Putt To Death: A Golf Lover's Mystery

A Golf Lover's Mystery #3

by Roberta Isleib

Cassie Burdette is going through a rough patch on the LPGA Tour, so snagging the touring pro job at a posh Connecticut country club is a stroke of good luck. But many members feel that efforts to turn this fancy male domain into a Jack-and-Jill, environmentally friendly club are strictly out of bounds. Then Cassie stumbles upon the body of an unpopular member who has been beaned . . .

Genres: Mystery

333 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2004

About the author

New Jersey born clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib (who also writes as Lucy Burdette) took up writing mysteries to justify too much bad golf. Her Cassie Burdette series was nominated for an Agatha and two Anthony awards. Her new series debuted in March with DEADLY ADVICE, starring a psychologist/advice columnist. PREACHING TO THE CORPSE will follow in December. Roberta is the president of Sisters in Crime National.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cozy mystery is set on the golf course at a private club on the CT shoreline. It also mentions the golf course in Cromwell (there is really a PGA event in Cromwell), several CT towns, Wethersfield Country Club and even the GHO (locals in Hartford CT will recognize that as the Greater Hartford Open). It was fun for me to have a book set in my local area. The story features a LPGA golf pro who is trying to get back on the circuit while working at a club - and of course she finds a body on the course. And, then there's another murder..... I'll certainly look for the others in the series.

[Diane Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putt to Death by Roberta Isleib has Cassie taking a job as the pro in a country club in NewEngland. The club has her wondering what Laura has gotten her into within hours of arriving there. Of course it involves golf and murder. But why and who committed the crimes remains hidden until the very last chapters.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only Cassie Burdette played golf as well as her creator, Roberta
Isleib, designs her adventures; she would be ranked number one in the
world. In PUTT TO DEATH, the third Cassie Burdette mystery, we find
that life on the tour is not what it's cracked up to be. Actually,
for Cassie there is no life on the tour, for too many poor showings
have led to a brief suspension from the LPGA, leaving Cassie to take
on temp work as a golf pro in a snooty northern country club.

Now, instead of putting against the likes of Annika Sorenstam and
Karrie Webb, Cassie must help little old ladies improve their
backswing while also performing various PR duties for special events,
all the while keeping her smile bright in the face of veiled misogyny
in the name of golf (it's not Hootie Johnson bad, though; to tell the
truth, it isn't exactly veiled, either). Seems like a good venue for
staying out of trouble, despite the petty bickering among club
members, but trouble finds Cassie anyway. Two champions for change,
one for environmental improvements and the other for equality for
female members, are found dead on the greens, and despite promises to
her friends and shrink, Cassie slowly becomes involved in the crimes,
partly to clear herself of suspicion.

Add the sudden reappearance of Cassie's long estranged father, and
romantic on-again, off-again hijinks with a fellow golfer on the
professional tour, and mystery lovers have a well-rounded, witty
caper guaranteed to keep interest in between tournaments. One thing
to note (spoiler): There's a reference in the book to recent Masters
winner, Phil Mickelson, not being a natural lefty. As a natural lefty
happy to see a lefty take the green jacket, I can only say, say it
ain't so, Roberta! :-)

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book about golf course murder and the traveling assistant Pro Cassie Burdette who comes to the Stony Creek Golf club in Connecticut to work on her game after trying to play in the LPGA. I didn't find a putting contest or reference for this title. There were two murders for her to solve on the golf course the first week of her employment while she hurried back and forth to watch her boyfriend and his caddie her former roommate at the PGA tournament nearby. Her long lost father shows up to announce he is joining the seniors pga tournament. There are golf psychologists helping each golfer with their game and to calm down. The ending was a surprise and not expected.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was introduced to this series by a group read at an egroup. It has good information on golf terms and lingo for those who aren't golf fans. A good cozy with a nice mystery and lots of golf fun.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggling to make it on the LPGA tour, Cassie takes a job as a touring pro at a posh Connecticut golf club. Second in Golf Lover's Mystery series, following Six Strokes Under.

[Susan Carvalho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light read, predictable outcome. The only reason I finished reading it was because of the references to CT and the GHO.