Review excerpts for "Amen Corner":
“ ‘Amen Corner’ has the insider detail (what’s’ known in the literary world as verisimilitude) to make the story work. Veteran golf scribe Rick Shefchik has absorbed the ambiance and look of Augusta National. He gets little things right, whether the string of tawdry retail shops and food outlets adjoining the club’s grounds, the flow and feeling of the clubhouse, or the layout of the working media area. It all adds up to a much better read than is the norm in contemporary golf murder mysteries. “Golf noir” is a tough genre to pull off but Shefchik has managed to entertain along the way. It’s the perfect airplane read for a golf trip.” -- Bradley S. Klein, Golfweek
“‘Amen Corner’ is more in line with a traditional murder mystery. I liked this book and urge readers to check it out. Shefchik…does a great job of character development in a fast-moving story. I especially liked the way he integrated old pop songs into the tale.” – Phil Tatman, Orlando Sentinel
" 'Amen Corner' is an entertaining novel, full of inside details on America's closely guarded cathedral of golf." -- Marx Swanholm, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Shefchik…takes his share of shots at the green-jacketed elite who run the Masters, but he makes a game attempt at realism, both in his portrayal of the tournament itself and in his premise: a Minneapolis cop, on medical leave, wins the U.S. Publinx Championship and qualifies for the Masters… Shefchik combines a surprisingly grisly plot and a convincing villain with plenty of more or less realistic golf action…this one makes the cut. Entertaining…” – Bill Ott, Booklist
"This is the author's first published novel, and reflects a more experienced writing hand. It is well-written, tightly plotted and well worth reading." -- Theodore Feit, The Midwest Book Review.
“...successfully maintain(s) a high level of suspense throughout. The contrast between Doggett and Sam is striking and they provide a formidable adversarial relationship that works well in the context of the book." -- Hidden Staircase Mystery Books:
“…tightly written with believable characters… The plot moves at a good pace, keeping the reader turning pages…Interesting behind the scenes events will please anyone who has ever watched the Masters or who is a golf buff…The chase ends with a dramatic touch – almost too soon. I wanted more.” -- Mary Ann Smyth, Bookloons.com
“I found myself thoroughly enjoying every moment of this book. The sharp character of Sam, the smarts of Caroline and the cool determination of the killer, all make for an extremely entertaining read… I would highly recommend ‘Amen Corner’ for anyone with a love of golf as it is not only a mystery but a look behind the scenes of the Masters.…from start to finish…a winner in every sense of the word…a great read and an engaging story all wrapped up in one.” -- Susan Pettrone, Readerviews.com
Review excerpts for "Green Monster":
"A baseball pitcher's job boils down to a simple quest: Keep the batter guessing. What's coming next? Curveball? Changeup? High heat? So it's only fitting that Stillwater author Rick Shefchik's second sports mystery, "Green Monster," succeeds by keeping the reader as off-balance as a slugger out front on an off-speed pitch...Shefchik throw[s] an array of pitches to readers, who don't need to love baseball to get hooked by the narrative...Shefchik [is] a big-league spinner of mysteries." -- Curt Brown, Minneapolis Star Tribune
"...a genuinely clever mystery, with the blackmailer not revealed until the last few pages...Skarda is a likable rogue mined from the same vein as Bill Tapply's Brady Coyne or Ed Gorman's Sam McCain." -- Booklist
"Baseball fans will welcome Shefchik’s second mystery to feature sports sleuth Sam Skarda (after 2007’s 'Amen Corner')... Fenway Park’s iconic “Green Monster” provides the setting for two climactic scenes. Like a pitcher changing speeds, Shefchik takes enough off his characterizations to avoid straight-out stereotypes, and he spins a fair simile..." -- Publisher's Weekly
"...a fun sports whodunit." -- Harriet Klausner, Amazon.com
A good mystery novel must have two essential elements: characters that attract our attention and plots that compel our interest from beginning to end. "Green Monster" by Rick Shefchik is highly recommended reading on both those conditions. Also highly recommended reading for mystery buffs is Rick Shefchik's early Sam Skarda detective novel published by Poisoned Pen Press is "Amen Corner". -- Midwest Book Review
"If you're a died-in-the-wool baseball fan, this is definitely the book for you. If the Boston Red Sox raise your blood pressure, even better. If not (it's okay, I'm not either) but you love mysteries, this is also the book for you. Author Rick Shefchik has woven his obvious love of the game into a well plotted mystery. I thought I had it figured out by the third chapter. Boy, was I wrong...Shefchik never loses his mission in a convoluted plot that nevertheless proves easy to follow. His characters shine.. I have never been to Fenway Park, but I feel as though I have now, so strong are the descriptions. Shefchik writes a good mystery." -- Mary Ann Smyth, Bookloons.com
"A sports fanatic's dream, 'Green Monster' is saturated with baseball trivia, lore, and mystery. This sequel to the golf mystery, 'Amen Corner,' is sure to attract baseball fans as well as fans of the likable ex-cop Sam Skarda." -- Bookbrowse.com
"The pursuit continues all the way to Venezuela where the results bring the readers to the edge of their seats. This was an easy book for me to review because I loved it from beginning to end. And I’m not even a baseball fan. Sure, it’s full of ballpark scenes and players who will be familiar to all of those who love the game but the story is much bigger than that. It has to do with life and death, good versus evil, and virtue over depravity. There are triumphs and tragedies and it’s very well written. You might say that this story hits a home run." -- MyShelf.com
"Being an avid Red Sox fan sure made this book alluring to me, but, I do believe any lover of a mystery or of baseball would truly enjoy this book!!! All the talk of Boston and the Red Sox was surely a high point in this book for me, but the mystery that ran along side it was great as well. Great character development, an intriguing plot and a bit of a twist at the end kept me turning the pages of this book." 4.5/5 -- Melsy626's Love To Read blog
"Baseball enthusiasts and mystery lovers will be enthralled by this book. It contains many action-packed scenes as well as a few surprises along the way. It was intriguing trying to figure out which characters were trustworthy in addition to finding out whether the games were fixed and, if so, why. It leaves the reader wondering what really could happen in the sports world if enough greedy people conspire to interfere with the outcome of sporting events...'Green Monster' is a good story with a thrilling ending. I could not wait to see what would happen next...Rick Shefchik created a wide variety of characters from bookies to mafia members to corrupt policemen, with each serving an important role in furthering the story. Anyone looking for an exciting and fast-paced book should read 'Green Monster.' It will hold the reader’s interest as he tries to figure out what is really happening as the facts are revealed. The plot twists and interesting storyline will provide great entertainment. -- Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views
