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Johnny Adcock #1
The Setup Man
Johnny Adcock is an aging Major League pitcher, who moonlights as a private investigator. Major League Baseball, as it turns out, is a prime source of employment for a discreet detective who has both the brains and the brawn to handle the unique problems of professional athletes. On the bus after a game, teammate Frankie Herrera confides in Adcock that he has a “problem with his wife.” It sounds like the standard story of a pro athlete’s marriage gone sour. However, when Frankie dies in a car crash, Adcock knows there are way too many questions still unanswered, and he dives head first into the most dangerous investigation of his budding second career.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
21 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
T.T. Monday
2 books36 followersT.T. Monday is the pseudonym of novelist Nick Taylor, author of The Disagreement (2008) and Father Junípero's Confessor (2013). Double Switch (2016) is the second novel to feature the Johnny Adcock, following The Setup Man (2014). He lives in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
July 6, 2025
I always enjoy fiction mashups (things like "a Western set in space," or "a murder mystery set in British India"), and so extra points here just for the setup (no pun intended) — a professional relief pitcher with plenty of time on his hands (on a busy day, he'll face maybe one batter late in the game) has a side gig as a private detective.
The mystery itself isn't anything particularly special, but as a debut novel this is pretty good, and for any fans of both baseball and detective stories, this should be a fun read. Think Dick Francis without the horses.
(Listened to this on the return trip from Upstate New York back to Virginia, although GR doesn't list an audio version.)
The mystery itself isn't anything particularly special, but as a debut novel this is pretty good, and for any fans of both baseball and detective stories, this should be a fun read. Think Dick Francis without the horses.
(Listened to this on the return trip from Upstate New York back to Virginia, although GR doesn't list an audio version.)
February 25, 2020
Johnny Adcock is a Major League Pitcher who moonlights as a detective. When a team mate hires him to find a sex tape of his wife, the player is murdered, and Adcock winds up way over his head.
Pretty good, even if Adcock doesn't seem like the brightest guy around.
Pretty good, even if Adcock doesn't seem like the brightest guy around.
July 25, 2014
Okay, so Johnny Adcock, a relief pitcher for the San Jose Bay Dogs and part-time private investigator, is a bit of a jerk.
And he is a millionaire with what amounts to two incredibly cool part-time jobs that pay more in a month than I make in a decade.
And he has a whip-smart and sexy girlfriend who is a venture capitalist and requires nothing more from Johnny than casual sex and witty banter.
And he travels all over the country, playing the greatest sport known to man and staying in plush hotels, and when he isn't facing his one batter per game--note: that's what a "set up man" in the bullpen does--he's chasing down high-end prostitutes and fighting off Mexican gangsters and setting up stings.
Not a bad life, if you can get it.
Yeah, I'm jealous, for Johnny Adcock has the top two jobs on my All-Time Dream Jobs List: Major League ballplayer and private investigator.
In THE SET UP MAN, Adcock is asked by his teammate Frankie Herrera to look into a "problem with his wife." Pretty standard stuff, until Adcock discovers Herrera's wife has starred in a porn film, and apparently, someone is attempting to blackmail Herrera with it. As soon as Herrera enlists Adcock's help, Herrera dies in a car crash. . .and there's a woman in the car with him: a young prostitute. From there, Adcock gets drawn into a ring of murder, high-end hookers, Mexican drug cartels, and blackmail. And it's all fun.
Bottom line, this is a page turner, and even if you don't know about or like baseball, you'll get sucked into the narrative because of the sarcastic lead character, good dialogue, and fast-paced plot. Highly recommended.
And he is a millionaire with what amounts to two incredibly cool part-time jobs that pay more in a month than I make in a decade.
And he has a whip-smart and sexy girlfriend who is a venture capitalist and requires nothing more from Johnny than casual sex and witty banter.
And he travels all over the country, playing the greatest sport known to man and staying in plush hotels, and when he isn't facing his one batter per game--note: that's what a "set up man" in the bullpen does--he's chasing down high-end prostitutes and fighting off Mexican gangsters and setting up stings.
Not a bad life, if you can get it.
Yeah, I'm jealous, for Johnny Adcock has the top two jobs on my All-Time Dream Jobs List: Major League ballplayer and private investigator.
In THE SET UP MAN, Adcock is asked by his teammate Frankie Herrera to look into a "problem with his wife." Pretty standard stuff, until Adcock discovers Herrera's wife has starred in a porn film, and apparently, someone is attempting to blackmail Herrera with it. As soon as Herrera enlists Adcock's help, Herrera dies in a car crash. . .and there's a woman in the car with him: a young prostitute. From there, Adcock gets drawn into a ring of murder, high-end hookers, Mexican drug cartels, and blackmail. And it's all fun.
Bottom line, this is a page turner, and even if you don't know about or like baseball, you'll get sucked into the narrative because of the sarcastic lead character, good dialogue, and fast-paced plot. Highly recommended.
August 31, 2025
This was so fun! Curve balls flew right past me--twists. It's a bit complex, but I read the ebook and listened to the audio, so I think I figured it out.
Great read for adults who love baseball; there are many factual references included. I was fascinated by some.
It is about the game from the point of view of "an older" relief pitcher and is a kind of PI on the side. Many characters to keep track of, some who turn out to be kind of evil. But Johnny Adcock gets to the bottom of it all and unsnarls himself from quite a web of underworld dealings involving a major prostitution ring.
The content is for adults only: descriptions of sec, some violence.
It really works on the two levels Johnny Adcock operates.
Many thanks to LeftCoastJustin for this great recommendation. I think there's another book in the series and I look forward to checking it out. ⚾️❤️⚾️
And go Redlegs!
Great read for adults who love baseball; there are many factual references included. I was fascinated by some.
It is about the game from the point of view of "an older" relief pitcher and is a kind of PI on the side. Many characters to keep track of, some who turn out to be kind of evil. But Johnny Adcock gets to the bottom of it all and unsnarls himself from quite a web of underworld dealings involving a major prostitution ring.
The content is for adults only: descriptions of sec, some violence.
It really works on the two levels Johnny Adcock operates.
Many thanks to LeftCoastJustin for this great recommendation. I think there's another book in the series and I look forward to checking it out. ⚾️❤️⚾️
And go Redlegs!
April 8, 2014
I loved The Set-Up Man for a lot of reasons. I'll just cut to the chase and list my top five: 1. It's gum-shoe noir at its finest without having to hearken back to the past. 2. It's a great send-up of Bay Area culture - where a million dollar a year pro baseball pitcher is considered vaguely down-and-out and has to pick up private eye work on the side. 3. Johnny Adcock is Sam Spade meets Tug McGraw - as if that isn't enough reason alone to read the book. 4. I'm great at guessing plot lines and I just wasn't sure where this one was going. 5. There's going to be another one, right?
April 12, 2014
T.T. Monday's debut unconventional baseball novel is a real slice of America's pastimes. Monday has an ear for the game, and the pitcher batter confrontation ring true and authentic. But what makes this book sparkle is that its not just a baseball book.
Some baseball players sell cars, some announce games, some coach and then there is Johnny Adcock, who provides services to his fellow ball players. Adcock is a relief pitcher, an eight inning specialist, who also moonlights as a private investigator. Adcock's team wants him as a closer and when that does not work he is traded to another team, where he has to pitch against his old team mates.
For ten years he has helped ballplayers who need to find out if there wife is cheating on them, or someone is trying to hustle them. Now, the young upcoming catcher Frankie Herrera has hired Adcock because he is being blackmailed by someone who has found out about his wife's sordid video past, and barely after hiring Adcock, the player is killed in a car accident with a young woman, not his wife, in the car. Adcock suspects foul play.
Adcock is challenged by Herrera's wife to find the blackmailer and the clues lead to an ingenious prostitution ring that is targeting ballplayers. Soon enough Adcock be facing real pressure from gunmen and other devils, who want to make a lot of money and need to get rid of Adcock.
Its a good baseball story, but more than that its a good mystery.
Its a winner in any game.
Some baseball players sell cars, some announce games, some coach and then there is Johnny Adcock, who provides services to his fellow ball players. Adcock is a relief pitcher, an eight inning specialist, who also moonlights as a private investigator. Adcock's team wants him as a closer and when that does not work he is traded to another team, where he has to pitch against his old team mates.
For ten years he has helped ballplayers who need to find out if there wife is cheating on them, or someone is trying to hustle them. Now, the young upcoming catcher Frankie Herrera has hired Adcock because he is being blackmailed by someone who has found out about his wife's sordid video past, and barely after hiring Adcock, the player is killed in a car accident with a young woman, not his wife, in the car. Adcock suspects foul play.
Adcock is challenged by Herrera's wife to find the blackmailer and the clues lead to an ingenious prostitution ring that is targeting ballplayers. Soon enough Adcock be facing real pressure from gunmen and other devils, who want to make a lot of money and need to get rid of Adcock.
Its a good baseball story, but more than that its a good mystery.
Its a winner in any game.
February 17, 2025
I found The Set Up Man by T.T. Monday in the lunchroom at work on the “take it, I don’t need it/want it” table. I need another book to read like I need a hole in my head, but I thought, huh, this looks like a fun, fast read. And it was. I enjoyed it for the most part but I don’t think I’ll read the next in the series unless it happens to show up in the lunchroom.
Johnny Adcock is a Major League baseball player nearing retirement. He’s a pitcher for the San José Bay Dogs and that generally leaves him plenty of time for his other career: private investigator. He mostly helps his teammates solve problems, usually along the line of “is my wife cheating on me?” It’s something he does in his spare time to stave off boredom during the season. One day his teammate Frankie Herrera comes to him with a troublesome video that was sent to him—one that could destroy his career and his marriage. Frankie wants Johnny to find out who sent it. Johnny agrees to do this, but before he can begin investigating, Frankie is killed in a suspicious car crash. Johnny continues to investigate and knows he’s getting close to the truth when he’s followed, kidnapped and beaten up. But Johnny is persistent and keeps looking—despite the threats to his life.
I really enjoyed this novel. This surprised me because I figured I’d toss it aside after the first chapter due to all the baseball facts. I didn’t. Even though there were a lot of baseball info dumps, I found most of it interesting. Aside from the miscellaneous baseball facts, the story is fast and reasonably intelligent. The plot at the end gets a little too Hollywood action thriller for me and not believable, but I think the author wraps it all up nicely with a twist at the end. I also like that Johnny’s ass is saved numerous times by women he’s sleeping with. Seriously, he’d be dead without Bethany.
Johnny is amusing and doesn’t take himself too seriously. I liked spending time with him and his gal pal Bethany (who is way smarter than he is). The only problem I have with the novel is that Johnny and his sexual escapades comes across too much as the author’s idealized version of himself (a Marty Stu). Luckily the author balances this by having Johnny screw up and get smacked around. If you are a hardcore fan of well-done crime investigations, this book may irritate you. There’s no indication Johnny has any real investigative training or a private investigator’s license. And the plot takes a pretty violent turn and I wondered, um, wouldn’t the police be involved at this point?
The Set Up Man is a fun read with a good pace. I zipped through this fairly quickly considering how little time I’ve had to read lately (and the fact that I’m reading two other books). Johnny is a likeable guy even though he’s apparently irresistible to almost every female with whom he interacts. I recommend this novel if you want to put your brain on vacation.
Johnny Adcock is a Major League baseball player nearing retirement. He’s a pitcher for the San José Bay Dogs and that generally leaves him plenty of time for his other career: private investigator. He mostly helps his teammates solve problems, usually along the line of “is my wife cheating on me?” It’s something he does in his spare time to stave off boredom during the season. One day his teammate Frankie Herrera comes to him with a troublesome video that was sent to him—one that could destroy his career and his marriage. Frankie wants Johnny to find out who sent it. Johnny agrees to do this, but before he can begin investigating, Frankie is killed in a suspicious car crash. Johnny continues to investigate and knows he’s getting close to the truth when he’s followed, kidnapped and beaten up. But Johnny is persistent and keeps looking—despite the threats to his life.
I really enjoyed this novel. This surprised me because I figured I’d toss it aside after the first chapter due to all the baseball facts. I didn’t. Even though there were a lot of baseball info dumps, I found most of it interesting. Aside from the miscellaneous baseball facts, the story is fast and reasonably intelligent. The plot at the end gets a little too Hollywood action thriller for me and not believable, but I think the author wraps it all up nicely with a twist at the end. I also like that Johnny’s ass is saved numerous times by women he’s sleeping with. Seriously, he’d be dead without Bethany.
Johnny is amusing and doesn’t take himself too seriously. I liked spending time with him and his gal pal Bethany (who is way smarter than he is). The only problem I have with the novel is that Johnny and his sexual escapades comes across too much as the author’s idealized version of himself (a Marty Stu). Luckily the author balances this by having Johnny screw up and get smacked around. If you are a hardcore fan of well-done crime investigations, this book may irritate you. There’s no indication Johnny has any real investigative training or a private investigator’s license. And the plot takes a pretty violent turn and I wondered, um, wouldn’t the police be involved at this point?
The Set Up Man is a fun read with a good pace. I zipped through this fairly quickly considering how little time I’ve had to read lately (and the fact that I’m reading two other books). Johnny is a likeable guy even though he’s apparently irresistible to almost every female with whom he interacts. I recommend this novel if you want to put your brain on vacation.
July 2, 2018
What marketing genius came up with this…A debut thriller for guys who love baseball and women who love baseball players. I’m proudly neither and yet…ignoring the offputing description, this actually turned out to be pretty decent. Then again, baseball and baseballer lovers might have gotten more out of it. For me…I enjoyed the noirish narration and the likeable protagonist, but the appeal of baseball remains much more of a mystery than the murders in this book. There are some proper sports out there, like football (the proper version, not the bastardized American one), but baseball is a mockery of a sport, where dramatically overpaid man stand around in silly clothes. Actually this book supports that representation completely. In fact our main man Johnny has so much extra time and money as a result of being a major league pitcher i.e. the guy who stands around and gets about 10 minutes on the field per game(career chosen specifically for its ease of getting paid and paid lots) that he gets restless and his restlessness leads to a second side career as a private detective. Mostly small potato cases like divorces, infidelities and so on (all those women who love baseball players), but his latest case is a doozy, starts off in a similar vein, but ends up involving a prostitution ring among other things. So Johnny’s charm and discretion alone might not be enough, he’ll have to actually get his baseball mitts dirty. The author writes about baseball well, but the brain still glazes over with how incredibly uninteresting of a game it is, the mystery aspect of the novel is much more compelling, albeit too predictable. Not right away, but around 50% there are suspicions and at 80% they turn to certainty. Not twists in the very end either, so that was somewhat disappointing. But it is a pretty entertaining read, quick paced, occasionally humorous with a snappy dialogue. The look at the behind the scenes lives of professional athletes is somewhat interesting, although it’s very much what you’d expect in most cases from adult men who spend their lives chasing balls around a field with other adult men. The main draw is Johnny, he’s just so freaking likeable he carries this entire thing, apparently right into the series. Because series, like baseball, is most money with least effort sort of thing. So you don’t have to be a baseball fan to like this book and reading it won’t make you one either, but it’ll pass some time. And it’s kinda fun.
April 13, 2024
Male author writing female characters. He barely does any detective work and somehow stumbles on to solving the case. The baseball aspects felt half hearted. At one point the main character has sex for the fourth time and it is with a hotel receptionist and they talk about whether she has kids and he pats him self on the back for not judging her for having kids. I just assumed you shouldn’t judge anyone?
