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Dead Ball
Michael Balkind, author of the critically acclaimed thriller Sudden Death, scores a home run in his newest book titled Dead Ball. The action starts at the professional and Olympic sports training camp AllSport. AllSport is a part of the Inner City Sports Foundation (ICSF,) run by Reid Clark (protagonist in Sudden Death) and Buck Green. As Reid is giving a tour of the camp to the president and first lady of the United States, the lead secret service golf cart screeches to a halt as the agents spot a dead body in the shrubs surrounding the basketball dome. The body belongs to AllSport's CFO and Reid's best friend Bob Thomas. As the president and first lady are whisked away, the investigation begins. The investigation takes the reader through various areas of New York, the woods of Pennsylvania, nightclubs in Caracas and Mt. Everest.
- GenresMystery
218 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2009
18 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Michael Balkind
7 books78 followersMichael Balkind's novels; Stealing Gold, Sudden Death, Dead Ball, Gold Medal Threat, & The Fix are endorsed by NY Times bestselling authors; James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Wendy Corsi Staub, Andrew Gross, John Feinstein, Tim Green, John Lescroart, & Reed Farrel Coleman.
Sudden Death (November 2007)
Dead Ball (July 2009)
Gold Medal Threat (January 2013)
The Fix (January 2014) Co-Authored with NBC Sports/Golf Channel Host & 2014 Winter Olympics Host, Ryan Burr
Stealing Gold (September 2021)
"Pure fun, pure intrigue. The action never stops till a fascinating climax!" Clive Cussler
Sudden Death (November 2007)
Dead Ball (July 2009)
Gold Medal Threat (January 2013)
The Fix (January 2014) Co-Authored with NBC Sports/Golf Channel Host & 2014 Winter Olympics Host, Ryan Burr
Stealing Gold (September 2021)
"Pure fun, pure intrigue. The action never stops till a fascinating climax!" Clive Cussler
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 18, 2009
A masterful performance by Balkind…
Through the detail and descriptions in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings life to both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action - examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance.
DEAD BALL is a refreshing new thriller, blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense…there is something for everyone….a real page turner!
J.R. Reardon,
author, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
Through the detail and descriptions in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings life to both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action - examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance.
DEAD BALL is a refreshing new thriller, blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense…there is something for everyone….a real page turner!
J.R. Reardon,
author, CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
Read
May 14, 2009"From the opening page of Michael Balkind's crackling thriller, Dead Ball, one thing, and perhaps only one thing, is certain, golf legend Reid Clark is being stalked by trouble. With the discovery of his best friend's dead body, Clark is propelled into a frenzied search for the killer with the aid of a team of capable and loyal friends including investigative genius, Jay Scott, who digs into the shadowy corners of the business side of sports only to discover even the most admired
among them can have secrets which prove deadly.
Balkind lays out the search for answers like the great golf course designer, Albert Tillinghast, laid out his fairways and greens, with a mix of challenge and reward, deception and epiphany, gracing his readers with an enjoyable walk through the pages culminating in a satisfying finish. Along the way, Balkind reveals his own appreciation for and knowledge of a wide array of martial arts and sports, making
it clear why he chooses to base his mysteries in that world, he knows it, he loves it, he writes it so well.
There are mystery writers. There are sports writers. And then there's Michael Balkind."
Don Dahler
WCBS-TV NY News Anchor and Author of A Tight Lie & Water Hazard (coming 2010)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Michael Balkind has "Who-Dunit" again. "Dead Ball offers an intriguing look at a
different side of sports."
Ralph Wimbish - New York Post Sports Editor
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Big Sport, Big Money, Big Suspense - Michael Balkind hit another one right down the middle!"
Dave Donelson - Author of Heart of Diamonds, a novel of scandal, love, and death on the Congo.
Freelance magazine editor and writer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"A Masterful performance by Balkind. Through the detail and description in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings to life both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action- examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance. DEAD BALL is a refreshing new thriller,
blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense. There is something for everyone. A real page turner!"
J.R. Reardon - Attorney & author of the legal thriller, "Confidential Communications."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I wasn't ready for it to end. How
soon before we get the next book?"
Ladyknight - From Kindleboards.com
among them can have secrets which prove deadly.
Balkind lays out the search for answers like the great golf course designer, Albert Tillinghast, laid out his fairways and greens, with a mix of challenge and reward, deception and epiphany, gracing his readers with an enjoyable walk through the pages culminating in a satisfying finish. Along the way, Balkind reveals his own appreciation for and knowledge of a wide array of martial arts and sports, making
it clear why he chooses to base his mysteries in that world, he knows it, he loves it, he writes it so well.
There are mystery writers. There are sports writers. And then there's Michael Balkind."
Don Dahler
WCBS-TV NY News Anchor and Author of A Tight Lie & Water Hazard (coming 2010)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Michael Balkind has "Who-Dunit" again. "Dead Ball offers an intriguing look at a
different side of sports."
Ralph Wimbish - New York Post Sports Editor
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Big Sport, Big Money, Big Suspense - Michael Balkind hit another one right down the middle!"
Dave Donelson - Author of Heart of Diamonds, a novel of scandal, love, and death on the Congo.
Freelance magazine editor and writer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"A Masterful performance by Balkind. Through the detail and description in this book, Balkind effortlessly brings to life both characters and scenery in a way only expected of New York Times bestselling authors. Readers unknowingly become a part of the action- examining the interaction between organized crime, organized sports and the world of high finance. DEAD BALL is a refreshing new thriller,
blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense. There is something for everyone. A real page turner!"
J.R. Reardon - Attorney & author of the legal thriller, "Confidential Communications."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
"I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I wasn't ready for it to end. How
soon before we get the next book?"
Ladyknight - From Kindleboards.com
May 18, 2009
Dead Ball, if you’re in the game - watch your back!
Where else can you find murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the rarefied grounds of AllSport – state-of-the-art facilities that house & train top athletes in numerous sports to compete at the highest levels. It’s no surprise then, that combining the world’s most highly skilled and competitive athletes, with the best training facility in the world, and all of the rivers of money that follow and flow, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound throughout the book, the players are many, and the high-stakes world of amateur & professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive and opportunity is long. Then the body count grows. The sports world is one where all kinds of people come to play, not just the athletes, and rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Is it no more than a price to be paid as a means to an end? Or is it revenge? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!
Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
Where else can you find murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the rarefied grounds of AllSport – state-of-the-art facilities that house & train top athletes in numerous sports to compete at the highest levels. It’s no surprise then, that combining the world’s most highly skilled and competitive athletes, with the best training facility in the world, and all of the rivers of money that follow and flow, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound throughout the book, the players are many, and the high-stakes world of amateur & professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive and opportunity is long. Then the body count grows. The sports world is one where all kinds of people come to play, not just the athletes, and rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Is it no more than a price to be paid as a means to an end? Or is it revenge? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!
Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
March 17, 2013
Michael Balkind is a master of combining the intricacies of fun loving sport with the suspense of a blood curdling mystery. Dead Ball drives a lethal missile at you, enticing you to track it down before it unleashes your worst nightmare!
October 31, 2010
Allsport is a not-for-profit sports organization run by millionaire, champion golf legend, Reid Clark to help challenged athletes find their greatness. The challenges these young people face where poverty, no education, former gang members, normally kids that would never have gotten noticed because they were not your normal, high-school or college athletes. Through the program at Allsport many of these athletes went on to either professional careers or Olympic success.
As the book opens Reid is giving a personal tour of the facilities to the President of the United States when a body is found in the flower beds on campus. Once the President is rushed to safety the body is discovered to be that of Reid’s best friend and CFO of Inner City Sports Foundation dba Allsport, Bob Thomas.
This is the second book in a series by Balkind regarding the fictional sports campus at Allsport, the first being “Sudden Death” and once again brings us into the realm of private detective and chief of security at Allsport, Jay Scott. Scott, with the reluctant help of the local police department, takes over the investigation and along with his team of investigators, funded by the multi-millions that the foundation has raised, go into the field to chase down every lose end from the accountants that the deceased Thomas fired just days ago, to his angry wife and the stalking ex-girl-friend from a recent affair, to the members of the mob and street gang members. It appears Thomas had been involved with causing distress in many people’s lives. As the alibis are met, one by one, we are led on a path that is closer to home. Could someone on the staff of the foundation, one of the trusted inner families of Allsport, have a score to settle with Thomas?
Balkind’s complex plot suddenly rushes to a climax as the bodies stack up along the way and Scott and his investigators eliminate the suspects one by one until the truth is illuminated…or is it?
