Smashed Tater

by Mike Baldwin

Adored by fans in an era steroids have tainted America’s pastime, John Jensen, best known by his nickname, “Quake,” is found dead on the family farm in Burlington, Kansas. The FBI is stumped. The county sheriff said it possibly was a hunting accident. Many in his hometown believe the World Series hero shockingly committed suicide.

Highly respected for lucrative contracts she’s negotiated, Veronica Townsend, John’s sports agent, is motivated to seek the truth after her assistant, Missy, has one of her Nostradamus-like visions that suggests John may have been murdered.

While reporters descend on the two-stoplight community to provide updates on the tragic death of a national icon, Veronica steadfastly searches for clues to disclose the person who killed her esteemed friend.

Endorsed by Hall of Fame coaches and athletes, including legendary coach Barry Switzer and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, Smashed Tater is a fast-paced, entertaining story that spotlights a rural community in southeastern Kansas but also takes readers to New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and San Jose, home of the Piranhas who were led by an All-Star first baseman who mysteriously was killed on the family farm.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2015