I just got the impression that this was a man proving his man-ness through literature. A meh for me.
I just got the impression that this was a man proving his man-ness through literature. A meh for me.
March 2, 2014
T.T. Monday's first thriller was enjoyable enough. I am a baseball fan, and that helped me enjoy it a lot more. His depiction of the life of a major league relief pitcher was pretty believable and very fun to experience. The plot line was fast paced and did not have any unnecessary components. I think that helped keep the page turning, and kept me on the edge of my seat. My one issue was character development for the character called Marcus. I think the beginning of the book should have had a bit more of this, especially in light of how big of a role Marcus plays.
The main character was great though, and memorable. I rarely laugh out loud when reading, and in this book I did at least three or four times. My favorite part was when Johnny is in pain from the previous night and he is being brought in to pitch to one batter. He is jogging in from the bullpen, and he muses over what the manager would do if, instead of stopping at the pitcher's mound, he just kept jogging into the dugout and went to the clubhouse jacuzzi. I am still giggling to myself over this image.
I dont read a lot of thrillers, so I cant judge this book much against others of its genre. I will, however say that I recommend this fast paced read to anyone looking for a casual and fun read set in the world of the MLB and southern California.
The main character was great though, and memorable. I rarely laugh out loud when reading, and in this book I did at least three or four times. My favorite part was when Johnny is in pain from the previous night and he is being brought in to pitch to one batter. He is jogging in from the bullpen, and he muses over what the manager would do if, instead of stopping at the pitcher's mound, he just kept jogging into the dugout and went to the clubhouse jacuzzi. I am still giggling to myself over this image.
I dont read a lot of thrillers, so I cant judge this book much against others of its genre. I will, however say that I recommend this fast paced read to anyone looking for a casual and fun read set in the world of the MLB and southern California.
April 15, 2014
Baseball noir! Johnny Adcock is the Veronica Mars of the MLB, a relief pitcher who spends his off hours moonlighting as a PI, tailing cheating spouses and doing favors for his frenemies. Monday's characters and world-building were great; his writing was a little rough at times, but this was his first novel so I'm definitely interested to see his future efforts. If you like both baseball and mysteries, this is a great spring read.
April 18, 2024
One lonely star simply because the idea was good but the dialogue was sooo bad. Sometimes I wonder, when male writers write female dialogue, if they've ever been around women for any length of time.
DD@Phila
DD@Phila
May 4, 2018
This book has a unique main character. Johnny is a pitcher for a baseball league, but because he rarely pitches more than one inning so he runs a side business as a private investigator. A fellow baseball player, Frankie hires Johnny to figure out who sent him a video of his wife. Before the investigation even gets underway, Frankie is killed in a car accident. His wife believes he was murdered and Johnny feels obligated to finish what he was hired for.
The book does have sex on the page so if you don't like that, I would recommend skipping this book. But if you can look past that, the mystery is good and keeps you guessing until the very end.
The book does have sex on the page so if you don't like that, I would recommend skipping this book. But if you can look past that, the mystery is good and keeps you guessing until the very end.
September 6, 2025
A decent first mystery by this author. (T.T. Monday is a pen name; the author uses his own name to write other books.)
April 12, 2015
The appeal for me is the same as it ever was. Playing a child’s game for money can be hard on your self-respect. Even now, I’m still not a doctor or a diplomat, but I’m more than I was. I’m more than a guy on a bench cracking seeds, waiting for a lefty to bat in the eighth.
God help me if a man’s not entitled to that. (Page 5)
Johnny Adcock is 35 and for more than a decade he has a secondary career to fall back on when his playing days are over. Major League Baseball these days is primarily made up of situational players who come in and out for this situation or that. Johnny Adcock is one of those guys as he has a very simple job as “the setup man.” He is the guy who comes in during the eighth inning to pitch to one guy, usually a lefty, in a pressure situation with men on base to get the out. If he does his job right in getting the out and preserving the potential win, the closer comes in to deal with the final few batters and finish the game on a winning note. Being 35 Adcock knows his playing days are numbered and that the money, 1.5 million a year, is really good for the amount of work he has to do. He has a lot of idle time to fill when he isn’t on the field and his secondary career is a great fit. It kind of came about by accident, but he really enjoys moonlighting as a private detective. Ball players frequently need a private detective and the word among his fellow players is out about Johnny and his second career.
Johnny plays for “The Bay Dogs of San Jose” and the backup catcher is a guy named Frankie Herrera. Frankie has a big problem regarding his wife and does not want it getting out. Adcock is discrete, but telling him and letting him see the evidence is very hard on Frankie. Way back in the day before they were married, Maria, was a stripper in the clubs. When money was really short she took the next logical step and made some very adult movies. One of the videos is now up on a free porn site on the internet. If Frankie and his wife Maria didn’t have two twin boys who will be five in the fall it might not matter so much. But, they do and Frankie does not want to the kids to ever learn what their mom did long ago.
