Three Strikes and You're Dead by Michael Draper Review!

Book Details Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: XLIBRIS (July 24, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 1499049307 ISBN-13: 978-1499049305 Baseball goes on strike. . . and the fans are not happy. A chat room group “Friends against the baseball strike” rants against the astronomical salaries and greed of the players who have ruined the game for the everyday fans. One member, “The Vindicator,” decides to take action to end the strike, and soon some of the highest paid baseball players are being murdered. Who will be next? Can the murderer be stopped? The action and suspense build as the FBI and a trio of clever amateur investigators rush around the country trying to predict where the murderer will strike next, and to discover his identity. This thoroughly modern page turner uses social media in unexpected ways and will keep you enthralled until the last page. About the Author Michael Draper graduated from St. Michael's College in Vermont and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He was in ROTC and spent four years in the Air Force. Thereafter, he was a finacial planner for over forty years, selling retirement plans to state and municipal workers. Among his markets were the Connecticut State Police and numerous municipal police departments. Many of the scenes in the story were used after consulting with his CT State Police clients. Mike is the author of "Splattered Blood," which has many of the same characters appearing in this story. He is an avid book reviewer and is among the top Amazon book reviewers. He and Diana married in 1966, have a son Kevin, daughter-in-law Claire, and two grandchildren, Madison and Molly. My Thoughts I was asked by the author if I would review his second book, Three Strikes and You're Dead. As I had read Splattered Blood I was eager to read it. This book carries over the same characters, as in the previous book. There is a baseball strike going on and a lot of unhappy fans. One such fan decides to take matters into his own hands and starts killing the highest paid players in the sport. I guess I can empathize with the reasoning, not the actual deed of killing the players. I also think that sports figures get pain an exorbitant amount of money to the point that it is a game of money and not the sport at all. Sure there may be great ball players out there but it seems that they are motivated by the fame and money, not the thrill of the game. Going to a major league game is pretty prohibitive for a family to enjoy live.  Mr. Draper writes an intelligent story with lots of mystery and suspense, full of twists and turns as the FBI and the amateur investigators race against the clock to save more players from getting killed. The excitement keeps the reader going until the last page is turned. Some have likened Mr.Draper's style of writing to that of Elmore Leonard and Robert B.Parker. I think that this is a book that will be enjoyed by mystery lovers and baseball fans alike. I highly recommend it.  I received a copy of the book for review by the author and was not monetarily compensated for said review.