Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews - 4 stars

[annapi]

When I started this book I didn't think I would like it much as I really don't like baseball. Happily, Donna Andrews is such a good writer that the baseball was secondary to the mystery, even while the story was peppered with baseball trivia, and the character conflicts are what made this so interesting. Meg's twins are in the local baseball league, and slowly they learn that the league president, Biff Brown, is a much-loathed man who tries to stack the decks in favor of his own kids' teams. He also is a contractor who has managed to snag the job to fix and maintain the baseball field, but has done no work on it at all, and is adept at avoiding Meg's calls in her capacity as executive assistant to the mayor. So when Biff's half brother is murdered, it's assumed he was mistaken for Biff as they looked alike, though many suspect Biff's temper may have gotten the better of him.

This one doesn't give as many clues to the identity of the murderer so the reader can figure it out (at least it blindsided me), but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I also like that the characters are complex and not one-dimensional, as even the nasty Biff shows a semi-decent side to him near the end. It's also amusing the way the baseball parents are depicted, as I imagine readers will recognize many of those types. I really enjoy this series.