Somebody sent the site link to Frankie’s cellphone as proof the video was out there on the internet. So far there has not been an actual request for money, but the intent is pretty clear to Frankie and his wife as well as Johnny. If Frankie wants Johnny’s help the first step is to hand the cell phone over to Adcock for as long as he needs it. Adcock will need to watch the video so that he can start trying to figure out if this is, as Adcock suspects, an extortion/black mail attempt. It seems like the typical “rip the ball player off” type case that Johnny has seen quite a few times before. But, there is nothing typical about this one as things very quickly escalate with a murder and more.
Those who are baseball fans will really enjoy The Setup Man as there are numerous references to living and past players, teams, and more. Baseball becomes a significant secondary character in the book while never burying the main storyline of the mystery. Billed as a thriller by the publisher, the book is more of a mystery that quickly expands in depth as the tale featuring plenty of interesting characters, a variety of detailed settings, and lots of complexity unfolds. The various storylines combine together in The Setup Man making it a read that keeps the reader solidly entertained from start to finish.
The Setup Man
T. T. Monday (aka Nick Taylor)
http://www.ttmonday.com
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/b...
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (Doubleday)
http://www.doubleday.com
March 2014
ISBN# 978-0-385-53845-9
Hardback (e-book, audio, and paperback also available)
274 Pages
$24.99
Material was picked up to read and review via the Plano Public Library System because Kaye George wrote about it last month in one of her “Monday With Kaye” review segments.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
God help me if a man’s not entitled to that. (Page 5)
Johnny Adcock is 35 and for more than a decade he has a secondary career to fall back on when his playing days are over. Major League Baseball these days is primarily made up of situational players who come in and out for this situation or that. Johnny Adcock is one of those guys as he has a very simple job as “the setup man.” He is the guy who comes in during the eighth inning to pitch to one guy, usually a lefty, in a pressure situation with men on base to get the out. If he does his job right in getting the out and preserving the potential win, the closer comes in to deal with the final few batters and finish the game on a winning note. Being 35 Adcock knows his playing days are numbered and that the money, 1.5 million a year, is really good for the amount of work he has to do. He has a lot of idle time to fill when he isn’t on the field and his secondary career is a great fit. It kind of came about by accident, but he really enjoys moonlighting as a private detective. Ball players frequently need a private detective and the word among his fellow players is out about Johnny and his second career.
Johnny plays for “The Bay Dogs of San Jose” and the backup catcher is a guy named Frankie Herrera. Frankie has a big problem regarding his wife and does not want it getting out. Adcock is discrete, but telling him and letting him see the evidence is very hard on Frankie. Way back in the day before they were married, Maria, was a stripper in the clubs. When money was really short she took the next logical step and made some very adult movies. One of the videos is now up on a free porn site on the internet. If Frankie and his wife Maria didn’t have two twin boys who will be five in the fall it might not matter so much. But, they do and Frankie does not want to the kids to ever learn what their mom did long ago.
Somebody sent the site link to Frankie’s cellphone as proof the video was out there on the internet. So far there has not been an actual request for money, but the intent is pretty clear to Frankie and his wife as well as Johnny. If Frankie wants Johnny’s help the first step is to hand the cell phone over to Adcock for as long as he needs it. Adcock will need to watch the video so that he can start trying to figure out if this is, as Adcock suspects, an extortion/black mail attempt. It seems like the typical “rip the ball player off” type case that Johnny has seen quite a few times before. But, there is nothing typical about this one as things very quickly escalate with a murder and more.
Those who are baseball fans will really enjoy The Setup Man as there are numerous references to living and past players, teams, and more. Baseball becomes a significant secondary character in the book while never burying the main storyline of the mystery. Billed as a thriller by the publisher, the book is more of a mystery that quickly expands in depth as the tale featuring plenty of interesting characters, a variety of detailed settings, and lots of complexity unfolds. The various storylines combine together in The Setup Man making it a read that keeps the reader solidly entertained from start to finish.
The Setup Man
T. T. Monday (aka Nick Taylor)
http://www.ttmonday.com
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/b...
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (Doubleday)
http://www.doubleday.com
March 2014
ISBN# 978-0-385-53845-9
Hardback (e-book, audio, and paperback also available)
274 Pages
$24.99
Material was picked up to read and review via the Plano Public Library System because Kaye George wrote about it last month in one of her “Monday With Kaye” review segments.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
May 1, 2014
The book is equal parts mystery and baseball. There is enough action in both aspects to keep the reader involved and turning pages quickly. Johnny Adcock is a terrific protagonist. He is a no-longer-young baseball player, 35 to be exact, thirteen years in the big leagues, his assigned role, as the title would suggest, to come into a game in the eighth inning, primarily to face left-handed hitters (as he is a southpaw himself), and retire them. Divorced and with a teenage daughter, his significant other is Bethany, a partner in a venture-capital firm who Johnny describes as the most intelligent woman he has ever met.
Johnny’s side job, so to speak, is as an investigator, which primarily involves “cheating spouses, paternity threats, nothing bloody or life-threatening.” Until now, that is. He is approached one night by Frankie Herrera, the 25-year-old backup catcher for the Bay Dogs of San Jose, California, who tells him that he has a “problem with his wife.” Very shortly thereafter, Frankie is found dead after an apparent auto accident. His widow believes it was not an accident, and hires Johnny to find out who killed her husband. The ensuing investigation embroils Johnny in matters of murder, porn, Mexican cartels, and other assorted intrigue.
