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Cal Murphy #12
Dead on Arrival
What if you had to catch a murderer to prove you weren’t one?
When baseball superstar Chase Dollinger arrives in New York for a playoff game already dead, everyone thinks his death is the result of natural causes—everyone except Seattle reporter Cal Murphy.
After receiving a curious phone call, Cal and his wife Kelly begin digging into Dollinger’s death and a shocking conspiracy begins to unfold. But before Cal has an opportunity to prove it, he finds himself in the crosshairs of assassins and accused of being a murderer himself.
With powerful government agencies angling to put Cal in prison for crimes he didn’t commit, he must catch the real killer to prove his innocence and get justice for a grieving father. And Cal’s running out of time …
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2018
61 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Patterson
199 books209 followers*** Signup for my newsletter and receive a free copy of The Warren Omissions, the first book in my James Flynn thriller series, by visiting http://eepurl.com/bZwpdf ***
THE FIRST SIGNS that I might like writing -- and that I might be slightly competitive -- appeared when my year two (or first grade) teacher, Mrs. Holland, asked my class to write and illustrate our day. Mine read like this: “The Red team beat the Blue team, 1 to nil. And I won.” The next 47 entries covered my exploits on the soccer pitch while growing up in Ipswich, England.
In South Carolina as a teenager, my dad told me that I could get paid to watch sports provided I could write about it. Sounded easy enough and by the time I was 16, I landed a job at my town’s daily newspaper and had a column on Major League Baseball players from our area. I also covered my first riot there at a sporting event -- and it’s safe to say I was smitten with journalism.
After graduating from one of the best journalism schools in the country, I took a job as a sports editor in South Georgia and learned firsthand about the passion of high school sports in rural America. I thought I knew before, but I didn’t. This was another world.
I also had the opportunity to cover major sporting events like the Olympic Games, the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four. It was a thrill!
But nothing was as thrilling to me as uncovering the truth in investigative assignments. I once broke a story about a prominent southern football team’s NCAA violation -- and found out the violating coach had committed suicide only a few months earlier. The story won a national writing award and stoked my desire to write about these issues. It made me realize that the sports world was just another fantastic backdrop for drama.
After writing non-fiction books with athletes, for athletes, and ghost writing for many others, I decided to enter the world of fiction writing. It had been something I wanted to do but never found the time. So, I made the time--and had a blast in the process.
I’m not out to become the next Faulkner or Hemingway -- I’m just out to tell a good story. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!
THE FIRST SIGNS that I might like writing -- and that I might be slightly competitive -- appeared when my year two (or first grade) teacher, Mrs. Holland, asked my class to write and illustrate our day. Mine read like this: “The Red team beat the Blue team, 1 to nil. And I won.” The next 47 entries covered my exploits on the soccer pitch while growing up in Ipswich, England.
In South Carolina as a teenager, my dad told me that I could get paid to watch sports provided I could write about it. Sounded easy enough and by the time I was 16, I landed a job at my town’s daily newspaper and had a column on Major League Baseball players from our area. I also covered my first riot there at a sporting event -- and it’s safe to say I was smitten with journalism.
After graduating from one of the best journalism schools in the country, I took a job as a sports editor in South Georgia and learned firsthand about the passion of high school sports in rural America. I thought I knew before, but I didn’t. This was another world.
I also had the opportunity to cover major sporting events like the Olympic Games, the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Final Four. It was a thrill!
But nothing was as thrilling to me as uncovering the truth in investigative assignments. I once broke a story about a prominent southern football team’s NCAA violation -- and found out the violating coach had committed suicide only a few months earlier. The story won a national writing award and stoked my desire to write about these issues. It made me realize that the sports world was just another fantastic backdrop for drama.
After writing non-fiction books with athletes, for athletes, and ghost writing for many others, I decided to enter the world of fiction writing. It had been something I wanted to do but never found the time. So, I made the time--and had a blast in the process.
I’m not out to become the next Faulkner or Hemingway -- I’m just out to tell a good story. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 18, 2022
Dollinger among his many fears, one was of flying. His boss for the Seattle Mariners baseball hired an Rv and driver to go to NY so he could pitch the starting game of the playoff. To stretch one’s legs and not draw the people or media, proved to be difficult at times. An interview with Cal he okayed.
Something happened before getting there and Cal is curious to know what.
Government official are just as determined to put Cal. behind bars, saying case close. Good plot and an excellent series of playing a sport . When a lost comes how it affects family and the team.
Something happened before getting there and Cal is curious to know what.
Government official are just as determined to put Cal. behind bars, saying case close. Good plot and an excellent series of playing a sport . When a lost comes how it affects family and the team.
November 8, 2018
Dead on Arrival. R.J. Patterson
Cal Murphy is a journalist, a reporter. He's also an old school detective. Goes on instinct, gut feelings. Once he catches a scent he's a bloodhound. A baseball player mysteriously dies. The players father doesn't think it was natural causes. After investigating leads, neither does Cal. Seat of the pants mystery thriller extraordinaire. Enjoyed immensely!
Cal Murphy is a journalist, a reporter. He's also an old school detective. Goes on instinct, gut feelings. Once he catches a scent he's a bloodhound. A baseball player mysteriously dies. The players father doesn't think it was natural causes. After investigating leads, neither does Cal. Seat of the pants mystery thriller extraordinaire. Enjoyed immensely!
June 25, 2020
Disappointed
Not with this book ir the series, but having finished all of them. It has been a great pleasure to spend time with Cal his wife etc. So I am hoping that the series will not end there, more please.
Not with this book ir the series, but having finished all of them. It has been a great pleasure to spend time with Cal his wife etc. So I am hoping that the series will not end there, more please.
August 31, 2019
Dead on Arrival review
Dead on Arrival is the twelfth excellent book in the " A Cal Murphy Thriller " series written by author R. J. Patterson.
Dead on Arrival is the twelfth excellent book in the " A Cal Murphy Thriller " series written by author R. J. Patterson.
August 17, 2023
Keep looking for the truth
This story goes to the world of MLB. In all sports there are questionable plays, but being paid to throw the game is murderous.
This story goes to the world of MLB. In all sports there are questionable plays, but being paid to throw the game is murderous.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews