Fear in Fenway: A Duffy House Mystery

This hardcover debut is the fourth Duffy House baseball mystery by the pseudonymous team of William Brashler ( The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings ) and free-lance editor Reinder Van Til. Lots of ballpark lore is spiced with a little murder as irascible retired sportswriter Duffy House and his nubile niece Petey, who does the legwork, leave Chicago for Boston and an Old-Timer's game. Poison in the potato salad and a shot of nicotine in the chewing tobacco fell two club legends. Although House has his eye (in more ways than one) on the very attractive owner Mrs. Patsy Dougherty, the strangled corpse of a pitcher, with his fingers broken post-mortem, makes him look elsewhere. Fueled with rapid-fire baseball trivia and the slick repartee of perky Petey and her gruff Unk, the story features jealous journalists and former players who, once colorful, may now be dangerously nuts. Maybe not a home run, but a solid hit nonetheless. (Apr.)