Timing is everything, they say, and my reading this debut novel by T.T. Monday on the eve of the new baseball season couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. “The Set-Up Man” is a good mystery, with heavy doses of humor despite some of the darker aspects, and contains an abundance of terrific baseball lore and references. One doesn’t have to be a baseball addict to enjoy the novel (although, to be fair and in the spirit of full disclosure, I am exactly that). Not a no-hitter, perhaps, but a solid performance, especially from a rookie. This is a very entertaining book, on any level, and it is recommended.
Johnny’s side job, so to speak, is as an investigator, which primarily involves “cheating spouses, paternity threats, nothing bloody or life-threatening.” Until now, that is. He is approached one night by Frankie Herrera, the 25-year-old backup catcher for the Bay Dogs of San Jose, California, who tells him that he has a “problem with his wife.” Very shortly thereafter, Frankie is found dead after an apparent auto accident. His widow believes it was not an accident, and hires Johnny to find out who killed her husband. The ensuing investigation embroils Johnny in matters of murder, porn, Mexican cartels, and other assorted intrigue.
Timing is everything, they say, and my reading this debut novel by T.T. Monday on the eve of the new baseball season couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. “The Set-Up Man” is a good mystery, with heavy doses of humor despite some of the darker aspects, and contains an abundance of terrific baseball lore and references. One doesn’t have to be a baseball addict to enjoy the novel (although, to be fair and in the spirit of full disclosure, I am exactly that). Not a no-hitter, perhaps, but a solid performance, especially from a rookie. This is a very entertaining book, on any level, and it is recommended.
April 6, 2014
“The Set Up Man” by T.T. Monday, published by Doubleday.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 11, 2014
Johnny Adcock is thirty-five years old and is a middle inning relief pitcher for a Major League team. As a relief pitcher he may pitch every other day and may only face one batter per game, lefty to lefty.
Johnny, with obvious time to spare, has fallen into a “sort of” second job. He rounds out his days by being a private investigator. Most of his jobs revolve around baseball players, and most jobs have been checking up on baseball player’s wives. The job has been not only lucrative but interesting.
One of Johnny’s teammates, Frankie Herrera, asks Johnny to check on his wife. Johnny agrees thinking that this is going to be just another case of the sport paying too much money, too many days away from home, and a bored housewife. The job becomes complicated when Frankie shows Johnny a tape of his wife in a porn movie. It doesn’t take long for Johnny to realize he may be in over his head when Frankie is killed in an auto accident with a female companion. Frankie’s wife asks Johnny to look into the accident as she feels that Frankie was murdered.
The investigation, in between baseball games, leads Johnny into the sleazy world of porn, prostitution, murder, and drugs. The case takes several twists and turns that almost cause Johnny his life.
An interesting mystery wrapped around the game of baseball. The book does contain language and sexual situations that may not be appropriate for all readers.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 11, 2014
Johnny Adcock is thirty-five years old and is a middle inning relief pitcher for a Major League team. As a relief pitcher he may pitch every other day and may only face one batter per game, lefty to lefty.
Johnny, with obvious time to spare, has fallen into a “sort of” second job. He rounds out his days by being a private investigator. Most of his jobs revolve around baseball players, and most jobs have been checking up on baseball player’s wives. The job has been not only lucrative but interesting.
One of Johnny’s teammates, Frankie Herrera, asks Johnny to check on his wife. Johnny agrees thinking that this is going to be just another case of the sport paying too much money, too many days away from home, and a bored housewife. The job becomes complicated when Frankie shows Johnny a tape of his wife in a porn movie. It doesn’t take long for Johnny to realize he may be in over his head when Frankie is killed in an auto accident with a female companion. Frankie’s wife asks Johnny to look into the accident as she feels that Frankie was murdered.
The investigation, in between baseball games, leads Johnny into the sleazy world of porn, prostitution, murder, and drugs. The case takes several twists and turns that almost cause Johnny his life.
An interesting mystery wrapped around the game of baseball. The book does contain language and sexual situations that may not be appropriate for all readers.
July 21, 2014
Don’t shy away from this mystery if you’re not a baseball fan. The industry is seamlessly interwoven into the story and you’ll pick up all you need to know without any effort. If you are a baseball fan, dive in headfirst.
Johnny Adcock is a setup man for the San José Bay Dogs baseball team. A setup man, in modern baseball, is a pitcher who is called in for only a few pitches and not in every game. And he hardly ever bats. He has plenty of free time and gets paid more money than he knows what to do with. So he does private investigating in his off time, a profession he fell into but now loves.
The team’s backup catcher, a young, genuinely nice kid named Frankie Herrera approaches Adcock to solve his problem: some porno films his wife made before they were married. When Frankie is killed in a car accident soon after that, the whole mess doesn’t smell right. Adcock swings into action, assembling his off-diamond team, a rainbow mix of oddballs. He soon discovers that what he knows is the tip of a very deep, very dirty iceberg. Toss in his ex-wife and fourteen-year-old daughter, and you’re in for a good read.
This is the author’s first thriller, but I hope it’s not his last.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Death in the Time of Ice” for Suspense Magazine
Johnny Adcock is a setup man for the San José Bay Dogs baseball team. A setup man, in modern baseball, is a pitcher who is called in for only a few pitches and not in every game. And he hardly ever bats. He has plenty of free time and gets paid more money than he knows what to do with. So he does private investigating in his off time, a profession he fell into but now loves.
The team’s backup catcher, a young, genuinely nice kid named Frankie Herrera approaches Adcock to solve his problem: some porno films his wife made before they were married. When Frankie is killed in a car accident soon after that, the whole mess doesn’t smell right. Adcock swings into action, assembling his off-diamond team, a rainbow mix of oddballs. He soon discovers that what he knows is the tip of a very deep, very dirty iceberg. Toss in his ex-wife and fourteen-year-old daughter, and you’re in for a good read.
This is the author’s first thriller, but I hope it’s not his last.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “Death in the Time of Ice” for Suspense Magazine
August 7, 2014
Wow!. Every year I review over 100 books and usually get what I expect upon picking each one up. However, every once in a blue moon a novel comes along that unexpectedly grabs me. THE SETUP MAN is just such a novel.
The obvious pseudonym used by author T.T. Monday must disguise someone who has played MLB or worked within its confines as the insights provided make for a terrific baseball novel. Now, throw in a crime novel with a mystery that calls to mind Michael Connelly and you have one heck of a read. Johnny Adcock is an aging middle reliever for the fictional San Jose Bay Dogs. To keep himself prepared for a retirement date that draws ever closer, Adcock dabbles as a Private Investigator.
When a back-up catcher on his team asks Adcock to look into an embarrassing sex video that features his wife it seems like a simple enough case. When that same catcher is found dead with an unnamed 17-year-old female in a car crash, Adcock realizes that the alleged video may just be the tip of the iceberg.
THE SETUP MAN engages on all levels, succeeding as both a terrific inside-the-game baseball novel and solid mystery with crime noir touches. I highly recommend this and hope the author (whoever it may be) continues with this terrific story-line.
The obvious pseudonym used by author T.T. Monday must disguise someone who has played MLB or worked within its confines as the insights provided make for a terrific baseball novel. Now, throw in a crime novel with a mystery that calls to mind Michael Connelly and you have one heck of a read. Johnny Adcock is an aging middle reliever for the fictional San Jose Bay Dogs. To keep himself prepared for a retirement date that draws ever closer, Adcock dabbles as a Private Investigator.
When a back-up catcher on his team asks Adcock to look into an embarrassing sex video that features his wife it seems like a simple enough case. When that same catcher is found dead with an unnamed 17-year-old female in a car crash, Adcock realizes that the alleged video may just be the tip of the iceberg.
THE SETUP MAN engages on all levels, succeeding as both a terrific inside-the-game baseball novel and solid mystery with crime noir touches. I highly recommend this and hope the author (whoever it may be) continues with this terrific story-line.
January 23, 2015
Insomnia is good for only one thing: reading. I polished off this book in two nights of poor sleep. It kept me reading and kept me company.
The protagonist, Johnny Adcock, is a sleuth in the vein of Robert Parker's Spenser. Instead of Boston, Adcock's stomping grounds are in California--notably the South Bay and the Peninsula, where I live. The "setup man" of the title refers to his pitching position for a fictional major league baseball team. The nature of his job leaves him a lot of time when he's not playing, so he takes up private investigating as a sideline.
The character comes complete with the ex-wife and daughter, the slightly naughty girlfriend who can be a big help on cases, and a sidekick. As a literary thriller, "The Setup Man" kept me reading both to unravel the mystery at its center and to hear Adcock's philosophy on life.
My one complaint? That I discovered the book as a result of hearing the author speak at a CWC-SF Peninsula Writers event, which means that there are no more Johnny Adcock books for me to devour right now. Come on T.T., get writing!
The protagonist, Johnny Adcock, is a sleuth in the vein of Robert Parker's Spenser. Instead of Boston, Adcock's stomping grounds are in California--notably the South Bay and the Peninsula, where I live. The "setup man" of the title refers to his pitching position for a fictional major league baseball team. The nature of his job leaves him a lot of time when he's not playing, so he takes up private investigating as a sideline.
The character comes complete with the ex-wife and daughter, the slightly naughty girlfriend who can be a big help on cases, and a sidekick. As a literary thriller, "The Setup Man" kept me reading both to unravel the mystery at its center and to hear Adcock's philosophy on life.
My one complaint? That I discovered the book as a result of hearing the author speak at a CWC-SF Peninsula Writers event, which means that there are no more Johnny Adcock books for me to devour right now. Come on T.T., get writing!
March 6, 2014
I'm not a sports fan, but I really enjoyed this novel. I got this book from Goodreads First Reads, and I'm glad I did. Given that there is a focus on baseball, I never would have picked it up, and I would have missed out on a great story. I'm a sucker for a good PI story where the detective has other dreams and ambitions, but it was interesting to see the other side: the working individual who investigates on the side.
The writing never wowed me but it was clear and easy to understand. Most of the baseball terminology was explained, so there was never a problem with the jargon. There were a lot of pop culture references, a lot of which were off-putting, but beyond that, it was a standard thriller.
There was plenty of excitement, twists and turns, and the characters were fun to follow, if not always realistic. I found the end to be predictable, but that didn't detract from the story as a whole.
If you are a fan of baseball or quick thrillers, I recommend this book.
The writing never wowed me but it was clear and easy to understand. Most of the baseball terminology was explained, so there was never a problem with the jargon. There were a lot of pop culture references, a lot of which were off-putting, but beyond that, it was a standard thriller.
There was plenty of excitement, twists and turns, and the characters were fun to follow, if not always realistic. I found the end to be predictable, but that didn't detract from the story as a whole.
If you are a fan of baseball or quick thrillers, I recommend this book.
August 14, 2016
Maybe you have to be a baseball fan (I am) to truly enjoy this book, but still, it's a terrific read. It's contemporary California noir, the story of a pro ball player -- a relief pitcher, the setup man of the title -- who moonlights as a private detective. When a teammate comes to him about a problem with his wife, people start dying and nothing is what it appears to be. The author has a great grasp of the hard-boiled style, has created a wonderfully world-weary hero and put him in the middle of a twisty (and twisted) plot, and has populated the story with colorful secondary characters. Highly recommended.
December 19, 2014
I love baseball and I love to read PI novels. What is not to like???
The details of professional baseball rang true, based on everything I have ever heard or read.
I can't vouch for the details about prostitution or private detecting...
I have lived in both Northern California and Southern California and was not jolted out of the story with any abnormalities. In fact, I would love to try some of the restaurants they mentioned...
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to a sequel or anything else TT will publish.
I highly recommend this to anyone with a love of baseball and mysteries.
I borrowed my ebook from the library.
The details of professional baseball rang true, based on everything I have ever heard or read.
I can't vouch for the details about prostitution or private detecting...
I have lived in both Northern California and Southern California and was not jolted out of the story with any abnormalities. In fact, I would love to try some of the restaurants they mentioned...
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to a sequel or anything else TT will publish.
I highly recommend this to anyone with a love of baseball and mysteries.
I borrowed my ebook from the library.
February 8, 2015
Johnny Adcock is the setup man. He's a LOOGy (lefty, one-out guy) relief pitcher with one of the easiest jobs in major league baseball.
But off the field, he's a closer, working cases as a private eye for other ball players.
T.T. Monday's debut is a gem combining great characters, baseball, good writing, a decent mystery and (because I love it so much) baseball.
And the baseball is very good, situational inside the head of the player kind of stuff.
But it is the mystery -- and the characters -- that makes this series debut worth following.
But off the field, he's a closer, working cases as a private eye for other ball players.
T.T. Monday's debut is a gem combining great characters, baseball, good writing, a decent mystery and (because I love it so much) baseball.
And the baseball is very good, situational inside the head of the player kind of stuff.
But it is the mystery -- and the characters -- that makes this series debut worth following.
March 17, 2014
The primary plot of this debut mystery is really rather thin, taking a very long time to get underway and wrapping up very quickly, probably too quickly, within the final pages. The author deserves credit for creating a different sort of PI, but character alone, even a major league baseball pitcher, does not sustain a series. Read our full review, here: http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/myst...
December 21, 2015
Modern noir at its best: Johnny Adcock is a relief pitcher for the San Jose Bay Dogs who moonlights as a private investigator for his rich and famous colleagues. T.T. Monday (Nick Taylor) knows his baseball well, and part of what makes this book is so fun is the baseball trivia and his clear love for the sport.
It's also a beautiful depiction of Bay Area culture, so if sports or California are your thing, highly recommended.
It's also a beautiful depiction of Bay Area culture, so if sports or California are your thing, highly recommended.
May 3, 2015
I loved the spot-on California commentary and managed to learn a lot about baseball.
"In that peculiar California way, La Jolla refuses to advertise its wealth. No Gangnam Style here. La Jolla is full of millionaires who wear fleece jackets to five-hundred-dollar dinners, where they order entree salads and glasses of organic chardonnay."
I'm looking forward to next installment!
"In that peculiar California way, La Jolla refuses to advertise its wealth. No Gangnam Style here. La Jolla is full of millionaires who wear fleece jackets to five-hundred-dollar dinners, where they order entree salads and glasses of organic chardonnay."
I'm looking forward to next installment!
March 18, 2015
This was a fun read, even though a bit raunchy at times. But I guess because I am sort of old, I have forgotten how sex-obsessed young men, and in this case, professional athletes, can be.
Nonetheless, it is a pretty good mystery, with a nice resolution and a fun look at professional baseball.
And you don't have to care/know anything about baseball to enjoy it, really.
Nonetheless, it is a pretty good mystery, with a nice resolution and a fun look at professional baseball.
And you don't have to care/know anything about baseball to enjoy it, really.
April 3, 2015
Johnny Adcock is an aging relief pitcher for the San Jose Bay Dogs. On the side, he is a PI. The case starts when a team mate asks him for help and then mysteriously dies in a car crash. Great baseball tidbits and local scenery in the book. Language is a bit rough. Good read and can't wait to read the next one.
January 13, 2015
I love baseball and mysteries - so The Setup Man is tailor made for my liking. Interesting protagonist, fascinating setting, and a solid plot make this a winner. A worthy entry into the world of baseball crime fiction in the tradition of Troy Soos.
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