Bottom of the Fourth

BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH

A Deacon Cross Florida Mystery

A future baseball star is throwing games on purpose. Everyone thinks he's choking. Deacon Cross knows better.

Veteran baseball scout Deacon Cross has spent a lifetime discovering talent.

He also knows when something doesn't add up.

When the top high school prospect in Florida suddenly falls apart in front of professional scouts, everyone blames pressure. Deacon sees something different.

Fear.

The harder he investigates, the more he uncovers a dangerous criminal enterprise operating behind the scenes of youth sports. A local used car dealership is more than a place to buy vehicles—it's the headquarters for a loan-sharking operation, an illegal sportsbook, and a ruthless extortion racket preying on families with nowhere else to turn.

A promising young athlete has become collateral.

His brother's debt has become his prison.

And every strikeout pushes him closer to a lifetime controlled by organized crime.

To save one player's future, Deacon must risk everything by infiltrating a criminal operation built on intimidation, predatory contracts, sports gambling, and corruption hiding in plain sight.

But the deeper he digs, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Some people are willing to steal a dream.

Others are willing to kill to protect the business behind it.

Perfect for fans of Florida mysteries, baseball mysteries, private investigator novels, crime fiction, sports thrillers, Gulf Coast mysteries, amateur sleuths, organized crime, suspense, and character-driven detective fiction, BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH delivers sharp dialogue, unforgettable characters, page-turning suspense, and another gripping investigation featuring baseball scout Deacon Cross.

Sometimes the biggest play isn't made on the field...

It's made in the shadows.

discover why Deacon Cross never stops looking for the truth—even when everyone else is watching the game.