The Sporting Club (Trade Ellis Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sinclair Browning (Author)

Book Description

Series: Trade Ellis Mysteries | Publication Date: February 1, 2000

One man's sport is another man's murder....

Private eye Trade Ellis, part cowgirl, part Apache, has her hands full running her Arizona ranch.  But when Victoria Carpenter, the famous romance writer, shows up with gruesome stories about repressed childhood memories, all going back over thirty years, Trade jumps at the chance to take the case.

Victoria's flashbacks include her father's so-called Sporting Club and its not-so-innocent picnics, where the wives talked, the children played...and the husbands made a brutal sport of hate and death. She's convinced that her father and his hunting buddies were racist killers. But how do you investigate decades-old crimes?  Especially with no bodies, no police reports, and the only accuser a woman who makes up stories for a living. When the threatening phone calls begin and a cross is set ablaze on Trade's ranch, it soon appears there will be at least two more bodies they won't have to dig out of the past-Victoria's and Trade's.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers familiar with witty Arizonan Trade Ellis know she's more than "just an old cowhand from the Rio Grande"--Browning's leading lady is fast becoming a shrewd detective. In the series' second installment (after The Last Song Dogs), Trade meddles in messy family affairs, both on her ranch and with her latest client, Victoria Carpenter. Vicki is a serial romance writer with an obvious flair for embellishing the truth. Trade is therefore skeptical when Vicki presents her with a gruesome scenario she's convinced took place, one that involves her father, his hunting club and the 1963 disappearance of two black children and their father. The going's rough, especially when Trade discovers that many witnesses are either dead or no longer mentally stable. Persistence yields results when she teams up with county attorney (and old flame) Abel Messenger. He provides the legal edge Trade needs to go further with the tips she has, allowing her access to files, forensics labs and the local graveyard for missing persons. Threatening phone calls and KKK-inspired vandalism on her ranch make it apparent that Trade's on to something serious, but she's not about to give up. From the opening line, Browning's writing draws in readers. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Like Hillerman, Browning is the genuine article."
--Tucson Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Crimeline (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553579436
• ISBN-13: 978-0553579437
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sinclair Browning spent her childhood on her belly in dry arroyos hunting sand rubies, converting her propane tank into a stagecoach and exploring the Sonoran desert on her horse. Summers were spent on the family ranch in southern Arizona.

One of five nominees for the Arizona Arts Award in 2000, Browning's mysteries have also been nominated for Shamus and Barry Awards. Publishers Weekly compared her America's Best to the "heroic war fiction of John Toland and Leon Uris."

A former writing instructor, her work covers a broad spectrum including suspense, mysteries, historical novels, a metaphysical novel and two nonfiction books.

For more information check out her website at sinclairbrowning.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CAPTIVATING READ, CAN'T PUT IT DOWN, February 4, 2000

By 

Sue DesGranges (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sporting Club (Trade Ellis Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Browning offers readers a door into the captivating world of Trade Ellis, a modern cowgirl who juggles detective work with a rich ranch life. Browning's crisp description sucks you in. Suddenly you're horseback riding amongst Saguaros and sandy brush; laughing at the antics of a playful pot-bellied pig, and meeting Trade's latest client, a romance writer harboring some very gruesome childhood memories. Browning's quick wit, and her ability to paint a vivid Southwestern landscape peppered with crisp characters create a "can't put it down," fast read that will keep readers entertained. Trade's observations like, "She was wearing shiny alabaster cowboy boots that looked as though they'd never kicked a road apple" will have readers, like me, eager to buy book three, to share Trade's next adventure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very absorbing and well written, February 19, 2001

By 

Marilyn Kubinak (Rancho Bernardo, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sporting Club (Trade Ellis Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had a friend recommend this book to me, she is a friend of Sinclair's. I was truly delighted that she did, as this is a very well written and thought out book, i am definitely going to get her new one. It was most frightening to think that probably some of this happened in the old days and unfortunatly, maybe in our time. Keep up the good work.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining and believable heroine!, October 22, 2000

By 

Carol Fender (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sporting Club (Trade Ellis Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Finally a series of exciting adventure mysteries written for intelligent women. Trade Ellis is a character who comes to life--she's a little bit modern and a little bit country; a very nice blend. She's a strong willed and clever detective with a keen sense of humor--really sharp. The mystery that unfolds in The Sporting Club kept me guessing what would happen next. I enjoy a good mystery--this series was written to pleasantly entertain but will also stir you up. I loved it! It was as good as the first book, The Last Song Dogs, and I can't wait until the next one comes out! If you like adventure mysteries and want a believable character you need to read this book.