Strike Out 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Item: Strike Out 4 Murder
Rating: 4
Author: BaronessMom

Posted March 11, 2023 by BaronessMom in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Strike Out 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Series: Sophie Kimball Mystery #11
Series Rating:

Published by Beyond the Page Publishing on March 23, 2023
Setting: Sun City West, Arizona
Genres: Cozy Animal Mystery
Pages: 224
Format: ebook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Molded 4 Murder , Dressed Up 4 Murder, Broadcast 4 Murder, Railroaded 4 Murder, Saddled Up 4 Murder, Grilled 4 Murder, Revved Up 4 Murder

When softball fever overtakes Sun City West, foul balls and foul play add up to murder . . .

When a member of the local pinochle club rallies everyone in the community to come cheer on the softball team he’s joined, Sophie “Phee” Kimball can’t imagine a worse way to spend a free afternoon. But before anyone can take them out to the ball game, her mother’s friend Shirley spots a dead body, only to have it vanish before anyone else sees it. Soon Shirley and her friends can’t decide whether she’s losing her marbles or being stalked by the living dead—until an attempt is made on her life.

Wondering if the body Shirley saw belongs to a missing ballplayer who may have been murdered, Phee begins to suspect that Shirley’s in danger from a menacing killer. Following the clues at the ball park and eyeing the crowd for a likely perpetrator, she devises a clever scheme to sniff out the culprit, but she’ll have to act fast before she strikes out for the last time!

Strike Out 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is a humorous mystery filled with softball, obligations, and fraud.

Will Phee determine who killed Buster before Shirley is the next body found?

We start with Shirley finding a body, running to Harriett’s house for help, only to return and find the body missing. Phee and Marshal are at Harriett’s home when Shirley shows up. However, without a body, there isn’t a crime. So, everyone goes on their way. Except now, someone is after Shirley. She must know something that she doesn’t realize or not.

Phee brings Lyndy, her friend, into this investigation to do some background work for her and a few other things. Lyndy may even find a love interest.

Marshal and Nate are busy with an insurance fraud case that gets bigger each time they catch a culprit. However, they are still assisting with Buster’s murder.

“Besides, we all know we’re going to wind up dealing with that case whether or not we’re called to consult. Harriet’s book club ladies will never give us a minute of peace if they think there’s a killer lurking around their neighborhood.”

Harriet and the book club ladies are busy taking care of Shirley for most of this installment. But watch for the softball game with Thor, Streetman, and hotdogs. It will have you laughing out loud. Although, for the most part, Streetman and Essie (his cat) are well-behaved.

Character That Stole the Show

Phee’s aunt Ina is the character that outshines everyone else in this story. She has the most outrageous outfits, her caftans in the brightest colors and patterns, and her hair always braided with ribbons and such. Watch for the sports bar scene with Ina, Lyndy, Paul, Phee, Marshal, and a few more regulars. The whole scene, from the fish to the fluttering eyelashes, had me cracking up.

She never ceases to amaze me. I can’t imagine being Nate or Phee growing up with Ina and Harriet as mothers. It would either be a riot or constant times of nonbelief.

Oh, and she announces a possible new career at the end. Sounds like fun.

Four Stars

My rating for Strike Out 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is four stars. It was entertaining but seemed a bit slow at the start. Once it got moving, wow! It was hard to put it down. I highly recommend this book and series. I know I jumped in the last half, but I hope to go back and read the first four as soon as my schedule allows.

The Sophie Kimball Mystery Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Strike Out 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.

Until the next time,

About J.C. Eaton

J.C. Eaton is the pen name for the collaborative writing team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp. Together they juggle three unique series of cozy mysteries, all with quirky characters and a zillion twists and turns. Learn more on their website – https://www.jceatonmysteries.com

From analytical Sophie “Phee” Kimball to impulsive Norrie Ellington and sassy Marcie Rayner, they’ve got a sleuth for all tastes!

While Ann is a seasoned author in her own right, having eight published YA time travel mysteries to her credit, James, a former winery tasting room manager, has focused on non-fiction with informative blurbs on the wine industry. This unlikely author duo found common ground when they moved to Arizona and realized that the community they were living in was the perfect background for murder mysteries.

Ann admits that she’s definitely “the detail person” while James is more comfortable with plotline and the big ideas. Running the dialogue is their favorite pastime in this venture.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: