Customer Reviews

The Feathery

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Bill Flynn is a master at weaving a string of stories that intersect for a marvelous conclusion. The history of the feathery and the game of golf is well researched and told in a delightful manner. Throw in the suspense of murderous thugs, auctioneers, and millionaires who covet the feathery at any cost, and you have a seriously entertaining novel. The Feathery is an easy, entertaining read whether you are a golfer or just like a good whodunit. Well done Bill.

I admit, I do not know much about the game of golf. However, I have goofed around playing it, but this book brought a whole new meaning to golf for me.

In this novel, we are taught about the history of the golf ball makings in St. Andrews, in 1849. Golf balls were made of feathers, who would have thought that? One ball in particular - The Feathery - holds a very high cost to the owner who inherits it, Scott Beckman.

This story is unique in itself. We learn about Scott at a young age, with his best friend, Matt. Both have lost their fathers and are headed in the wrong direction in life, a life of imprisonment. Both boys lost their fathers and are rebellious. They are caught one day trying to steal a golf club. Fortunately for them, a black officer decides to take them to "Sandy McNair." Sandy is a kind, old man who loves the game of golf and teaches golfing to young lads in trouble.

Sandy helps Scott and Matt both achieve a better life for themselves. Scott is in love with the game of golf. His father admired it and Scott wanted to follow along in his footsteps, granted that his mother despises the game.

Scott - with Sandy as his only means of a family, embarks on a golfing journey. Sandy suddenly passes away and Scott inherits "The Feathery." It is worth more money that Scott could imagine and this simple book about golf turns into a mystery, suspense, and thriller novel - along with a good story about a guy who loves golf. It is brilliantly put together.

Don't let the cover keep you away from this read, because this one is definitely not just for golfers!
Right from the get-go I was into author Bill Flynn's story, because it woke up my patriotism due to the death of our protagonist's father while serving in Iraq. What follows is an interesting description of young Scott Beckman's struggle to find his way in society and his sport without his mother's support and his dead hero dad.
Soon, Scott and his buddy Matt are taken under the wing of a very special person who manages a golf course close to where the kids grow up.
As we jump a few years into the present time we find ourselves amongst Scott and Matt and how their talent and love for the sport of golf continues to grow until.... Scott's former teacher and mentor passes away and leaves him a very rare Feathery golf ball and a few other very valuable antique golf items.
With these treasures in his possession Scott's life soon turns upside down as he not just qualifies to play the `Masters' as a pro golfer, but also as his friend and caddie Matt goes missing - along side the Feathery ball.

Flynn weaves a clever cat and mouse chase and light romance with some die hard treasure hunters and we end up in a net of international crime, intrigue, and murder.
I very much enjoyed this plot, though I could have done with a little less of the sport's technicalities.
Overall, The Feathery is extremely enjoyable especially because this thriller/mystery is based on a real artifact which without a doubt, is admired by many collectors around the world.
I'll be certainly looking for more of Bill Flynn's future work.

Rebecca Lerwill, author of Relocating Mia

Relocating Mia

Thirteen-year-old Scott Beckman and his best friend, Matt, are headed for a life of crime and jail unless something drastic happens to change their lives. Detective Kyle Ross sends them to Sandy McNair, an eighty-five-year-old golf instructor with a reputation for turning kids around. Through the game of golf, Scott improves his life by developing a passion and talent strong enough to make him a contender for major tournaments. When Sandy dies, he leaves Scott a valuable feathery golf ball made by a relative in 1849. Scott soon discovers that some collectors will do anything to acquire this heirloom.

The Feathery is a touching story of a young man's struggle to find his place in the world. It's about loss, passion, and second chances. Author Bill Flyyn tells the story in a simple, straightforward manner. As a mystery author, I would have loved more conflict and tension during some of the crime scenes, yet Flynn certainly brings these aspects to crucial moments at tournaments.

I'm not a golfer, but Flynn's descriptions about various aspects of the game were interesting enough to make me wonder if I should try it one day. If you're a golfing enthusiast you'll enjoy this book and, if not, you might be by the end of the tale.

After reading this book I strongly recommend this novel by Bill Flynn called The Feathery. I do love history and when a writer uses that as part of their novel then I am interested. Bill Flynn the writer used golf history as a start of his novel but it also included suspense and intrigue about an old 1849 Feathery golf ball that the main character Scott Beckman inherited. Since this Feathery golf ball was so valuable it came part of the story of murder and greed but also a story about two boys whose life was turned around by golf.

I liked the way the author built up the story by giving you a good background of the characters involved. The main characters were Scott Beckman and his friend Matt Kemp who got into trouble as youths but a kind hearted police officer turned them over to Sandy McNair an elderly golf teacher at a country club. Sandy had worked with many troubled youth but became close to these two young boys. Scott worked very close with Sandy and he began teaching Scott the game of golf. Scott goes on to become a golf Professional and Matt became a tour Caddie and the two finally get to work together.

The intrigue starts when Scott finds out he inherited Sandy's belongings when he passed away. In these items it turns out to be some antique items from St. Andrews in Scotland where Sandy's family was from. When Scott professional career became low on earnings he thought about selling these items to fund his golf tour. Scott finds out how valuable they were when he puts them up for sale at an Antique Auction House. This is when the mystery, murder and theft become mixed up in the many tour golf tournaments Scott was playing in.

The author using his writing skill, weave in and out of intrigue of the feathery golf ball and golf tournaments we all are familiar with like the Masters and the British Open. Scott's begins to win golf tournaments and the money follows, so he decides to keep the feathery ball and that is when the greed of the collectors becomes more involved with Scott and Matt's life. You won't be bored with this book as the action helps you keep turning those pages.

I would recommend this book especially to any golfer as it will be a fun and fast read. It will be a good gift for father's day or even mother's day if she is a golfer. It will hold your attention and the story moves along very well. I like this type of novels, I do not like it when the authors move you back and forth between time periods and you get mixed up in characters. The author starts this book with the first chapter about the event in history that made the Feathery golf ball famous. This book holds true to the characters and includes the mass greed of collectors and what they will do to own a valuable item. If you like detective stories throw in some golf history with golf tournaments you have a winner. Check out Bill Flynn's book called the The Feathery you will even find out how they made those leather golf balls filled with goose feathers. Mr. Flynn has a way of weaving it all together making it a good book but maybe even a better movie.

Bill Flynn's "The Feathery" is a very fast read. Not only is it well crafted, but it is written wonderfully. Many people read books to "escape," and this book helps the reader to do just that - whether it be to 18th Century Scotland, modern day California, modern day England and Scotland and New York.

I am by no means considered an expert in the world of golf, let alone the history of golf balls, yet I was absolutely able to dive into this story to the point where life would interrupt my reading. This book's focus is not just golf - it is a true "whodunit" coupled with a "whatshouldIdo" type of story, with an interesting twist - with the world of golf as the landscape.

One may think by the book's cover that "The Feathery" is just about a type of golf ball, crafted by hand in the 1800s. It is far beyond that. "The Feathery" incorporates greed, love, loss, survival, and it's relation to the world of gambling, antique collecting and pursuing one's dreams. Right from the start, the reader begins to "root" for the characters.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to Mr. Flynn's next novel.

J.R. Reardon
author, "Confidential Communications"

The Feathery is a terrific read on many levels. The author begins weaving this tale by showing the reader the origins of a feathery, an antique golf ball. One of the things I loved in this book is author Bill Flynn's respect for tradition. He tells the story of a father and son's (Scott Beckman) connection shared through golf interrupted by unfortunate events. Without his father's guidance, the son and his friend become delinquents, and by a stroke of luck, they are tied to an old-school golf pro. This crusty gentleman invests his time in developing the boys into men.

As adults, the two childhood friends hook up to try their hand on the pro golf tour. Here is where the intrigue begins. When Scott Beckman inherits a valuable feathery, he and his friend become targets of various plots to extract the antique golf ball for financial gains. The author makes the case for the traditionalists - those who respect the feathery and the game more than simply financial advancement.

It is a wonderful winding adventure of intrigue and drama on its face. On a deeper level, I can infer from this book that the author might have a disdain for artificial turf and the DH in baseball, domed stadiums in football, and three pointers in basketball. Maybe,maybe not. But at least as far as golf goes Bill Flynn shows a deep respect for the game through the characters we come to like in his book. The Feathery is a salute to golf tradition and stand-up role models, and is a complete celebration of "the gentleman's game".

The book had me wanting to head to the driving range to hit a few "feathery's" into the sky. All the pieces fit well in this book, like getting on a green in regulation, on the low side of the hole, up and in for a birdie. This is a great book for all, but especially for people starting out in golf who do not yet know why the game commands so much respect. The Feathery, as you might hear on the links, is, "well played chap!"

Yale R Jaffe

I thoroughly enjoyed The Feathery. It is a mystery/thriller that takes place in a setting of golf. What is most interesting and remarkable about The Feathery, is that there are two dramas occurring simultaneously, both equally riveting and quick-paced, within its pages. The book starts off with a glimpse into the past setting the stage for the first drama - an incredibly valuable golf artifact handed down through generations becomes a hotly sought-after prize by unscrupulous collectors willing to go to any lengths to secure it for their own private collections. This dangerous situation is woven through the experience of a young golfer who inherited the prized item, and as he guns for the British Open. The tension is heightened on two fronts - the struggle and challenges of the game itself, and the life and death stakes of the pursuit of one of golf's long lost holy grails. Murder-for-hire, kidnapping, illegal gambling, double-crossing, seduction, and the desire and brave reach for a dream long dreamt and a deep sadness and emotional void to be filled are what await you within The Feathery's pages.

The Feathery is also a touching story about the redemption of two young juvenile delinquents who suffer from the loss of their fathers at a young age and start acting out. Their futures could either be forfeit or saved. A caring detective and one of golf's great players take the boys under their wings. All of the characters are believable. The situations they are in are believable, and the journey is an authentic and emotional one. The author, Bill Flynn, has an obvious love and respect for the time-honored game of golf. He has skillfully woven in truly interesting details about the history of the game as well as its technical aspects. I feel a newfound respect and admiration for this popular game.

I was completely charmed by The Feathery. It is an interesting, touching read that has left me with great fondness for the history it taught and the story it told. It is also a lesson in faith, believing in oneself, staying true to your path when the chips are down and the road long and hard, as well as the enduring power of friendship and loyalty. Bill Flynn is a gifted storyteller and The Feathery is a rewarding read that I would recommend to anyone.

Rai Aren

We all know that golf is more than a sport in the UK - For a golfer aficionados, a pilgrimage to St. Andrews to play golf is a dream. For those of us who will never probably make it to St. Andrews, we live vicariously by watching the British Open.
Bill Flynn's excellent The Feathery deals with a wonderful piece of golf history - golf balls were created with packed feathers encased by leather and sewn tightly. The clubs were hand crafted and without the benefit of computer technology, were amazingly accurate.
The Feathery showcases a golf ball 'feathery' that was made in 1849 when Hugh McNair won the Open with a record breaking 78, which in modern terms would be a profession player making a score in the 50's - quite an accomplishment for a leather ball stuffed with feathers!
Needless to say, memorabilia from the early days is something grabbed up by collectors.
Except for the record breaking feathery that Hugh McNair used.
Scott Beckman always loved the game of golf. His best friend, Matt Kemp, also has the same passion. Scott's mother resented the game because it took her husband away playing golf while she wanted the family to play a more 'civilized' game of tennis - When her husband dies in Iraq, Scott and Matt start getting in trouble. A nice cop takes them to a man, Sandy McNair, (does McNair sound familiar?) who has mentored young boys who had wavered off the path and helped them with discipline and golf. Both boys mature and they become fine golfers and professionals.
When Sandy dies he bequeaths to Scott all of his golf memorabilia - including a rare golf statue and the famous feathery that Sandy's greatgrandfather used to smash the record at St. Andrews! It is literally priceless!
So starts the intrigue when Scott, a struggling pro player decides to auction the memorabilia off so he can have money to survive the pro curcuit until he gets his 'pro legs' and makes money. Scott changes his mind about the feathery and the statue and this starts the action that deal with attempts to steal the feathery, murder and kidnapping.
It also features exciting play details about the British Open and the Masters. You'll feel you are playing next to Scott right there amid the wind and rain St. Andrews is famous for -
Flynn's writing is fluid, crisp and fun. If you weren't a golf fan before, you will be after reading this book.
If you are a terrible golfer like me, you may find yourself mentally playing and being part of the action.
A fun read for all readers.

Bill Flynn has does a great job of weaving the backstory concerning the history of golf and the collecting of golf memorabilia with the main story of a young golfer on tour who encounters murder and kidnapping.
Main character Scott Beckman is fortunate enough as a child to receive golf instruction from people who recognize his talent and dedication to the game. Later Scott gets to join the PGA tour and he inherits a set of golf memorabilia, including a rare feathery golf ball that was used to set a record. A handful of greedy collectors vie for possession of the feathery and one of them will stop at nothing, including murder and kidnapping. Though deeply concerned, Scott has to continue on the tour while the police work feverishly to find the killers before they strike again.
The author has done a good job of writing about golf in such a way that even non-golfers can easily understand the game and experience the suspense as Scott Beckman goes for his first PGA win. The fast-paced action and interesting settings add to the book's appeal.