Split City: A Jesus Spares Mystery

by Andy Straka

When former pro football star and local native Danny Wellcastle is found dead at a Partridgeberry County farm, questions immediately arise.





Did Danny really die of an alcohol related heart attack like the authorities are saying? Or was his death connected to the millions of dollars at stake in proposed oil and gas drilling at the farm?





With a curious media and protestors from all over descending on his peacefully quirky town of Twin Strikes, Split City bowling alley owner and amateur sleuth Billy Gills will have to get past a recalcitrant farmer, a pair of nesting eagles, and an eccentric activist camped high in a tree to discover how Danny died.

ebook

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

The first hint of Andy Straka's future as a mystery writer came at the age of four when he appeared at his small-town neighbor's back door carrying a butcher's knife. Thankfully, the neighbor called Andy's mother instead of social services.

​Andy is a former college basketball player, a licensed falconer, and longtime husband and father. His novels include the recently released SPLIT CITY, the first in a new amateur sleuth mystery series; the #1 bestselling private eye novel A WITNESS ABOVE and the six book, Shamus Award-winning Frank Pavlicek series; the techno-thriller trilogy DRAGONFLIES; and the critically-acclaimed suspense thrillers RECORD OF WRONGS and THE BLUE HALLELUJAH. Featured by Publishers Weekly among a group of "rising stars" in crime fiction, Andy is a past finalist for the Agatha Award and the Anthony Award.

ANDY STRAKA BOOKS IN ORDER:

--Frank Pavlicek Series--

A WITNESS ABOVE

A KILLING SKY

A COLD QUARRY

A NIGHT FALCONER

FLIGHTFALL

THE K STREET HUNTING SOCIETY

--Jesus Spares Series

SPLIT CITY

--Suspense/Thrillers--

RECORD OF WRONGS

THE BLUE HALLELUJAH

DRAGONFLIES

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Straka and I liked it. The narrative is written clearly and the plot is easy to follow. The mystery is interesting but almost takes a back seat to character relationships. Billy and Bo, while identical twins, previous bowling stars, and partners in a bowling alley, are not as close as brothers might be. While Billy is convinced of Bo's character, Bo does have a number of secrets he's kept from Billy and that makes for some tension as Billy acts as an amateur sleuth to uncover the murderer.

The murder plot revolves around bowling, particularly Bo's business of manufacturing shoes. There is more than one villain in the plot which complicates matters a bit. Their actions are ultimately woven together at the end yet I am not so sure all of the strands are neatly tied off. I wish there had been a bit more about bowling, such as a few insightful techniques. I do like to learn something about a topic when I read a novel. Having a bunny in the ball return was pretty good though.

This is an entertaining novel for readers who enjoy a small town mystery with some odd characters and tense relationships. I liked Billy's tenacious attitude toward the investigation and will be looking for more novels featuring him.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Book Sirens. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Josh Olds · Rating 2 out of 5]

You don’t see many bowling novels these days. As a former bowler (220 average, thank you), I was interested to see how Andy Straka would handle a mystery amid a bowling-themed setting. While all the pieces were there, in my opinion, Straka comes up just short. The novel’s concept is solid. The writing is precise and engaging. The faith element is prevalent but proper to the context. Maybe it’s just that I think cozy mysteries are just too simplistic, but it felt like Straka had a great setup and then didn’t do much with it. Split City makes a Hallmark movie look action-packed. The story proceeds down exactly one plot line. Things happen because they happen and they get resolved all too easily and quickly. Most disappointingly, despite the opportunity for heavy theming and glorious kitsch, bowling is pretty ancillary to the plot.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Split City is A Jesus Spares Mystery by Andy Straka. When Billy Gills is called to identify a body, he thinks that the body will be his twin brother, Bo. But, although the body looks a lot like Bo, the murder victim is not his brother. This begins the quest for who killed Etienne Bouchard. The police arrest Bo and think the investigation is over. Billy must prove his brother innocent. Andy Straka has written a very interesting mystery thriller. The characters are realistic and the writing do good that I felt like I knew them. I hope he writes another book with Billy Gills. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Marty Langenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel good mystery

You know how it's going to end, it's just working out how the will tell it. Great characters, nice pacing, and a dog. A crazy ex girl friend who can't let go, a cigar chomping bad guy, along with his incompetent nephews... I enjoyed this book immensely. Well worth your time.

[Linda Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!!

This is the first book I have read by Andy Straka, and I plan to read more!! Great book by a great author!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the book begins pro bowler Billy Gills is summoned to the Partridgeberry County morgue to identify the body of his identical twin brother Bo. But Billy insists it is not Bo. Is this a case of the “third twin”?

Billy owns a bowling center in the Catskills while his brother Bo designs specialty bowling shoes. Billy is very likeable, even loveable, while Bo seems to be a bit shady.

This is a character-driven novel, as I believe most cozies are. The protagonist is likable and the primary feature of the story with the mystery itself being secondary. The supporting cast of characters were interesting and entertaining. The small town setting is perfect for the quirkiness of some of the characters. It also was perfect for the small town politics of the story leaving the reader to wonder who could be trusted.

I was a bit perplexed by “Operation Rabbit Rescue. Maybe it was just a momentary diversion that added a bit of humor to the story.

I found an activity mentioned in the book that was new to me - “extreme ironing”. Yes, it is a real thing. It even has championships. Definition: an activity that involves ironing items of laundry while engaged in a sport such as snowboarding or rock climbing. All I can say is “Why?”

This was an enjoyable weekend read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel good vibe murder mystery with fun characters. I enjoyed the writing style and getting to know the people in the town. These are people you want to go back and read more about.

The ending was wrapped up nicely.

I received this ARC for free from BookSirens and was happy to leave a reveiw.

[Linda Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. Split City was a light and enjoyable read that included a dead body (all good mysteries do), a bowling alley, a brother, an ex, a dog, and a rabbit. Solid plot, engaging from page one to the end.

[edlewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

good puzzler

Some things may seem obvious but then a little twist comes along and turns things around and then repeats. True to Straka’s style. It’s a great read, I had trouble putting it down.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book.

This book was well written and is a good mystery. I never guessed the ending.
If you enjoy a good mystery read this book.

[Pat Allen]

Twins' defense

When Bo, his twin brother, is arrested for murdering a look-alike man, this bowling alley manager bends over backwards to get to the truth. It a nice clean story!

[P.Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, enjoyed it, recommend it.