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    Murder at Wrigley Field
    Murder at Wrigley Field
    Murder at Wrigley Field
    Audiobook8 hours

    Murder at Wrigley Field

    Written by Troy Soos

    Narrated by Johnny Heller

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The year is 1918, the place, the North Side of Chicago. Starting for the first-place Cubs and hitting a career high of .274, for the first time in his life, Mickey Rawlings is feeling comfortable enough to buy furniture. But it is a time of mixed blessings; ominous battles are brewing at home and abroad. On the homefront, Major League baseball may be suspended for the duration of the war, anti-German sentiment is running high, and Mickey's best friend-a rookie named Willie Kaiser-has just been shot right on the diamond. Mickey doesn't buy the official explanation of "accidental death from a stray bullet." To him it is beginning to smell like murder. Mickey's search for answers takes him from silent movies to speakeasies to the stockyards. Troy Soos is celebrated for his skill in recreating an old-time baseball atmosphere and unforgettable real-life characters, and Johnny Heller, as Mickey, captures all the colorful detail.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 5, 2008
    ISBN9781436141567
    Murder at Wrigley Field

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    Reviews for Murder at Wrigley Field

    4.5/5

    2 ratings1 review

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    • 4/5

      Oct 5, 2023

      Whenever I begin to think that the world has reached new levels of hatred and intolerance, I read something that reminds me that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Mickey Rawlings is a struggling baseball player, one of the old boys of the early twentieth century. Having finally secured a daily playing spot at second base for the Chicago Cubs, he’s hitting a career high and reveling in all of the perks of being in the show. But his success is largely based on the weaker pool of talent in the majors due to the war that is on, the War to End All Wars. Players are enlisting out of patriotism or fear, while others are awaiting the Secretary of War’s decision on whether to shut the game down for the season. In Chicago, anyone suspected of German heritage is in danger; speaking German is forbidden by law, as is playing Beethoven or Bach. Ballgames begin with parade drills, ball players marching in formation and using their bats as a substitute for rifles. Then, on the Fourth of July, Mickey’s road roommate and double play partner, Willie Kaiser, is gunned down on the field by a sniper. Some suspect the murder was motivated by hate, because of the young shortstop’s German name and ancestry. Some suspect sabotage, as the Cubs owners are all angling for a larger share of the team. Whatever the motive, Mickey is dedicated to finding the killer, even if it means losing his spot on the team.Soos penned a solid murder mystery, noirish without the edge of constant gunplay. But the real strength of [Murder at Wrigley Field] is the historical picture of World War I America and baseball in the early twentieth century. The detail in describing the tone and feeling of Chicago and the rest of the country as the United States slowly entered the war is remarkable, second only to Soos’ care in detailing the ins and outs of the game of baseball, its contraction and expansion with new leagues and teams. Anyone with even a slight interest in the history of baseball will be amazed. For example, Wrigley Field was originally Weeghman Park, a field for the Federal League Whales, until Wrigley bought up a controlling interest and renamed the park. How many of you have even heard of the Federal League? Another example is that one of the Baltimore Orioles franchises, and there have been several, eventually became the New York Yankees. Some of the criticism of the book finds all of the detail, especially as it is woven into the mystery, convoluting. But I found the baseball and historical knowledge Soos uses to tell his story lends a credibility that often escapes mystery fiction. Post-9/11 America often lapses into intolerance and hate. The recent Congressional hearings are a prime example of how good intention can often be twisted for political gain in the name of patriotism. But while reading [Murder at Wrigley Field], I found it somewhat comforting to remember that this country has worked through such misunderstanding and xenophobia before; perhaps not to perfection but still worked through. The book is just a murder mystery, but the history is real.Bottom Line: A solid noir-lite murder mystery with extremely strong roots in the historical context of the early twentieth century and early baseball.4 bones!!!!