Hanging Curve (Mickey Rawlings Baseball Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Troy Soos (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Flappers, jazz and Prohibition are often used to evoke the hedonistic 1920s, but Rawlings discovers different hallmarksA black baseball, the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow and lynchingsAfor his fine new mystery, which doubles as a cultural and political history. Peripatetic ballplayer Mickey Rawlings carries bat, glove and sleuthing skills from Cincinnati (where he played in his most recent outing, The Cincinnati Red Stalkings) to join the American League's St. Louis Browns for their 1922 season. Using an assumed name to hide his major league identity because of organized baseball's ban on interracial games, Rawlings plays with the semi-pro Elcars against the Negro East St. Louis Cubs as a lark. An ugly confrontation during the game is prologue to the later lynching of the Cubs' star player. Spurred by fear that the volatile situation could lead to a repeat of the terrible race riots of 1917, which left hundreds (mostly blacks) dead in East St. Louis, Rawlings tries to figure out who is behind the murder. In the process, he learns and reveals much about the grim realities behind baseball's ban on black players and also much about himself. Though filled with glimpses of baseball greats from both races and hinging on a well-constructed case of murder, this novel stands out particularly for its skillfully drawn background and intelligent use of historical and social detail.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

All St. Louis Browns utility infielder Mickey Rawlings wanted was a few extra at-bats and a chance to get into the 1922 World Series. But when he agrees to appear as a ringer for a semipro team in a game against a local Negro League club, and the KKK causes a riot that leads to the Negro squad's star pitcher being lynched, Mickey finds himself working with a black attorney, Franklin Aubrey, to unmask the hooded killers. Through the course of his investigation, Mickey learns plenty about the racial conflict that divides the Mississippi River city, and he also finds that certain unsavory individuals are capable of using society's ills for their own gain. The sixth Mickey Rawlings mystery is the strongest in the series. He is growing as a character while he ages as a ballplayer, and his romance with former actress Margie is sweet by modern standards yet scandalous for its time. Soos delivers a richly atmospheric journey through time with Rawlings serving as an engaging guide. Wes Lukowsky

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 163 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books; First Edition edition (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575664550
• ISBN-13: 978-1575664552
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best by Soos, July 2, 2001

By 

Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hanging Curve (Mass Market Paperback)

Being a mystery writer with my first novel in its initial release, I have been a great admirer of Troy Soos for years. I have been reading his Mickey Rawlings novels since the beginning, and I wrote an early critical essay about them that appeared in Mystery Reader's Journal. Since the publication of that essay, Soos has written two fresh Mickey Rawlings mysteries, and HANGING CURVE is easily the strongest in the entire series. HANGING CURVE lands Mickey, our journeyman everyman, in St. Louis where he is playing for the Browns and tangling with the KKK. He's attempting to solve a murder, a lynching, amid the racial turmoil of the Roaring Twenties in America's Midwest. As always, the mystery elements of these books are terrific. Another crucial element of these novels is the historical backdrop that Soos paints with his words. His history is painstakingly researched and utterly accurate. In HANGING CURVE, Soos presents an era with social problems of which many people may be unaware. On all levels, HANGING CURVE is the best mystery Troy Soos has written so far. Great book, whether or not you love baseball (as you should).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hanging Curve is a Great Read!, May 21, 2000

By 

Perry Dugger - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hanging Curve (Mickey Rawlings Baseball Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Great Read! Troy Soos has hit another home run in this Mickey Rawlings mystery. Nobody combines baseball and mystery like Troy Soos. You will look at Negro League Baseball with new respect after reading Hanging Curve. I love the way Soos mixes real and fictional characters. I could almost hear Cool Papa Bell sliding into the base after reading this book. Educational and entertaining, what more do you want from a book?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good baseball yarn., November 14, 1999

By 

"gjhuff" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hanging Curve (Mickey Rawlings Baseball Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book more for its insights into 1920's St. Louis society and baseball, rather than the mystery and romantic aspects. The old Browns were a rather sad lot, even in the 20's when they had good teams. I'd like to see Mickey play with the Phillies or Athletics or Indians in the near future. Keep it up Troy!