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Cat Marsala Mystery #1
Hardball
First Edition. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Signed and inscribed by D'Amato on the title page. Review copy with slips laid-in. The first Cat Marsala mystery.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
7 people are currently reading
89 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 31, 2016
Stayed up late to finish it! Enjoyed the style, the characters, the unfolding of the plot, the hints and clues - all very well done. Presentation of thought-provoking views on legalization of drugs was interesting but maybe just a tad too drawn out. Chapter 23 seemed crazy (why do that?) but nevertheless it was a nail-biter. I will definitely read the others in this series though!
April 3, 2019
I found this book rather disappointing on a number of levels.
It’s the book that started an entire series of mystery novels featuring Cat Marsala, a journalist-turned-sleuth who happens to live with an African grey parrot named Long John Silver. It was the second book in the series that I’ve read; I read “Hard Christmas” in December 2003 and quite enjoyed it although I don’t remember much about it. I suspect I liked it more because it was a Christmas mystery and the protagonist was a journalist with an African grey parrot than because of any incredible storylines or plot. However, this book started out not too badly, but the last four or five chapters just brought it way down, in my opinion. The premise of what happened in the end just doesn’t work for me. Far too much of what happens in the way the mystery is solved and wrapped up just seems too unrealistic.
There also wasn’t enough of the African grey parrot in it. 😉
Probably won’t be buying another book in this series.
I would’ve actually rated it a 2.5 rather than a 2 it just wasn’t good enoughto be a 3 in my mind, but better than a 2. However Goodreads’ system doesn’t allow you to give half stars.
It’s the book that started an entire series of mystery novels featuring Cat Marsala, a journalist-turned-sleuth who happens to live with an African grey parrot named Long John Silver. It was the second book in the series that I’ve read; I read “Hard Christmas” in December 2003 and quite enjoyed it although I don’t remember much about it. I suspect I liked it more because it was a Christmas mystery and the protagonist was a journalist with an African grey parrot than because of any incredible storylines or plot. However, this book started out not too badly, but the last four or five chapters just brought it way down, in my opinion. The premise of what happened in the end just doesn’t work for me. Far too much of what happens in the way the mystery is solved and wrapped up just seems too unrealistic.
There also wasn’t enough of the African grey parrot in it. 😉
Probably won’t be buying another book in this series.
I would’ve actually rated it a 2.5 rather than a 2 it just wasn’t good enoughto be a 3 in my mind, but better than a 2. However Goodreads’ system doesn’t allow you to give half stars.
April 18, 2024
A mystery set in Chicago featuring a main character who lives with an African Grey Parrot? Yes, please!
But unfortunately Hardball was only okay. Cat, a reporter, is definitely too stupid to live and is attacked at least three times in this book alone (in addition to surviving the bomb that sets up the story). The story feels very dated. Cat is the kind of person who has two serious boyfriends and is flirting her way toward a possible third, ugh. Not my kind of person. The mob is involved, yawn.
And on top of all that the parrot is not in the story very much and is not very well portrayed. He tends to say things like "aawwwk!" and "awk!" which, I've had three African Grey Parrots and don't think I ever heard one of them say "aawwwk." It seems to be used to make sure we understand it's the parrot talking.
I did enjoy the Chicago setting.
I'm glad I read it but don't see myself continuing with the series.
But unfortunately Hardball was only okay. Cat, a reporter, is definitely too stupid to live and is attacked at least three times in this book alone (in addition to surviving the bomb that sets up the story). The story feels very dated. Cat is the kind of person who has two serious boyfriends and is flirting her way toward a possible third, ugh. Not my kind of person. The mob is involved, yawn.
And on top of all that the parrot is not in the story very much and is not very well portrayed. He tends to say things like "aawwwk!" and "awk!" which, I've had three African Grey Parrots and don't think I ever heard one of them say "aawwwk." It seems to be used to make sure we understand it's the parrot talking.
I did enjoy the Chicago setting.
I'm glad I read it but don't see myself continuing with the series.
November 26, 2025
Reporter Cat Marsala gets injured by an exploding bomb that kills Louise Sugarman, the woman she’s about to interview. It’s back in the 1980s, and Louise, a kindly-looking older woman, is an advocate for decriminalizing drugs and treating addiction as a medical problem. She’s made a lot of enemies. Cat gets concussed in the attack, but is upset enough about the bomb to investigate a different kind of article than the one she planned. I loved following Cat through the streets of Chicago and couldn’t put the book down despite a few holes in the climax. Still, the characters are gripping, the writing is tight, and I look forward to reading more in the series.
