Soos, Troy Books

Streets of Fire

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Anarchy brings a snow-clad city to its knees--and hides a ruthless killer.

It is 1895, and the worst winter in years grips the streets of Brooklyn. As the city prepares to be united with New York City across the river, a strike by trolley workers ignites one of the most contentious labor conflicts in the nation's history.

In the face of overwhelming opposition, the mayor--a shareholder in one of the largest transportation companies--vows to keep the trolleys running, and calls in the National Guard. It's a disaster waiting to happen--and the waiting ends pretty quickly when a cop drops dead in a crowd of protesters with two bullet holes in his back.

Marshall Webb, reporting on the strike for Harper's Weekly, suspects that the incident somehow stands at the center of the tremors that are tearing Brooklyn apart on the eve of losing its independence. To bring peace to an erupting city, he joins forces with Buck Morehouse, a detective with his own methods of establishing law and order, and Vivian O'Connell, a social reformer with contacts in both extremes of New York society. As the heat continues to rise in the frozen streets, only the truth they seek will expose a tangle of corruption thick enough to strangle a city--and murder again....

"Should appeal to much the same audience as [Caleb] Carr's." --Publishers Weekly on The Gilded Cage

Island Of Tears

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A passable series debut 3 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

ISLAND OF TEARS, by Mickey Rawlings's creator Troy Soos, introduces a promising newcomer to the detective genre; Marshall Webb. If you're looking for a period mystery as substantial as THE ALIENIST, THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS, any of Anne Perry's novels, or even Stephen Saylor's A TWIST AT THE END and the Roma Sub Rosa series, then you're bound to be disappointed. Soos's book is charitably weighed in at 280 pages (at least 40 of which are blanks between chapters) and he obviously doesn't luxuriate in the period as Carr or Saylor do (which is unusual for a historian-turned-novelist such as the two abovementioned). This is a meat-and-potatoes mystery and is typical for the genre in length, denouement, characterization, and execution.

Marshall Webb is likable enough as a hero but he almost completely lacks the sense of humor that makes Mickey Rawlings such a favorite of Soos's earlier fans. Webb depresses me, frankly. One of the biggest reasons why it's so hard to connect with Webb is because ISLAND OF TEARS isn't told with the usual first person narrative that is so typical of the mystery genre. The reader is told about Webb's impressions instead of being able to read his mind as we've rightly come to expect. Mickey Rawlings, who *does* benefit from first person narrative, is better able to entertain us with his baseball play, his knowledge of the game, and with his unconventional humor. There is nothing entertaining nor uplifting about a humorless hack with writer's block, especially if he's a dime novelist.

The denouement and unmasking of the killer was telegraphed much earlier than it should've been and overall the motive, opportunity, and means of the murder seemed flat and uninspired. The supporting cast of Crombie, Gehringer, Rebecca Davies, et al seems to be a promising ensemble and I look forward to seeing these characters develop along with Webb. I only hope they have more humor the next time around and are involved with a longer, more substantial murder mystery.

Murder at Fenway Park

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A home run 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Troy Soos has started a wonderful series with this first installment of the Mickey Rawlings mysteries. The combination of the early 1900s time period, the freshness of a young kid new to the big leagues, and a murder intertwined with baseball is great. It is an easy and quick read. The setting plays a big part of the appeal of this mystery novel--which Soos masterfully creates. The mystery/plot is believable and does keep the reader in suspense. I eagerly await each installment of this series. Soos writing seems to get progressively better.

A satisfying summer read 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I like baseball, I like historical fiction, and I like murder mysteries. This book is an enjoyable combination of all three of those.

As you have probably gathered by now, the protagonist is a baseball player in 1912 who has just joined the Boston Red Sox. Just as he arrives at Fenway Park, he stumbles across a body -- and his adventures begin.

There are several things that make this story work. One of them is that Our Hero isn't impressively intelligent. He's realistically drawn, and he makes realistically dumb mistakes.

The author also does a good job of capturing the sensibilities of the era outside the news headlines (such as the Titanic sinking); Mickey likes those newfangled movies, even if he has to sneak to see them because the baseball pros are concerned that the flickering lights are bad for his eyes. And I had been unaware of the Highlanders, who played in a baseball stadium in New Jersey in which attendees walked across the field to get to-and-from their seats.

There's just enough baseball to make the story fun for the casual fan (Go Diamondbacks!), without making the reader drown in statistics or who-did-what at the plate. Some of the characters are famous names that you'll recognize -- such as Ty Cobb, who apparently was a real jerk even if he was a great baseball player. I found the history charming rather than tedious (I'm not one for reciting baseball history).

The mystery -- who did it? -- is good but not astonishing. However, the rest of the book is so much fun that I didn't mind in the least.

If you're looking for a summer beach read, this would be a heck of a good choice.

Editorial Review:

Young Mickey Rawlings stumbles across a murder in 1912 Fenway Park, where he learns an entirely new lesson about foul play as he becomes the number one suspect in a case that forces him to launch his own investigation. Reprint. PW.

Murder At Wrigley Field

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Mickey Rawlings investigates the murder of a Cub teammate. 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is the third in the Mickey Rawlings series ("Murder at Fenway Park" and "Murder at Ebbetts Field" precede it). Rawlings, a utility infielder who gets traded more often than baseball cards, again finds himself nearby when a murder is committed. This time it is a fellow Cubs teammate, Willy Kaiser. Willy is Rawlings' friend and he vows to track down the killer. Could it be: 1. A player Willy displaced at shortstop, out to get revenge? 2. Another baseball club owner out to destroy the Cubs? 3. Any one of the many citizens whipped into a frenzy by the anti-war propoganda being spread around the US? The plot gets pretty thick as Mickey teams up with his old newspaper buddy, Landfors, to try to sort out fact from fiction. There are many colorful characters we meet on the way including ballplayers, owners, factory workers, German immigrants, businessmen, and members of an anti-war organization. Mickey is in only slightly less danger than in the earlier books. The real danger seems to be that he'll be cut from the team and forced to travel to Europe to fight for his country. Although I'm not a scholar of the period (1918), the descriptions seem to be accurate enough and some of the characters are not fictional (though their actions are) in order to end more realism to the work.

Editorial Review:

Starting for the Cubs in war-frenzied 1918 Chicago, star hitter Mickey Rawlings attempts to learn who has been sabotaging the team's efforts and becomes involved in a murder investigation after his best friend is killed. By the author of Murder at Fenway Park.

The Gilded Cage

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the riveting Island of Tears, Troy Soos introduced dime-novelist Marshall Webb and reformer Rebecca Davies. Now, the critically acclaimed author plunges readers once again into the gritty underside of turn-of-the-century New York, as Marshall and Rebecca reunite to take on Tammany Hall and the city's ruthless elite. A cholera epidemic has forced New York's immigrants into quarantine, and fear and panic ripple through the city. Amid a shaky economy, Rebecca Davies' father cuts off funding for her woman's shelter. Rather than turn these destitute women out onto the cold, dangerous streets, Rebecca seeks investment help from Lyman Sinclair, a remarkably successful young banker. But when Sinclair is found dead--an apparent suicide--and Rebecca's money is nowhere to be found, the police refuse to investigate further. Determined to recoup her money, Rebecca approaches her friend, writer marshall Webb. Together, Rebecca and Marshall unravel a web of corruption that runs from the top levels of Wall Street, through the lavish theaters of Broadway, to the mean streets of the Bowery. At its heart is a massive cover-up, marked by unquenchable ambition and greed that could shake the very foundations of New York City.

The Cincinnati Red Stalkings

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Ah, those were the days... 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

If you are a baseball fan and a mystery reader, it doesn't get any better than this. The author re-creates the era of 1921, when the Cincinnati nine were still reeling from having been cheated out of their victory over the Chicago "Black Sox" by accusations that the fix was in. Having felt the summer heat of Cincinnati and having seen many games at Redlands (Crosley Field), this brought it all back. I can't wait to read Troy Soos' other mysteries.

Good mix of fact and fiction. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Troy Soos continues the story of journeyman Mickey Rawlings. This time he plays for the Cincinnati Reds.

It's 1921 and baseball is reeling from the Black Sox scandal. Mickey is threatened with expulsion from the game because of bogus gambling charges. In addition, Mickey is investigating two murders more than 50 years apart.

As a long-time resident of Cincinnati, OH, this book was especially enjoyable to me. I'm too young to have attended games in Redland/Crosley field, so it was good to be able to go there, at least vicariously. I'm eagerly awaiting the next Troy Soos novel.

Editorial Review:

The lazy days of June, 1921, are dark ones for baseball fans as the trial of the Chicago "Black Sox" players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series begins. But utility infielder Mickey Rawlings thinks he has something to cheer about--playing for the team that won that series, the Cincinnati Reds. Until he gets embroiled in a mix of conspiracy, lies, and murder that could end his career--and his life.

Murder at Ebbets Field

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Lively mystery that comes across contrived at times. 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a nice little book that clips along at a brisk pace. The protagonist seems a bit too smart for a 22-year old, however, and most of the historical tidbits that are included seem clumsily inserted. Having said that, I have to say that it certainly keeps one's interest from start to finish.

A little baseball, a little creativity-- you can't beat it! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

In this 1914 period piece, sometime infielder Mickey Rawlings hopes his NY Giants will beat the Dodgers and earn a shot at the World Series. There's a movie crew shooting the game and right next to the Dodger's dugout, Mickey sees the luscious and famous movie star, Florence Hampton. When the director asks for a man from each team as bit players, the Dodgers pick Casey Stengel and the Giants choose Mickey.

