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jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read some Troy Soos novels as a kid. I really enjoyed the concept of an old-time baseball player solving murders in the early days of the league. This one doesn't disappoint, it's well-plotted with a good mystery (that stretches a little too much near the end but still) set amidst the rich backdrop of the game and the era. I look forward to reading more of this series now that I'm older and can appreciate it more.
scottnap's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kegriese1's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
3.0
I live in Cincinnati and enjoy baseball history so those facts influenced my rating- it would be lower otherwise. It’s hard to believe the clue in the memorabilia would have existed. It’s hard to believe the final confession would have happened. It’s hard to believe the secrets kept from the police and public at the end could have been kept.
sbunyan's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5. A historical fiction murder with lots of real people included. I wasn’t always sure what was history and what was fiction. I enjoyed the baseball information the descriptions of Cincinnati. I think the subplot about the zoo was unnecessary as there was already plenty of story to keep track.
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
4.0
I had never heard of Troy Soos, or his fictional baseball player, Mickey Rawlings, until my Dad gave me this book that he had read. This book was so much fun, and I can't wait to get my hands on another one. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a HUGE baseball fan, so finding an adult fiction book that centers around baseball was truly amazing.
The Cincinnati Red Stalkings is a mystery set in 1921, as Mickey Rawlings, a utility infielder for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, attempts to solve several mysteries that are really making his life miserable. He lives with an actress named Margie (which is scandalous for 1921, and quite humorous every time he tries to describe their relationship to someone), who winds up solving her own mystery. There are historical facts included in this book, which makes it even more enjoyable.
This story centers around events that involved the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Baseball Club, which was the first completely professional nine. The team, led by Harry Wright, went 57-0 in 1869. (True story!) But when Mickey Rawlings is given an old baseball, among some other memorabilia from 1869 that appears mostly worthless, things really start to get interesting. Was a young girl truly murdered in 1869 and buried in Eden Park? Whatever happened to Dick Hurley, the utility infielder for the 1869 team? Is the man who showed up in 1921 claiming to be Dick Hurley really him? And why was Mickey Rawlings apparently set up with a photo showing him shaking hands with a known gambler (who just happened to be handing him an envelope) right in the middle of the Chicago Black Sox trial? This, of course, caused him to be suspended and questioned by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first baseball commissioner. Rawlings certainly had his hands full!
Baseball and murder mystery! What a great combination! This book is, according to the description on Goodreads, is number 5 in the series, and I know there is at least one more after this one. I'll be looking for all of them.
The Cincinnati Red Stalkings is a mystery set in 1921, as Mickey Rawlings, a utility infielder for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, attempts to solve several mysteries that are really making his life miserable. He lives with an actress named Margie (which is scandalous for 1921, and quite humorous every time he tries to describe their relationship to someone), who winds up solving her own mystery. There are historical facts included in this book, which makes it even more enjoyable.
This story centers around events that involved the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Baseball Club, which was the first completely professional nine. The team, led by Harry Wright, went 57-0 in 1869. (True story!) But when Mickey Rawlings is given an old baseball, among some other memorabilia from 1869 that appears mostly worthless, things really start to get interesting. Was a young girl truly murdered in 1869 and buried in Eden Park? Whatever happened to Dick Hurley, the utility infielder for the 1869 team? Is the man who showed up in 1921 claiming to be Dick Hurley really him? And why was Mickey Rawlings apparently set up with a photo showing him shaking hands with a known gambler (who just happened to be handing him an envelope) right in the middle of the Chicago Black Sox trial? This, of course, caused him to be suspended and questioned by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first baseball commissioner. Rawlings certainly had his hands full!
Baseball and murder mystery! What a great combination! This book is, according to the description on Goodreads, is number 5 in the series, and I know there is at least one more after this one. I'll be looking for all of them.
sheltzer's review against another edition
3.0
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the world of Mickey Rawlings. It was interesting to read about what baseball was like during the fallout of the Black Sox scandal.
I thought the mystery was rather complicated, it took some work to keep all of the threads straight in my mind while they were being unraveled.
I thought the mystery was rather complicated, it took some work to keep all of the threads straight in my mind while they were being unraveled.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read some Troy Soos novels as a kid. I really enjoyed the concept of an old-time baseball player solving murders in the early days of the league. This one doesn't disappoint, it's well-plotted with a good mystery (that stretches a little too much near the end but still) set amidst the rich backdrop of the game and the era. I look forward to reading more of this series now that I'm older and can appreciate it more.
komet2020's review against another edition
5.0
This is the fifth novel in the Mickey Rawlings Mystery Series that I've read and it doesn't disappoint. It is 1921 and Rawlings is now playing with the Cincinnati Reds. He volunteers to help a local baseball super fan, Oliver Penniman, set up an exhibit of memorabilia to honor the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team in American history.
But before the exhibit could take place, Penniman is murdered and Rawlings "soon finds himself embroiled in a mix of conspiracy, lies, and murder that [could] end his career ... and his life."
But before the exhibit could take place, Penniman is murdered and Rawlings "soon finds himself embroiled in a mix of conspiracy, lies, and murder that [could] end his career ... and his life."