As the book opens Reid is giving a personal tour of the facilities to the President of the United States when a body is found in the flower beds on campus. Once the President is rushed to safety the body is discovered to be that of Reid’s best friend and CFO of Inner City Sports Foundation dba Allsport, Bob Thomas.
This is the second book in a series by Balkind regarding the fictional sports campus at Allsport, the first being “Sudden Death” and once again brings us into the realm of private detective and chief of security at Allsport, Jay Scott. Scott, with the reluctant help of the local police department, takes over the investigation and along with his team of investigators, funded by the multi-millions that the foundation has raised, go into the field to chase down every lose end from the accountants that the deceased Thomas fired just days ago, to his angry wife and the stalking ex-girl-friend from a recent affair, to the members of the mob and street gang members. It appears Thomas had been involved with causing distress in many people’s lives. As the alibis are met, one by one, we are led on a path that is closer to home. Could someone on the staff of the foundation, one of the trusted inner families of Allsport, have a score to settle with Thomas?
Balkind’s complex plot suddenly rushes to a climax as the bodies stack up along the way and Scott and his investigators eliminate the suspects one by one until the truth is illuminated…or is it?
June 4, 2009
Big Sport, Big Money, Big Suspense - Michael Balkind hit another one right down the middle!
Reid Clark, Balkind's protagonist from Sudden Death, is back in this murder mystery that keeps you hanging like Tiger's putt on the 16th at Augusta. This time, he's haunted by the discovery of his best friend's dead body at his athletic training center, AllSport, a death that starts Clark and his loyal friends on a search through the dark alleys and smokey back rooms of high-level sports, finance, and other criminal enterprises.
Investigator Jay Scott takes the lead in his novel. His deep knowledge of the detective's craft and multi-volume Rolodex of shady characters on both sides of the law make him a worthy foe to the slickest perpetrators. Red herrings abound and the dramatic tension builds as Scott and his team pursue lead after lead with Balkind displaying his own deep knowledge of a variety of sports and martial arts. Gangsters, bankers, and various other evildoers play some surprising roles in this character feast. So do dead bodies, which seem to multiply like steroid investigations in baseball.
If you're a sports fanatic, a mystery buff, or just a looking for a page-turner for the evening, you'll like Dead Ball.
Reid Clark, Balkind's protagonist from Sudden Death, is back in this murder mystery that keeps you hanging like Tiger's putt on the 16th at Augusta. This time, he's haunted by the discovery of his best friend's dead body at his athletic training center, AllSport, a death that starts Clark and his loyal friends on a search through the dark alleys and smokey back rooms of high-level sports, finance, and other criminal enterprises.
Investigator Jay Scott takes the lead in his novel. His deep knowledge of the detective's craft and multi-volume Rolodex of shady characters on both sides of the law make him a worthy foe to the slickest perpetrators. Red herrings abound and the dramatic tension builds as Scott and his team pursue lead after lead with Balkind displaying his own deep knowledge of a variety of sports and martial arts. Gangsters, bankers, and various other evildoers play some surprising roles in this character feast. So do dead bodies, which seem to multiply like steroid investigations in baseball.
If you're a sports fanatic, a mystery buff, or just a looking for a page-turner for the evening, you'll like Dead Ball.
April 10, 2013
"Dead Ball" by Michael Balkind is the second in his series about golf player Reid Clark. This time round the murder happens right at the start and the victim is Bob Thomas, Reid Clark's best friend and Chief Financial Officer of The Inner City Sports Foundation and AllSport.
During the investigation we find that the victim's life is not all what it was meant to be and the number of suspects is so big that several threads need to be followed up: The wife, his former mistress, business partners, accountants and a van that has been spotted near the crime scene. Reid assists in the investigations, which leave you guessing to the very last minute.
This is a great whodunnit mystery, unpredictable, entertaining and fast paced. After the first instalment where we were waiting for the murder to happen throughout the book, this is an excellent counter-part / sequel and shows the author's versatility and skill. The setting at AllSport makes for a colourful setting and if you have read the first book already you will appreciate Reid Clark becoming a more positive figure, if you haven't you will still be able to appreciate the book on its own for the suspense and the great writing. A solid performance by Balkind.
During the investigation we find that the victim's life is not all what it was meant to be and the number of suspects is so big that several threads need to be followed up: The wife, his former mistress, business partners, accountants and a van that has been spotted near the crime scene. Reid assists in the investigations, which leave you guessing to the very last minute.
This is a great whodunnit mystery, unpredictable, entertaining and fast paced. After the first instalment where we were waiting for the murder to happen throughout the book, this is an excellent counter-part / sequel and shows the author's versatility and skill. The setting at AllSport makes for a colourful setting and if you have read the first book already you will appreciate Reid Clark becoming a more positive figure, if you haven't you will still be able to appreciate the book on its own for the suspense and the great writing. A solid performance by Balkind.
December 12, 2010
Golf legend, Reid Clark, is devastated by the murder of his best friend, Bob Thomas. Since Thomas was the chief financial officer of the Inner City Sports Foundation and Allsport Athletic Center, Reid wants to know if his murder has anything to do with ICSF, or was it personal? To find the killer fast, Reid brings in Jay Scott, a PI and a security consultant to Allsport. Not everyone on the police force welcomes Jay’s take charge attitude in the investigation, but Reid needs answers before ICSF donors start withdrawing support for the massive sports center.
Dead Ball is a well-plotted whodunit that incorporates hi-tech, crime-solving methods with the world of sport. I loved the concept of Allsport itself, and the fast-paced competency of Jay Scott’s investigative team. I doubt many police forces would be that obliging to a PI in real life, but it was fun to read. What’s really intrigued me is the concept of a mega sports complex designed to train high level athletes in nearly every sport imaginable. By doing this, author Michael Balkind has created wonderful opportunities for more stories, and I look forward to reading them.
Dead Ball is a well-plotted whodunit that incorporates hi-tech, crime-solving methods with the world of sport. I loved the concept of Allsport itself, and the fast-paced competency of Jay Scott’s investigative team. I doubt many police forces would be that obliging to a PI in real life, but it was fun to read. What’s really intrigued me is the concept of a mega sports complex designed to train high level athletes in nearly every sport imaginable. By doing this, author Michael Balkind has created wonderful opportunities for more stories, and I look forward to reading them.
May 14, 2014
I downloaded this book free as part of the Authors Fathers day giveaway on Amazon. I hardly ever read two books by one author in quick succession. This is the exception, I read Dead Ball within minutes after I read Sudden Death. It was fun, Dead Ball takes us two years in the future and this time the characters that is most explored are those of the PI’s, all special ops trained men. I loved this. No really mega big fight scenes. But enough so that I was appeased. The murder is right at the start of the book, the list of suspects is fun and the investigation keeps you turning page after page. At no time is it apparent who the murderer is, as a reader, you keep guessing, but until the last few pages guessing is all you would be doing. Brilliantly done! I give this book a 7 * review rating, if a book with sport as the main premise can keep me turning the pages it MUST be brilliant.
Merged review:
Loved this book.
Merged review:
Loved this book.
November 13, 2012
Reid clark owns a sports facility unlike any other in the country. He takes wouldbe athletes and gives them the one-on-one training with specialized sport instructors unilizing the best equipment money has to offer. When his best friend Bob Thomas is found dead outside the basketball arena, Reid is determined to find the killer. With his friends help the story goes through the dark places of New York, with twists and turns. This is a great murder mystery with suspence, that will have you turning pages to the end.
May 22, 2014
This is a highly impressive sequel to book 1, I was blown away by how much I have enjoyed this author's work. I am not a fan of sports but was pulled into this book at the very beginning and did not want it to end. Reid Clark is a professional Golf player who also runs a charity sports training camp. When a murder on campus takes place the team leaps into action to solve the crime. Amazing read that was packed with mystery and sports. Give this book a shot even if your not a sports fan, it's well worth it!! WaAR
September 14, 2016
I think the idea of AllSport - a state-of-the-art sports facility that trains kids in every sport imaginable, kids who would otherwise be on the street, and have no opportunities - is very cool, however, the story really did nothing to draw me in. I didn't get the "I have to keep reading to find out what happens" feeling. There were way too many characters, and I didn't connect with any of them.
November 17, 2010
No character development whatsoever and it read like a manual rather than a story. The basic storyline was good.
April 21, 2011
Another highly entertaining mistery book from Michael Balkind, featuring Reid Clark and his shiny sports world.
April 30, 2012
Not as good as sudden death, but still good follow up.
July 30, 2012
Enjoyed this just as much as the first book
December 6, 2012
For some reason I just could not get engaged with the plot and characters. Hope the author has more luck the next time.
Want to read
June 18, 2012This one comes after Sudden Death.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews