans and fans of baseball. It is a good book for a long plane trip or a day at the beach. Green Monster is a fun read, full of action and characters you enjoy knowing. Sam Skarda, The P.I. , is especially engaging. The story keeps you guessing until the end and is very topical.

...13 more reader reviews

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