Dead Ball (Deadly Sports Mystery Series) [Paperback]

Michael Balkind (Author)

Book Description

Series: Deadly Sports Mystery Series | Publication Date: July 31, 2009

Michael Balkind, author of the critically acclaimed thriller Sudden Death, scores a home run in his newest book titled Dead Ball. The action starts at the professional and Olympic sports training camp AllSport. AllSport is a part of the Inner City Sports Foundation (ICSF,) run by Reid Clark (protagonist in Sudden Death) and Buck Green. As Reid is giving a tour of the camp to the president and first lady of the United States, the lead secret service golf cart screeches to a halt as the agents spot a dead body in the shrubs surrounding the basketball dome. The body belongs to AllSport's CFO and Reid's best friend Bob Thomas. As the president and first lady are whisked away, the investigation begins. The investigation takes the reader through various areas of New York, the woods of Pennsylvania, nightclubs in Caracas and Mt. Everest.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Listen up, sports and mystery fans! Buy Michael Balkind's Dead Ball right now. Remember 'Bo Knows Sports?' They should update it to 'Balkind Knows Sports' (and mysteries, too.) --John Lescroart, New York Times Bestselling Author

From the Author

The Deadly Sports Mysteries are for all mystery enthusiasts.
Although my novels are sports themed, you don't need to be a sports enthusiast to enjoy them.
The statements below are from three women who are not sports lovers at all.

"...a refreshing new thriller,blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense. There is something for
everyone. A real page turner!"Jeannine Reardon

"The proof of the pudding of an author is if he can expand on a character or sequel to make
us want more.I cannot wait for more adventures from Reid Clark and AllSport!!
Keep 'em coming Michael Balkind! Ellen George

"... full-throttle action from the very first page!" Rai Aren


I hope you'll try one of my books and see if you agree with the many great reviews that have been written. If you do purchase a book, thank you for your support.
The publishing industry is tough for new unknown authors and every order is very much appreciated.

Thanks again. I hope you enjoy reading my novels as much as I enjoy writing them.

Michael Balkind
Sudden Death
Dead Ball
The Fix (in editing)
Stealing Gold (in the works)
Untitled young-readers edition (in the works) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: SterlingHouse Publisher, Pero Thrillers (July 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563154536
• ISBN-13: 978-1563154539
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,513,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Balkind is the author of the Deadly Sports Mysteries as well as other novels. His novels are endorsed by literary greats including James Patterson, Clive Cussler and John Lescroart. He has appeared on ESPN's The Pulse and Sportsnet's Daily News Live and was featured on the cover of Publishers Weekly. He has co-hosted and is a regular guest on The Clubhouse radio show. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America and The Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Balkind graduated from Syracuse University and currently resides in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterful Performance by Balkind..., May 18, 2009

By 

J.R. Reardon "J.R. Reardon, author of Confide... (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Ball (Kindle Edition)

Through the detail and descriptions in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings life to both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action - examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance.

DEAD BALL is a refreshing new thriller, blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense...there is something for everyone....a real page turner!

J.R. Reardon
author, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic sequel to Sudden Death, May 17, 2009

By 

ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dead Ball (Kindle Edition)

Author Michael Balkind introduced us to Reid Clark, golf superstar with the attitude of a prima donna, in Sudden Death. As the book progressed, Reid transformed into a sports figure we all would love, as well as establishing Michael Balkind as one heck of an author.
His Reid Clark sequel, Dead Ball, hits it out of the park. Reid Clark's dream to have a facility where talents from all sports can converge and learn their craft has become a reality - AllSport is the best place for the best to learn.
Something terrible happens - a dead body is found on the grounds. Turns out it is Bob Thomas, Reid Clark's best friend and Chief Financial Officer of The Inner City Sports Foundation and AllSport.
Reid is devastated, but determined to find out who would kill such a good man.
With Buck, Reid's colorful agent and friend, as well as other characters from Sudden Death, the authorities and friends try to figure out why Bob Thomas was killed and dumped on AllSport grounds.
The process of the investigation proceeds in a believable fashion and will keep you guessing 'who done it'. Balkind knows how to spin a mystery.
Dead Ball's actions are nonstop. Balkind's characters are well rounded and you care for each of them and the circumstances that have occured.
Reid Clark, our hero, has grown into a man you respect and would root for on the golf course. I think I may root for him like I root for Tiger Woods!
Mr. Balkind's AllSport Complex gives a broad canvas for future adventures as AllSport deals with, well, all sports to glean many stories from.
The proof of the pudding of an author is if he can expand on a character or sequel to make us want more.
I cannot wait for more adventures from Reid Clark and AllSport!!
Keep 'em coming Michael Balkind!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead Ball, if you're in the game - watch your back!, May 18, 2009

By 

Rai Aren "co-author of Secret of the Sands" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Ball (Kindle Edition)

Where else can you find murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the rarefied grounds of AllSport - state-of-the-art facilities that house & train top athletes in numerous sports to compete at the highest levels. It's no surprise then, that combining the world's most highly skilled and competitive athletes, with the best training facility in the world, and all of the rivers of money that follow and flow, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound throughout the book, the players are many, and the high-stakes world of amateur & professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive and opportunity is long. Then the body count grows. The sports world is one where all kinds of people come to play, not just the athletes, and rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Is it no more than a price to be paid as a means to an end? Or is it revenge? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands