The Dead Pull Hitter

Whodunit aficionados and baseball fans alike will enjoy this thoroughly engaging novel that provides a colorful inside view of the all-American pastime. The characters are authentic, the plot deftly paced and the narrative lively and humorous. Kate Henry, a 40-year-old baseball writer, covers the Toronto Titans for the Toronto Planet. The veteran reporter is intelligent, feisty and enamored of her job. The Titans are about to clinch the pennant, but designated hitter Sultan Sanchez misses the big game. During the victory celebration the team announces that Sultan is dead. The next morning, the body of ace pitcher Steve Thorson is found in the clubhouse, and it appears that the two murders are related. Even worse, the killer must be someone connected with the team. In pursuit of this hot story, Kate confronts blackmail, drugs and, eventually, the culprit. Gordon's feminine viewpoint injects new life into the sports mystery. The author, who spent five years covering the Blue Jays for the Toronto Star , was the first woman to cover the American League beat and wrote the nonfiction Foul Balls . She deserves to make the All-Star team. (Aug.)