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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
No Home Run, But Certainly Not A Strike Out, October 8, 2008
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I know a lot of readers will approach "Forced Out" as a fan of Stephen Frey's more business and/or financial related thrillers. While I understand this represents a change of pace, I have not been a follower of Frey's previous work. Others will undoubtedly be drawn to the novel due to its baseball content--right down to the metaphorical title. I am, also, no great lover of baseball. So while others may have approached this novel with built-in expectations--I was a relatively blank slate. I was looking for a reasonably entertaining thriller, and that's what "Forced Out" is. The book tells the story of two men on different paths. There's Jack Barrett, a former baseball scout fallen on hard times. Reaching his golden years, Jack struggles with a past that has betrayed him while simultaneously looking to discover something redemptive--something that would provide a better life for he and his devoted daughter. Then there's Johnny Bondano, a mob hitman set on a mission that is counterintuitive to the moral code that keeps him sane. Both men are drawn to a minor league baseball player (who may or not be a phenom) for different reasons--and this sets up a major collision. The characters of "Forced Out," both major and minor, aren't particularly likable or relatable--but nevertheless, I was fascinated by their character flaws. The story kept me interested and it is a pretty fast read. I was positive I was on track to a "4 Star" review as I followed the entertaining plot to its inevitable confrontation. The problem, then? The build-up of the whole novel comes to a stunningly quick resolution that lacks the tension I was expecting. And missing this major play in the final inning (I'm no good at sports metaphors), the book sort of fizzles. And after a somewhat unsatisfactory climax, the wrap-up is cursory, bizarre and unbelievable at best. I really liked 90 percent of this book, but the last thirty pages were a major let down. I've stuck with less interesting reads, but it's really disappointing to read something enjoyable that so completely derails in the end. KGHarris, 10/08.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A pretty good book... until it goes completely off the rails!, September 5, 2008
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I was a little leery of reading this book as I'm not a sports fan and typically find the topic boring as reading subject matter. I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself becoming quite involved and engaged with the characters, and the Mafia aspect of the story as it came into play. It moved briskly along as we followed the story of a Grumpy Old Man and his spinster daughter trying to get their lives together, and their chance intersection with a promising young baseball player in the farm leagues in Florida. Meanwhile, in New York, a Mafia hit man is ordered by his capo to find and kill the man who killed the capo's grandson in a traffic accident while trying to escape the clutches of a loan shark. The hit man comes to realize the assignment violates his own set of moral values, and that as marginal as those are, they're the only things that distinguish him from the other animals in his milieu. He's faced with his own moral crisis, and in trying to resolve it realizes his own life is in need of redemption. Interesting stuff! I'm thinking 4 - 5 stars. Then last night I hit the last 60 or so pages of this book, and it turned into a train wreck. Characters started acting completely OUT of character. The hit man killed someone he'd previously saved, and the way it was portrayed in the book was incredibly incompetent technically. One of the important but peripheral characters completely and inexplicably disappeared entirely from the story. MANY rookie errors along those lines. So now, unfortunately, it's only a 2-star effort. At best.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than I expected, September 18, 2008
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I loved the way the characters worked with each other. Once the main story lines merged, the book became much more engaging. I'd recommend reading Forced Out...especially if you are a fan of the game of professional baseball, which serves as the backdrop for this story.
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