Ballgame

An American Who Watched British Mysteries Novel

How could a murder have been committed in front of a bleachers full of people?

Welcome to the second American Who Watched British Mysteries book, where quotes and references to favorite shows spring up like clues alongside the clues to the mystery itself. In it, levelheaded police detective Marlowe is summoned to a suspicious death that happened at a kid’s baseball field – while a game was being played. And it turns out that mystery-television enthusiast John Arthur, who helped Marlowe solve an earlier case, and his brindled bouncy dog Ainsley were in the bleachers when it happened.

Along with his partner-in-solving-crime Detective Morven and newly promoted Detective Nelson, Marlowe discovers that though the victim, pastor Pat Brown, died in front of a crowd during the game, no-one saw anything suspicious. Not even John Arthur . . . who still has a number of British mystery quotes – and a few from a New Zealand town called Brokenwood – that he assures Marlowe will help.

As the team of detectives slides into investigating, they discover the pastor wasn’t as god-fearing as you’d hope, and that the bleachers were rostered by many that might have reasons to cause him harm. The line-up includes his wife Bridgette, shady deacon Mike Ray, angry ex-baseball team coach Neville Maloney, sultry church secretary Nikola Cassien, local bigwig Tom Toomey, convivial concession stand worker Drogo Oates, and others. But how could it have happened? Why was John there? And will his television insights from Poirot, Marple, Professor T, and others help Marlowe discover who killed the pastor before it turns into a two-murder show?