The Giants lose the game (and baseball fans and non fans alike will appreciate Soos's short and vivid game descriptions), the glamorous Miss Hampton whisks Rawlings and Stengel away to film some scenes, then they're off to a champagne party. The next morning Mickey takes his hangover for a walk on the beach and finds Hampton's bloated body washed up on the beach. His friend, journalist Karl Landfors, talks him into investigating Hampton's death.

Soos's simple, almost journalistic prose holds the reader captive in the early 20th century baseball world. Soos, a physicist at MIT, says he always liked "reading mysteries and doing physics mostly for the puzzle...I think Peter Lovesey's Cribb & Thackery series is what got me writing historicals."

He uses books, film and photos to learn how the cities looked in the early part of the century. "I do use actual incidents and players, then I start to play the game of `what if?' to tie them together in a mystery plot."

Although I'm a baseball fan, I don't consider myself a fan of historical baseball -- at least I wasn't until I discovered Soos's series. He's managed to change that.

Editorial Review:

Slugger/amateur sleuth Mickey Rawlings is back for a second whodunit. August 1914: the Giants are in first place, the Dodgers last, and Mickey might well realize his most cherished dream of playing in the World Series. But as the pennant race heats up, Mickey finds himself matching wits with a killer who has an irritating habit of vanishing into thin air.

Burning Bridges

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

fantastic historical mystery 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

In 1896, thanks to his exposé article on Tammany Hall corruption, Harper's magazine hires reporter Marshall Webb while the Lexow Committee tries to see that corrupt politicians and cop do time. Marshall wants to work on a different story and his boss is eager to oblige him. His topic of choice is to look at the upcoming referendum to decide whether Brooklyn and Staten Island should merge with Manhattan; supporters and opponents are volatile on the subject.

He attends the town meeting hosted at Brooklyn's Canarsie Hall where wealthy industrialist Joshua Thompson provides a rousing speech in support of the third largest city in America remaining independent. As Marshall interviews Joshua, shots are fired; Joshua is dead. Detective Buck Morehouse investigates the homicide; he teams up with Marshall using the reporter as bait to lure a killer.

Troy Soos has written a fantastic historical mystery starring a likeable hero. His girlfriend wealthy socialite Rebecca Davies, who runs a home for women in trouble, plays more of a secondary role this time as opposed to her prime actions in the previous novels. The most intriguing character is Detective Morehouse, who receives free gratuities that today would be considered corruption but is quite acceptable in the Gay Nineties of New York. This well written and thoroughly researched BURNING BRIDGES, besides containing a wonderful period piece who-done-it, also leaves the audience with the concept that crime including corruption and graft is defined by society, which changes the definition periodically.

Harriet Klausner

Editorial Review:

- First time in print! - Troy Soos writes atmospheric, historically accurate, exciting novels in the bestselling tradition of Caleb Carr.

Hunting A Detroit Tiger (Mickey Rawlings Baseball Mysteries)

Troy Soos

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This Series Hits A Home Run Every Time! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Troy Soos' baseball mysteries are always fun to read. Full of historical baseball references as well as a murder mystery that usually takes place in the opening pages, you can't help being caught up in the adventures of utility infielder Mickey Rawlings. This particular story takes place in 1920 when Mickey finds a slot on the Detroit Tigers, playing along side the temperamental Ty Cobb. Mickey is unjustly accused of murdering a union organizer, merely because of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pick this one up soon and especially if you're a true baseball fan you will enjoy reading of the events of the time as well as a good time mystery. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

It's 1920, and all Mickey Rawlings wants is a .250 batting average, 20 stolen bases, and a regular place in the Tigers' lineup. But when Emmett Siever, an old-time baseball player, is killed, Mickey finds himself accused of the crime. Now, with someone seeking revenge for Siever's murder and the baseball owners pressuring him to speak out against the unions, Mickey must find the real killer.

The Cincinnati Red Stalkings [Audio Cd] [Audio] [Cd]

Troy Soos

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Editorial Review:

8 Hours 6 Minutes/7 cds. Fans are cheering Troy Soos for his absorbing mysteries packed with old-time baseball lore. In The Cincinnati Red Stalkings, he whisks you back to the summer of 1921 when life was simpler and the world was a safer placeor was it? Utility infielder Mickey Rawlings is thrilled to be playing for the wildly popular Cincinnati Reds. But when he helps set up an exhibit honoring the Red Stockings, he accidently uncovers long-forgotten misdeeds. Suddenly he finds himself drawn into a widespread gambling scandal and implicated in a present-day murder. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, Troy Soos crafts authentic settings and realistic characters. Narrator Johnny Hellers sparkling narration brings Mickey Rawlings colorfully to life as he rubs elbows with great players from the past.