What do you think?
Rate this book
A Big Mike Mystery #4
Baseball Cat
Bookstore owner-turned-amateur sleuth Penelope Warren and her feline sidekick, "Big Mike" Mycroft, investigate when the owner of the Arizona Coyotes, a semi-professional baseball team, is killed by a blow from a baseball bat during the annual Empty Creek, Arizona, Elizabethan Festival.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1997
41 people want to read
About the author
Garrison Allen
7 books12 followersaka Gary Amo
Gary Amo is a past-President of the SoCal/MWA and has written several BigMike books under the pseudonym "Garrison Allen." He's also written a fewthrillers under his Amo moniker, including one that was nominated for an Edgar.
Gary Amo is a past-President of the SoCal/MWA and has written several BigMike books under the pseudonym "Garrison Allen." He's also written a fewthrillers under his Amo moniker, including one that was nominated for an Edgar.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 25, 2013
Read the first two chapters then skipped to the last 3 just to see who did it. would have rated a 1 but there is a cat in it.
March 30, 2022
The theme of this book in the series is baseball. This story is what I would call a light, zany, and very cozy mystery. The dialogue is filled with entertaining banter, humorous situations, and lots of sexual innuendoes and sly remarks. But the author almost went over the top with eccentric and quirky characters. The closest person to normalcy is Penelope's boyfriend, Andy. He's the editor of the local weekly newspaper. At times, the story approaches campy and slapstick. What I like about the series is that the cat, an Abyssinian named Mycroft AKA as Big Mike or Mikey, is a normal cat with no paranormal characteristics. He doesn't talk but meows or "chirps". The way he likes to follow Penelope everywhere, has his own barstool at the local hangout, and knows everybody in town makes me think he is channeling a dog's behavior. His favorite food is lima beans, during a baseball game he likes to eat Coyote Dogs, and he views a game or takes a nap on the dugout roof. He also likes to sleep on the laps of beautiful women, of which the town is full of. If Penelope finds him in someone's lap, she deletes that person from her suspect list - she calls it the Feline Lap Test!
Jimmy "Rats" McCoy, manager of the Empty Creek Coyotes baseball team in the New Arizona-New Mexico League is getting ready for opening day by preparing a spiritual revelation for his new General Manager, Blake Robinson. When Rats is ready, she is to open her eyes and see and feel the essence of the baseball field. The first thing she sees is a body sprawled in the visiting team's dugout. It turns out to be Peter Adcock, the managing general partner of the Coyotes. The murder weapon lying beside the body is a Cecil Fielder model baseball bat. Poor Rats has never seen a game called because of a murder. But the game must go on, so the police are called. Because Penelope Warren, owner of a mystery bookstore called Mycroft and Company, and Big Mike are honorary members of the Empty Creek Police Dept., they also get involved. Unlike most cozy mysteries, the police chief, Dutch Fowler, welcomes her help.
Penelope finds out while investigating that Adcock was a man who had a very mean streak and was probably into something shady. Everybody hated him which gives her a plethora of suspects. Clues include the Chamber of Commerce President's, Lora Lou Longstreet, business card is found in the murdered man's hand; a missing bat; an attack on Blake; the erasure of all files on Adcock's computer; Kendall McCoffey's (a silent partner of the baseball team) purchase of Adcock's interest in the team; a vodka bottle; a stash in a Jaguar's spare tire; Hosanahs and Shoshanas; a note signed by WD; management squabbles; drugs; a yellow rose; and marital troubles among the team's owners; and etc. Eddie Stiles, a member of the team who is an ex-major leaguer who got involved in drugs and is trying to make a comeback is blackmailed. Meanwhile, the team starts out with a losing streak, but the townspeople turn out each time to support them anyway. It isn't until a rattlesnake is found in the grass at right field; and later, when someone in the bleachers yells out "whooo" during the game, that things begin to turn around.
The climax is a rollicking and slapstick comedy when the McCoffey's give a victory party for the team and townspeople. When members of Discreet Investigations, a motorcycle gang, and chaos join the party, the murderer is revealed. There are of course red herrings, twists and turns, and lots of puzzling clues. The murderer was a surprise for me, somebody I didn't suspect! There are six pages listing the various cast members at the beginning of the book to keep you from becoming too confused. Good luck with that. An entertaining book; but, never-the-less, it sometimes becomes a slow read!
Jimmy "Rats" McCoy, manager of the Empty Creek Coyotes baseball team in the New Arizona-New Mexico League is getting ready for opening day by preparing a spiritual revelation for his new General Manager, Blake Robinson. When Rats is ready, she is to open her eyes and see and feel the essence of the baseball field. The first thing she sees is a body sprawled in the visiting team's dugout. It turns out to be Peter Adcock, the managing general partner of the Coyotes. The murder weapon lying beside the body is a Cecil Fielder model baseball bat. Poor Rats has never seen a game called because of a murder. But the game must go on, so the police are called. Because Penelope Warren, owner of a mystery bookstore called Mycroft and Company, and Big Mike are honorary members of the Empty Creek Police Dept., they also get involved. Unlike most cozy mysteries, the police chief, Dutch Fowler, welcomes her help.
Penelope finds out while investigating that Adcock was a man who had a very mean streak and was probably into something shady. Everybody hated him which gives her a plethora of suspects. Clues include the Chamber of Commerce President's, Lora Lou Longstreet, business card is found in the murdered man's hand; a missing bat; an attack on Blake; the erasure of all files on Adcock's computer; Kendall McCoffey's (a silent partner of the baseball team) purchase of Adcock's interest in the team; a vodka bottle; a stash in a Jaguar's spare tire; Hosanahs and Shoshanas; a note signed by WD; management squabbles; drugs; a yellow rose; and marital troubles among the team's owners; and etc. Eddie Stiles, a member of the team who is an ex-major leaguer who got involved in drugs and is trying to make a comeback is blackmailed. Meanwhile, the team starts out with a losing streak, but the townspeople turn out each time to support them anyway. It isn't until a rattlesnake is found in the grass at right field; and later, when someone in the bleachers yells out "whooo" during the game, that things begin to turn around.
The climax is a rollicking and slapstick comedy when the McCoffey's give a victory party for the team and townspeople. When members of Discreet Investigations, a motorcycle gang, and chaos join the party, the murderer is revealed. There are of course red herrings, twists and turns, and lots of puzzling clues. The murderer was a surprise for me, somebody I didn't suspect! There are six pages listing the various cast members at the beginning of the book to keep you from becoming too confused. Good luck with that. An entertaining book; but, never-the-less, it sometimes becomes a slow read!
March 15, 2019
Such a silly and amusing series. Almost tall tales.
One critic opined that all the women in Empty Creek Arizona were voluptuous. On thought and having read several books, I think it is that the author finds most women attractive.
In the opinion of one character, any wonan is a "fine figger of a woman."
One critic opined that all the women in Empty Creek Arizona were voluptuous. On thought and having read several books, I think it is that the author finds most women attractive.
In the opinion of one character, any wonan is a "fine figger of a woman."
September 12, 2020
A neat mystery about a murder in the dugout of a independent baseball league dugout. For baseball fans this will be trip to the independent minors. Good dialogue. It would help if you had read the earlier mysteries in the series, but is not necessary. You'll love the cat, Big Mike. Recommended.
April 28, 2020
A minor league baseball team just adds to the quirkiness of Empty Creek. Enjoyed spending time with the characters again.
January 7, 2025
What a wild, madcap, and truly enjoyable romp to start off the new year.
Big Mike forever.
Big Mike forever.
November 10, 2008
I had to wait till I was back in the states to find/read book four, Baseball Cat.
Plus a minor league Baseball team! And who else is to investigate when the manager of the fledgeling team is found with his head bashed in by a bat? The whole damned community, that's who.
Plus a minor league Baseball team! And who else is to investigate when the manager of the fledgeling team is found with his head bashed in by a bat? The whole damned community, that's who.
March 31, 2011
quirky & enjoyable
December 15, 2013
Cute short mystery.
Too many characters.
Baseball team.
Neat large cat.
Too many characters.
Baseball team.
Neat large cat.
May 15, 2016
Too wordy, and too many characters who also had nicknames, it was very hard to follow the storyline. Skimmed quite a bit to finish.
Read
October 28, 2016Good entry in series
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews