Dead Ball
Murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the hallowed grounds of AllSport, a sports facility that houses & trains inner city athletes who have shown professional potential in various sports. Before AllSport, many of these athletes lived in poverty. Many were members of street gangs. Combining these kids, the country’s top professional athletes, the finest training facility in the world, and big money, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound and the high-stakes world of professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive is long. Then the body count grows. The sports world is one where all kinds of people come to play, not just the athletes, and the rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!
John Lescroart, New York Times Bestselling Author –
Listen up, sports and mystery fans! Buy Michael Balkind’s Dead Ball right now. Remember “Bo Knows Sports”? They should update it to “Balkind knows sports (and mysteries, too).”
Ralph Wimbish, New York Post Sports Editor –
Michael Balkind has “Who-Dunit” again. Dead Ball offers an intriguing look at a different side of sports.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds –
Big Sport, Big Money, Big Suspense – Michael Balkind hit another one right down the middle!
Alan Kalter, television announcer –
In Dead Ball, golfing great Reid Clark and his inner circle try to catch a killer, and Michael Balkind turns a sports event into much more than a game. Can’t wait for Balkind’s next.
Don Dahler – WCBS-TV NY News Anchor and author of A Tight Lie & Water Hazard –
From the opening page of Michael Balkind’s crackling thriller, Dead Ball, one thing, and perhaps only one thing, is certain, golf legend Reid Clark is being stalked by trouble. With the discovery of his best friend’s dead body, Clark is propelled into a frenzied search for the killer with the aid of a team of capable and loyal friends including investigative genius, Jay Scott, who digs into the shadowy corners of the business side of sports only to discover even the most admired among them can have secrets which prove deadly. Balkind lays out the search for answers like the great golf course designer, Albert Tillinghast, laid out his fairways and greens, with a mix of challenge and reward, deception and epiphany, gracing his readers with an enjoyable walk through the pages culminating in a satisfying finish. Along the way, Balkind reveals his own appreciation for and knowledge of a wide array of martial arts and sports, making it clear why he chooses to base his mysteries in that world, he knows it, he loves it, he writes it so well. There are mystery writers. There are sports writers. And then there’s Michael Balkind.
Jeannine J.R. Reardon, author of Confidential Communications –
A masterful performance by Balkind. Through the detail and description in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings to life both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action- examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance. Dead Ball is a refreshing new thriller, blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense. There is something for everyone. A real page turner!
Ellen George “ellen in atlanta” (A top Amazon Reviewer) –
5 stars – A fantastic sequel to Sudden Death
Author Michael Balkind introduced us to Reid Clark, golf superstar with the attitude of a prima donna, in Sudden Death. As the book progressed, Reid transformed into a sports figure we all would love, as well as establishing Michael Balkind as one heck of an author. His Reid Clark sequel, Dead Ball, hits it out of the park. Reid Clark’s dream to have a facility where talents from all sports can converge and learn their craft has become a reality – AllSport is the best place for the best to learn. Something terrible happens – a dead body is found on the grounds. Turns out it is Bob Thomas, Reid Clark’s best friend and Chief Financial Officer of The Inner City Sports Foundation and AllSport. Reid is devastated, but determined to find out who would kill such a good man. With Buck, Reid’s colorful agent and friend, as well as other characters from Sudden Death, the authorities and friends try to figure out why Bob Thomas was killed and dumped on AllSport grounds. The process of the investigation proceeds in a believable fashion and will keep you guessing ‘who done it’. Balkind knows how to spin a mystery. Dead Ball‘s actions are nonstop. Balkind’s characters are well rounded and you care for each of them and the circumstances that have occured. Reid Clark, our hero, has grown into a man you respect and would root for on the golf course. I think I may root for him like I root for Tiger Woods! Mr. Balkind’s AllSport Complex gives a broad canvas for future adventures as AllSport deals with, well, all sports to glean many stories from. The proof of the pudding of an author is if he can expand on a character or sequel to make us want more. I cannot wait for more adventures from Reid Clark and AllSport!!
Keep ’em coming Michael Balkind!
Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands –
5-stars: Dead Ball, if you’re in the game – watch your back!
Where else can you find murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the rarefied grounds of AllSport – state-of-the-art facilities that house & train top athletes in numerous sports to compete at the highest levels. It’s no surprise then, that combining the world’s most highly skilled and competitive athletes, with the best training facility in the world, and all of the rivers of money that follow and flow, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound throughout the book, the players are many, and the high-stakes world of amateur & professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive and opportunity is long. Then the body count grows. The sports world is one where all kinds of people come to play, not just the athletes, and rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Is it no more than a price to be paid as a means to an end? Or is it revenge? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!
Mark Jeffers, President Marsar Sports & Entertainment –
In his latest novel, Dead Ball, Michael Balkind throws the reader a fast and fun read with many suspenseful curves… A great change up from most mysteries today. Outstanding!
Carrie Runnals, Words To Mouth –
Dead Ball, no Dead Beat!
Michael Balkind delivers another steady swing for sport fans who thrive on murder and intrigue. Reid Clark fans won’t be disappointed.