Terry D. (tmdaviss) - , reviewed on 4/3/2016 + 72 more book reviews

Professional baseball and crime. The combination of these 2 professions can make some tantalizing tales. The characters alone can be stereotypical or so unique you shake your head and believe. These are the tools Stephen Frey has to work with in the novel Forced Out.

It is unfortunate that Stephen Frey decided to stay with the stereotypical formula. A washed up old Yankee's scout, a mob killer, a loan shark, a daughter who still argues with her father in her 30's. This story line has such potential. And yet, the characters don't change. Neither a potential setback or triumph changes any of these characters. Chapter after chapter you wait through the twists and turns for the characters to develop, or grow up, or something. But no...

And finally the story turns to a fairy tale outcome, but has the strangest ending imaginable. Apparently his editors could sense the boredom with the characters, because Frey gives us one of the stupidest endings I have ever heard.

L.J. Ganser does a fine job with the reading, but cannot rescue the story from it's own characters. Why BBC Audio felt this book worthy of production eludes me. But my recommendation is to avoid this book, unless you just love novels written by Frey.

2 Stars out of 5

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