Michael Balkind

This was an awful book, but since it was a freebie I suppose I can't be too critical. Oh, sure I can.

The golf-related passages were mildly interesting, but the book itself went nowhere and then abruptly ended. It followed this pattern: golfer receives a threat, several dozen pages of golf and related topics, another threat, another series of golf pages, another threat... Until the end, when it wraps up. Absolutely no investigative narrative, nothing explaining what was going on to 'solve' the problem between the threats. I would've ditched it but I was sure something interesting would happen at some point, but alas, no.… (mais)

Reid Clark, prize winning golfer, on the verge of signing a multi-million dollar equipment deal suddenly is besieged by death threats. Here’s the situation. Does he throw the next tournament as the killer demands or face the threat and keep the public happy? Never one to turn down a challenge he hires the best PI money can get, brings his girl-friend and family in close to keep an eye on them while his investigators not only protect him but track down the bad guy in time for the tournament to go smoothly.
Not just for fans of golf but those that love a good mystery too. You will enjoy the buildup, the red herrings and the sudden death climax. Balkind is making a series with this character; so if you enjoyed this novel check out Dead Ball.
… (mais)

Allsport is a not-for-profit sports organization run by millionaire, champion golf legend, Reid Clark to help challenged athletes find their greatness. The challenges these young people face where poverty, no education, former gang members, normally kids that would never have gotten noticed because they were not your normal, high-school or college athletes. Through the program at Allsport many of these athletes went on to either professional careers or Olympic success.
As the book opens Reid is giving a personal tour of the facilities to the President of the United States when a body is found in the flower beds on campus. Once the President is rushed to safety the body is discovered to be that of Reid’s best friend and CFO of Inner City Sports Foundation dba Allsport, Bob Thomas.
This is the second book in a series by Balkind regarding the fictional sports campus at Allsport, the first being “Sudden Death” and once again brings us into the realm of private detective and chief of security at Allsport, Jay Scott. Scott, with the reluctant help of the local police department, takes over the investigation and along with his team of investigators, funded by the multi-millions that the foundation has raised, go into the field to chase down every lose end from the accountants that the deceased Thomas fired just days ago, to his angry wife and the stalking ex-girl-friend from a recent affair, to the members of the mob and street gang members. It appears Thomas had been involved with causing distress in many people’s lives. As the alibis are met, one by one, we are led on a path that is closer to home. Could someone on the staff of the foundation, one of the trusted inner families of Allsport, have a score to settle with Thomas?
Balkind’s complex plot suddenly rushes to a climax as the bodies stack up along the way and Scott and his investigators eliminate the suspects one by one until the truth is illuminated…or is it?
… (mais)