January 18, 2020
A new mystery series set in Chicago, with a free-lance reporter named Cat Marsala as the detective. It was very reminiscent of Paretsky’s mysteries in a way. Action, independence, drive. The only minor quibbles: the solution did not seem to fit, quite all of a sudden Uncle Ben becoming the bad guy. Also there were several multi-page diatribes pro-and anti-drug law repeal, which was completely extraneous to the plot and which I would have excised completely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2024
Not a bad little mystery. There is a plethora of books just like this with some character who gets involved in private sleuthing to solve a crime and then gets in some danger personally along the way. The story here is OK - the underlying theme being the legalization of drugs - but I couldn't get a whole lot of sympathy for the main character.
October 18, 2022
I was caught!
I read this book all day and got nothing else accomplished! Nice fun book to curl up with on a cold day!
I read this book all day and got nothing else accomplished! Nice fun book to curl up with on a cold day!
June 1, 2024
Fast and funny, nice debut. 3.5
March 4, 2015
Hard Ball, Cat Marsala Mysteries Book 1
by Barbara D'Amato
I began following this series, which started about 1990, at the beginning, and read the first three books before somehow losing track of the series. Can't remember why I stopped reading it, but perhaps because I was also reading the V.I. Warshawski series and had trouble keeping the two Chicago characters separate in my mind.
In any case, a few years back I'd pick up the 6th novel in the series, Hard Christmas, to read over the holidays, but the book languished on my "to read" shelf until earlier this year. I then decided to reread the entire series and went about collecting the other 8 books in the 9-book series with the help of a couple of gift cards from my sister, Pat.
I'm very glad I did.
For one, it's always interesting to me to read work published before our all-encompassing digital age. In 1993, there were computers, but they were relatively new and the internet age was in its early stages for most of us. Cell phones weren't all that popular, although mobile phones had been around about a decade. I find it interesting to be reminded about what life was like before we had the world at our fingertips.
Cat Marsala is a free-lance reporter. Once she starts looking into a situation, she is driven and tunnel-visioned, which tends to put her in harm's way. In this first episode, she has a very personal interest, as she was sitting on the same couch as the target when the bomb went off. Although her injuries were relatively minor, the same could not be said for the woman she was interviewing.
Her initial reason for interviewing the victim had to do with the victim's campaign to decriminalize currently illegal drugs in Illinois. The victim, Louise Sugarman, was a soft spoken senior citizen who seemed a strange participant in this legal battle, and who zealously her personal life from becoming part of the campaign issues. The explosion happens at a debate event, during the intermission, in a reception room filled with about 20 people, Cat and Louise being the only two seated on the couch. Because of the size and type of explosive device, it had to be set off by someone in the room at the time of the explosion. With the help of her detective friend, McCoo, Cat begins to whittle down the list of possible suspects while continuing to investigate the issues in the drug legalization campaign. Among the possible suspects are two professors who were on the same side of the legalization battle as the victim, but who might want her position as the lead proponent of legalization. Or maybe it was the school teacher who vehemently opposed legalization, or the policeman who headed the drug enforcement team or the Federal DEA agent. Maybe it was her husband, Max Sugarman. Both the pro-legalization and anti-legalization camps had staff that were dedicated to the cause -- perhaps one of them was a little too dedicated. Also on her suspect list was a young man whose family was connected to the mob, and her own Uncle Ben.
Discovering the truth isn't always easy and, especially in this case, often not safe.
Barbara D'Amato is a well-published author. In this series, she displays excellent plotting, setting the scenes and scattering just enough clues to keep her readers informed, but guessing, as Cat attempts to negotiate some very tricky waters in her investigation. D'Amato's descriptions of individual characters and of the Chicago landscape are spot on, drawing mental visions of the diverse areas of Windy City and its inhabitants. The plot twists and turns as Cat delves deeper and deeper into the who, what, where, when and whys of her investigation. Someone wanted Louise Sugarman very very dead. Did they want Cat dead, too?
No grammar or proofing errors jumped out at me; always a big plus in my book. I read the book quickly, finding it hard to put it down and get on with everyday life. Good read, and I'm off to book 2 -- Hard Tack.
by Barbara D'Amato
I began following this series, which started about 1990, at the beginning, and read the first three books before somehow losing track of the series. Can't remember why I stopped reading it, but perhaps because I was also reading the V.I. Warshawski series and had trouble keeping the two Chicago characters separate in my mind.
In any case, a few years back I'd pick up the 6th novel in the series, Hard Christmas, to read over the holidays, but the book languished on my "to read" shelf until earlier this year. I then decided to reread the entire series and went about collecting the other 8 books in the 9-book series with the help of a couple of gift cards from my sister, Pat.
I'm very glad I did.
For one, it's always interesting to me to read work published before our all-encompassing digital age. In 1993, there were computers, but they were relatively new and the internet age was in its early stages for most of us. Cell phones weren't all that popular, although mobile phones had been around about a decade. I find it interesting to be reminded about what life was like before we had the world at our fingertips.
Cat Marsala is a free-lance reporter. Once she starts looking into a situation, she is driven and tunnel-visioned, which tends to put her in harm's way. In this first episode, she has a very personal interest, as she was sitting on the same couch as the target when the bomb went off. Although her injuries were relatively minor, the same could not be said for the woman she was interviewing.
Her initial reason for interviewing the victim had to do with the victim's campaign to decriminalize currently illegal drugs in Illinois. The victim, Louise Sugarman, was a soft spoken senior citizen who seemed a strange participant in this legal battle, and who zealously her personal life from becoming part of the campaign issues. The explosion happens at a debate event, during the intermission, in a reception room filled with about 20 people, Cat and Louise being the only two seated on the couch. Because of the size and type of explosive device, it had to be set off by someone in the room at the time of the explosion. With the help of her detective friend, McCoo, Cat begins to whittle down the list of possible suspects while continuing to investigate the issues in the drug legalization campaign. Among the possible suspects are two professors who were on the same side of the legalization battle as the victim, but who might want her position as the lead proponent of legalization. Or maybe it was the school teacher who vehemently opposed legalization, or the policeman who headed the drug enforcement team or the Federal DEA agent. Maybe it was her husband, Max Sugarman. Both the pro-legalization and anti-legalization camps had staff that were dedicated to the cause -- perhaps one of them was a little too dedicated. Also on her suspect list was a young man whose family was connected to the mob, and her own Uncle Ben.
Discovering the truth isn't always easy and, especially in this case, often not safe.
Barbara D'Amato is a well-published author. In this series, she displays excellent plotting, setting the scenes and scattering just enough clues to keep her readers informed, but guessing, as Cat attempts to negotiate some very tricky waters in her investigation. D'Amato's descriptions of individual characters and of the Chicago landscape are spot on, drawing mental visions of the diverse areas of Windy City and its inhabitants. The plot twists and turns as Cat delves deeper and deeper into the who, what, where, when and whys of her investigation. Someone wanted Louise Sugarman very very dead. Did they want Cat dead, too?
No grammar or proofing errors jumped out at me; always a big plus in my book. I read the book quickly, finding it hard to put it down and get on with everyday life. Good read, and I'm off to book 2 -- Hard Tack.
January 16, 2008
Hardball - Ex
D'Amato, Barbara - 1st in Cat Marsala series
A bomb explodes, taking the life of Louise Sugarman and injuring reporter Cat Marsala. As a controversial advocate for the decriminalization of drugs and for treating addiction as a medical problem, Sugarman has many enemies. Outraged by the attack, Cat resolves to find the killer. The investigation forces Cat to confront the issue and the people on both sides of the debate.
This was very good. I'm definitely going to look for more of this series.
D'Amato, Barbara - 1st in Cat Marsala series
A bomb explodes, taking the life of Louise Sugarman and injuring reporter Cat Marsala. As a controversial advocate for the decriminalization of drugs and for treating addiction as a medical problem, Sugarman has many enemies. Outraged by the attack, Cat resolves to find the killer. The investigation forces Cat to confront the issue and the people on both sides of the debate.
This was very good. I'm definitely going to look for more of this series.
June 11, 2008
This book was intense to say the least. You could say it was a thrilling novel, however, the repetative "search" in this book is kind of what turned me off towards the bulk of the story. All-in-all, i could really see Sugarman relate to Raskolnikov of the book Crime and Punishment. There struggles with them selvs. I would not reccomend this book as a "light" read. Be prepared to get your head twisted.
January 18, 2010
Love this series, especially with Chicago and it's suburbs as a backdrop!
Want to read
December 30, 2018Synopsis: a bomb explodes and injures reporter Cat Marsala. She supports the decriminalization of drugs. Was someone really that angry?
April 19, 2017
I ran across this author from an Omnimystery review and was quite surprised at how much I liked it.
Cat Marsala is a freelance writer with a pet parrot and two boyfriends. In this story, she decides to cover the debate on drug legalization, thus involving herself in a murder and, for her, its very dangerous consequences. I'll be sure to read the next book in the series.
Cat Marsala is a freelance writer with a pet parrot and two boyfriends. In this story, she decides to cover the debate on drug legalization, thus involving herself in a murder and, for her, its very dangerous consequences. I'll be sure to read the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews