Buy new:
$9.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, May 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 4 hrs 5 mins
In Stock
$$9.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$9.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Michael Balkind
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Dead Ball (Deadly Sports Mystery) Paperback – Large Print, April 15, 2010

by Michael Balkind (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 59 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$9.95","priceAmount":9.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"hT4IVQbL4oQZvFzXLkOWPnTEyHWs4%2BVCtBuGWnJVlQtUE8gYPh1zEwLx%2Bus3lV0euBtdf1GXUUoMCOPaj4UL20X2YTBqLhUCAy22%2B9bUQZ9vrKRqjsSzrlXlCDUu6YwUr8OC0B9T7fg%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

ReviewsListen up, sports and mystery fans! Buy Michael Balkind's Dead Ball right now. Remember 'Bo Knows Sports?' They should update it to 'Balkind Knows Sports' (and mysteries, too.) - John Lescroart, New York Times Bestselling Author Michael Balkind has "Who-Dunit" again. Dead Ball offers an intriguing look at a different side of sports. - Ralph Wimbish, New York Post Sports EditorIn Dead Ball, golfing great Reid Clark and his inner circle try to catch a killer, and Michael Balkind turns a sports event into much more than a game. - Alan Kalter, Late Night Television Personality Product DescriptionMichael Balkind, author of the critically acclaimed thriller Sudden Death, scores a home run in his newest book titled Dead Ball. Murder, mystery, elite sports, guns, greed, special ops, mafia, and glamour? Dead Ball has it all! The story takes place on the hallowed grounds of AllSport, a sports facility that houses & trains inner city athletes who have shown professional potential in various sports. Before AllSport, many of these athletes lived in poverty. Many were members of street gangs. Combining these kids, the country's top professional athletes, the finest training facility in the world, and big money, makes for a combustible mix. Cutthroat tactics abound and the high-stakes world of professional sports makes for a thrilling read. A brazen murder is committed and the list of suspects with plenty of motive 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 the rules of the game are sometimes subject to dangerous interpretation. Is murder just another form of competition? Dead Ball is full-throttle action from the very first page!
Previous page
  1. Print length
    226 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 15, 2010
  4. Dimensions
    5.24 x 0.48 x 7.99 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1451524447
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1451524444
  7. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Listen up, sports and mystery fans! Buy Michael Balkind's Dead Ball right now.
Remember 'Bo Knows Sports?' They should update it to 'Balkind Knows Sports' (and mysteries, too.)" --John Lescroart

"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

"In Dead Ball, golfing great Reid Clark and his inner circle try to catch a killer, and Michael Balkind turns a sports event into much more than a game." --Alan Kalter, Late Night Television Personality

From the Author

"...a refreshing new thriller,blending murder, mystery, intrigue and suspense. There is something for everyone. A real page turner!"Jeannine Reardon

"The proof of the pudding of an author is if he can expand on a character or sequel to make
us want more.I cannot wait for more adventures from Reid Clark and AllSport!!
Keep 'em coming Michael Balkind! Ellen George

"... full-throttle action from the very first page!" Rai Aren


Other books by Michael Balkind
Sudden Death
Gold Medal Threat
The Fix (in editing) (co-authored with NBC Sports & Golf Channel Host, Ryan Burr)
Stealing Gold (in the works)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 15, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 226 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451524447
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451524444
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.24 x 0.48 x 7.99 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Michael Balkind

Michael Balkind

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Michael Balkind's novels are endorsed by literary greats including James Patterson, Clive Cussler, John Feinstein, Andrew Gross, John Lescroart, Wendy Corsi Staub, Tim Green & Reed Farrel Coleman. He has appeared on ESPN's The Pulse and Sportsnet's Daily News Live and was featured on the cover of Publishers Weekly. He has co-hosted and is a regular guest on The Clubhouse radio show. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America and The Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Balkind loves to golf, ski, and drive his Jeep almost anywhere off-road. A graduate of Syracuse University, Balkind currently resides in New York with his wife and their rescue pup, Bode!

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
59 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charles Southworth
5.0 out of 5 stars DEAD BALL REVIEW
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2010
Verified Purchase
Michael Balkind's second work "Dead Ball" is even more fast paced and exciting than his debut "Sudden Death". Continuing to follow the career and adventures of golf-pro Reid Clark and his manager Buck Green, Balkind weaves an intricate plot of intreague, danger and subterfuge, making for a very exciting read. This book is as diabolical as Alfred Hitchcock, as detailed and complex as Agatha Christie and as smooth as Clive Cussler. If you enjoy a good mystery/adventure, "Dead Ball" is for you!!!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Listening to Dead Ball
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2011
Verified Purchase
Probably this book was better read than listened to; the sound was sufficiently clear and articulate to be no problem. The robot suffered the customary word-pronunciation problems to which I have become accustomed and automatically correct in my mind.
As to the book, ,I didn't get to know any particular characters nor did the detective work by the private security agency to which the local police surrendered their authorit,y endear them to me. Their technique of investigation appeared to consist of getting warrants from apparently docile judges and then pushing everyone around, including use of physical abuse, with the object of putting the fear of God into them. The final resolution had nothing to do with their efforts but were rather the by-product of incredibly faulty airport security. Frankly, I could work up little interest in any of the key characters but tended to be more sympathetic to their victims rather than to them, the investigators. Oh, yes, I wonder how on earth the District Attorneys office will ever get a conviction, when the Defense brings forward the sworn testimony of the medical technician as to how the " confession" was elicited....not in any New York State Court.
Despite my personal reactions, I think most readers of police procedurals will find this OK reading.
Helpful
 Report
FWS
3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly Dead Ball
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2010
Verified Purchase
Those looking for a sport centered mystery will be disappointed. The story is basically a whodunit, procedural mystery about a murdered CFO of an elaborate, idealistic intercity sports foundation for talented, underprivileged young people. The story develops slowly and then picks up steam but maintains it's unevenness. Pros: good story line and well defined characters. Cons: At times slows to boring, frequent sophomoric dialog. Michael Balkind has the skills but could use a good editor.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Judith A. Gibson Carter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2012
Verified Purchase
I have enjoyed both of the books "Sudden Death" and now "Dead Ball" and am looking forward to the next book. Love the people in the stories. Michael Balkind is a great author and keeps you wanting for more.
Helpful
 Report
Debra Purdy Kong
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Concept in This Well-Plotted Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2010
Verified Purchase
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.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
William Brotherton
5.0 out of 5 stars Great 5 star read!!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2016
Verified Purchase
Loved this book. From start to finish it was an awesome ride! Michael is a great storyteller. The setting and the twist were fantastic!
Helpful
 Report
BONFOGLIO
3.0 out of 5 stars well paced
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2011
Verified Purchase
the author pulls you in immedialtely and does not let you go. i would have like the ending to be different, but then i am not the author. fun, easy quick read
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
David
4.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed following the mystery. It was fun following the different leads. It took some interesting twist. At the same time it is almost scary thinking of how we spend so much on sports, but not that much on real needs.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

bv
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
Get book but you need to read Sudden Death first, it keeps you gripped so you do not want to put it down.
Report
Mrs Z E Streuli
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Good read
Report