The Stray Pitch

A Wendy Winkworth Mystery

De: Marilyn Bos

Narrado por: Sherri Slater

Born into a family of thieves, Wendy Winkworth becomes a private investigator because "you don't go to jail if you're caught." In 1950, 24-year old Wendy is hired by the mobster/owner of the Star Spangled Girls Baseball League to infiltrate the Burton City Hornettes and find the murderer of its star pitcher, a blonde bombshell of amazing physical powers and influence. First problem: Wendy's not much of a ballplayer. Second: She finds that lust, jealousy, greed, and deception are as much a part of the roster as she is. Then another body turns up. Somewhere out there a cold-blooded killer is taking practice swings with a Louisville slugger destined for Wendy's skull.

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A Semi-Cozy Mystery

If there is such a thing as a semi cozy mystery, I think this is it. In her novel The Stray Pitch, Marilyn Bos seems to combine elements of a cozy mystery with noir-ish type crime fiction to create a fun, enjoyable read.

Originally I purchased this book because I was intrigued by the women's baseball angle, but the mystery side of things sucked me in, especially Wendy Winkwirth, the story's female sleuth. Even though it's set in the 1950s, her attitude and approach to the male-dominated world has a modern flair, with a touch of humor and sassiness, that had me pulling for her every step of the way.

Women’s Baseball murders

Excellent character development. Great narration with good voice changes. Nicely paced PI story. Interesting little twists. The author does a great job of portraying the challenges of a woman in her early to late twenties.

The First of a Trilogy

The Stray Pitch is the first of a trilogy of Wendy Winkworth Mysteries by Marilyn Bos (and I believe her debut mystery novel).

While everyone enjoys a good mystery that keeps you guessing, I feel the true appeal of The Stray Pitch is in how the story is told through Wendy, a young PI who is a little bit brash, a little bit snarky, a little bit naive, and sometimes just a hoot that had me chuckling.

The story was a nice mix of noir-ish type mystery with a strong female protagonist and a bit of baseball.

A fun period piece

What made this mystery interesting to me is its historical backdrop. Bos sets the story, The Stray Pitch, in the 1950s post-WWII era, a time when the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was still active. While many readers might be familiar with this period from the film "A League of Their Own," Bos brings her own perspective to this fascinating slice of sports history.

Her main character, Wendy Winkworth, is also a delight—resourceful, witty, and pragmatic. Bos created a female PI who doesn't feel like a male detective simply rewritten as a woman; Wendy's experiences navigating a male-dominated world feel authentic to the time period.

Though, what truly makes this book joy to listen to is Sherri Slater's narration. Absolutely fantastic!

Think League of Her Own Era

Listened to The Stray Pitch mostly because it was a baseball story—and I love (almost) all sports. While story was more mystery that a tale about America's favorite past time, what sucked me in was Sherri Slater's narration. She captured the feel and era that this story was set in, and voiced Wendy Winkworth in away that brought her to life.