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Cat Marsala Mystery #3
Hard Luck: A Cat Marsala Mystery
Chicago journalist Cat Marsala decides to investigate the inception of a new Central States Lottery, and when the man she is about to interview falls from a high-rise window and lands at her feet, she suspects foul play.
- GenresMystery
330 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1992
44 people want to read
About the author
Barbara D'Amato
45 books27 followersAka Malacai Black
Barbara D'Amato has had a checkered career, working in the distant past as an assistant surgical orderly, carpenter for stage magic illusions, assistant tiger handler, stage manager, researcher for attorneys in criminal cases, and recently sometimes teaching mystery writing to Chicago police officers.
"Writing is the greatest job of all," D'Amato says. "I get to hang around with cops, go ask people questions about their jobs that I would be too chicken to ask without a reason, and walk around Chicago looking for good murder locales. Best of all, I get to read mystery and suspense novels and call it keeping up with the field."
She was the 1999-2000 president of Mystery Writers of America. D'Amato is also a past president of Sisters in Crime International.
D'Amato is a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher. Her research on the Dr. John Branion murder case formed the basis for a segment on "Unsolved Mysteries," and she appeared on the program. Her musical comedies, The Magic Man and children's musical The Magic of Young Houdini, written with husband Anthony D'Amato, played in Chicago and London. Their Prohibition-era musical comedy RSVP Broadway, which played in Chicago in 1980, was named an "event of particular interest" by Chicago magazine. A native of Michigan, she has been a resident of Chicago for many years.
Barbara D'Amato has had a checkered career, working in the distant past as an assistant surgical orderly, carpenter for stage magic illusions, assistant tiger handler, stage manager, researcher for attorneys in criminal cases, and recently sometimes teaching mystery writing to Chicago police officers.
"Writing is the greatest job of all," D'Amato says. "I get to hang around with cops, go ask people questions about their jobs that I would be too chicken to ask without a reason, and walk around Chicago looking for good murder locales. Best of all, I get to read mystery and suspense novels and call it keeping up with the field."
She was the 1999-2000 president of Mystery Writers of America. D'Amato is also a past president of Sisters in Crime International.
D'Amato is a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher. Her research on the Dr. John Branion murder case formed the basis for a segment on "Unsolved Mysteries," and she appeared on the program. Her musical comedies, The Magic Man and children's musical The Magic of Young Houdini, written with husband Anthony D'Amato, played in Chicago and London. Their Prohibition-era musical comedy RSVP Broadway, which played in Chicago in 1980, was named an "event of particular interest" by Chicago magazine. A native of Michigan, she has been a resident of Chicago for many years.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 27, 2021
More like 3.5 stars. Pretty good for a book written in the early 1990's and read in 2021 - crime fiction has advanced quite a bit in the last 3 decades and this book still holds up fairly well.
February 27, 2022
Average, some interesting parts
March 9, 2015
Hard Luck, Cat Marsala mystery, Book 3.
By Barbara D'Amato
One of the things I love about D'Amato's writing is her dedication to thorough research. I read a lot of mystery series, and they often feature a P.I., a dandy mystery, and twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. D'Amato's Cat Marsala is a freelance reporter -- what I'd call an investigative reporter. You'd think a P.I. and an investigative reporter would both have similar methods. Both must first investigate the subject, be it time-shares or a cheating spouse. Both must gather information, some of which will be helpful and some of which will not. Both must piece those bits of information and investigation together to form the final product, be that a theory, the solution to a crime, or a compelling article.
Where D'Amato's character (and her writing) seems to stray from the subject/crime/solution format mentioned above is her thorough research. In the first book of the series, it was legalization of currently illegal drugs. In the second book of the series, it was sailing. In the sixth book, it was Christmas tree farming. And in this, the third book, it was the lottery. In every case, there was a murder to be solved and danger to the main character and others. In every case, there was investigation. And in every case, there was such a thorough research into the underlying subject matter, aside from the murder and danger, and such a tight aligning of both the research and the mystery, that the reader is not only informed on the subject, but enjoys being schooled because it is made such an integral part of the plot.
Yes, in this book 3, Cat is on assignment to write an article on how state and multi-state lotteries work. One of the first interesting facts she discovers is that the Illinois lottery (fiction, remember) is, for the most part, administered by a single family. The Furmans, from Hector Sr. down through 3 of his children and one child's spouse, have high level positions in the planning, marketing, advertising and security of the lottery. After interviewing a couple of them, Cat sets an appointment to meet with the in-law member of this family grouping. As she is passing the building, just before her appointment time the next day, the person she was to interview comes hurtling down to his death from his office on the 9th floor, landing just in front of her on the sidewalk. Later that same night, an attempt is made on her life. She soon discovers that Hector Sr. is a reputed "connected" man from the old-school mob days. Game on.
I've already praised D'Amato's research and her ability to wind that research into the fabric of her storyline. She also keeps the number of characters to a reasonable minimum, allowing the reader to formulate opinions as to who-dun-it, but still putting in enough twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Along the way, she nicely marries the mess that is Cat's personal life with the storyline, firmly engaging the reader in every aspect of her fictional world.
Great editing and proofing -- always a big plus for me. Again, I'm charmed by the early digital age era, which allows computers and word processors and even early internet, but isn't cluttered up with cell phones and a constant online presence (this particular novel was originally published in 1992). Cat even does her research in brick and mortar library. How differently the storyline would read if written in today's instant access era.
I also am always charmed by references to actual places with which I am somewhat familiar. In this episode, there is mention of Carbondale, IL, a town in the far south of Illinois (and where I have one Facebook friend -- and fellow dancer, and which is a place where another dancer friend of mine was located for a short time.) For me, those types of references, as well as the memory-invoking descriptions of Chicago neighborhoods, is one of the main reasons this series resonates so strongly with me.
So -- another quick and delightful read. Yes, I'm on to "Hard Women," the fourth novel in the Cat Marsala series, published originally in 1993.
By Barbara D'Amato
One of the things I love about D'Amato's writing is her dedication to thorough research. I read a lot of mystery series, and they often feature a P.I., a dandy mystery, and twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. D'Amato's Cat Marsala is a freelance reporter -- what I'd call an investigative reporter. You'd think a P.I. and an investigative reporter would both have similar methods. Both must first investigate the subject, be it time-shares or a cheating spouse. Both must gather information, some of which will be helpful and some of which will not. Both must piece those bits of information and investigation together to form the final product, be that a theory, the solution to a crime, or a compelling article.
Where D'Amato's character (and her writing) seems to stray from the subject/crime/solution format mentioned above is her thorough research. In the first book of the series, it was legalization of currently illegal drugs. In the second book of the series, it was sailing. In the sixth book, it was Christmas tree farming. And in this, the third book, it was the lottery. In every case, there was a murder to be solved and danger to the main character and others. In every case, there was investigation. And in every case, there was such a thorough research into the underlying subject matter, aside from the murder and danger, and such a tight aligning of both the research and the mystery, that the reader is not only informed on the subject, but enjoys being schooled because it is made such an integral part of the plot.
Yes, in this book 3, Cat is on assignment to write an article on how state and multi-state lotteries work. One of the first interesting facts she discovers is that the Illinois lottery (fiction, remember) is, for the most part, administered by a single family. The Furmans, from Hector Sr. down through 3 of his children and one child's spouse, have high level positions in the planning, marketing, advertising and security of the lottery. After interviewing a couple of them, Cat sets an appointment to meet with the in-law member of this family grouping. As she is passing the building, just before her appointment time the next day, the person she was to interview comes hurtling down to his death from his office on the 9th floor, landing just in front of her on the sidewalk. Later that same night, an attempt is made on her life. She soon discovers that Hector Sr. is a reputed "connected" man from the old-school mob days. Game on.
I've already praised D'Amato's research and her ability to wind that research into the fabric of her storyline. She also keeps the number of characters to a reasonable minimum, allowing the reader to formulate opinions as to who-dun-it, but still putting in enough twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. Along the way, she nicely marries the mess that is Cat's personal life with the storyline, firmly engaging the reader in every aspect of her fictional world.
Great editing and proofing -- always a big plus for me. Again, I'm charmed by the early digital age era, which allows computers and word processors and even early internet, but isn't cluttered up with cell phones and a constant online presence (this particular novel was originally published in 1992). Cat even does her research in brick and mortar library. How differently the storyline would read if written in today's instant access era.
I also am always charmed by references to actual places with which I am somewhat familiar. In this episode, there is mention of Carbondale, IL, a town in the far south of Illinois (and where I have one Facebook friend -- and fellow dancer, and which is a place where another dancer friend of mine was located for a short time.) For me, those types of references, as well as the memory-invoking descriptions of Chicago neighborhoods, is one of the main reasons this series resonates so strongly with me.
So -- another quick and delightful read. Yes, I'm on to "Hard Women," the fourth novel in the Cat Marsala series, published originally in 1993.
July 5, 2008
HARD LUCK - VG
D'Amato, Barbara - VG
Chicago freelance journalist Cat Marsala, in her third outing here (after Hardball and Hard Tack ), watches the story of her career land--literally--in front of her when Jack Sligh, an Illinois lottery official, plummets to his death from a skyscraper. Cat recognizes the corpse because she'd made an appointment with Sligh in regard to an article she was writing on the proposed Central States Lottery. Convinced Sligh was pushed, Cat begins an in-depth investigation of his co-workers at the Illinois state lottery as D'Amato develops her solidly plotted story. Many of the employees Cat talks to belong to the large family of Sligh's estranged wife Doris Furman: her sister, brother, nephew, and her father, who may well have mob connections. Cat explores the ramifications the Central States organization might have on the Furman-controlled state lottery to determine what, if anything, Sligh knew or intended to reveal that might have gotten him killed.
This book is a wee bit weaker than the previous two, but it is still a very good read.
D'Amato, Barbara - VG
Chicago freelance journalist Cat Marsala, in her third outing here (after Hardball and Hard Tack ), watches the story of her career land--literally--in front of her when Jack Sligh, an Illinois lottery official, plummets to his death from a skyscraper. Cat recognizes the corpse because she'd made an appointment with Sligh in regard to an article she was writing on the proposed Central States Lottery. Convinced Sligh was pushed, Cat begins an in-depth investigation of his co-workers at the Illinois state lottery as D'Amato develops her solidly plotted story. Many of the employees Cat talks to belong to the large family of Sligh's estranged wife Doris Furman: her sister, brother, nephew, and her father, who may well have mob connections. Cat explores the ramifications the Central States organization might have on the Furman-controlled state lottery to determine what, if anything, Sligh knew or intended to reveal that might have gotten him killed.
This book is a wee bit weaker than the previous two, but it is still a very good read.
January 25, 2014
A murder mystery series set in Chicago, starring investigative reporter Cat Marsala who delves into corruption and crime in the windy city. Hard hitting, suspenseful, sometimes edge of seat tension delivered with a snappy patter and tidbits only a native Chicagoan would know. I enjoy her passion for her work and her sense of justice related in first person narrative. Makes me feel like i should look for her byline next time I'm in her town.
June 26, 2008
That entire last 'scene' with Cat in the air ducts was very well executed - I found myself reminding myself that I could breathe! Good mystery and likable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2009
Chicago journalist Cat Marsala wasn't planning to work on a murder: a lottery official falls or is pushed right before his meeting with her.
Read
December 5, 2012ok, not great
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews