Murder on the Mound
David Feldman
Lulu, 260 pages, (paperback) $15.40, 978-1684714407
(Reviewed: April, 2020)
Baseball, sex, murder, and courtroom drama fuel David Feldman’s fastball murder mystery,
Murder on the Mound.
Best friends Scott Davis and Doug Simons were major-league draftees in 1999. Scott’s brilliant
career as a Red Sox shortstop was cut short when he blew his knee out while making a
pennant-winning catch in Fenway Park. Meanwhile, Doug had pitched for the San Diego Padres
until he was accused of bludgeoning to death Pete Marcus, Doug’s teammate and mentor.
Scott, once a standout Stanford student and now a lawyer, becomes Doug’s defense attorney—
a tough task, as Doug sure looks guilty.
Readers learn that the crime occurred when Pete received a visit from a friend who is never
identified. The friend beat Pete to a bloody pulp with a tire iron, paying special attention to
Pete’s nether region. “Should have been wearing your protective cup,” the murderer mocks.
Readers also discover that Pete had sex with Doug’s wife Jackie, and Doug allegedly flew into a
murderous rage despite his “open marriage.”
As the story evolves, a host of sexual liaisons complicate the picture, obscuring the identity of
the true killer until the final reveal.
The story displays the author’s impressive baseball and legal knowledge, and it moves along
like a Grisham novel with crisp writing and a tight plot. It has a few flaws, however. While the
climactic scene featuring a Perry Mason-style courtroom reveal works well for the most part, the
guilty party’s reasoning seems strained and contrived. And although the copyediting is solid,
one notable mistake— the jazz great is Wynton Marsalis, not Winton Marseilles— distracts.
Finally, the title is misleading, as the murder doesn’t happen on the ballfield. (Murder on the
Mound does have a nice ring to it, however.)
There isn’t much keeping this from being a winner. Murder on the Mound would be better with a
few fixes, but mystery fans will still find this enjoyable fare.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.

TITLE INFORMATION
MURDER ON THE MOUND
David Feldman
Lulu (260 pp.)
$32.40 hardcover, $15.40 paperback, $8.99 e-book
ISBN: 978-1-68471-441-4
November 26, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
In this whodunit, a shortstop-turned-lawyer tries to prove his best friend’s innocence.
Scott Davis, a college baseball star at Stanford, was one of the two best players on the premier team in the country.
Drafted by the Boston Red Sox, he becomes their starting shortstop, American League MVP, and a World Series
champion. But when Scott blows out his knee, his career is over, and he tries to pivot to a new job as an attorney. The
other Stanford star, Doug Simons, is Scott’s best friend. The two of them become brothers-in-law when they marry twin
sisters, Debbie and Jackie Gordon. Doug’s pro career gets off to a slower start, as he fails to manage his fast ways and
stay faithful to Jackie. One day, a threatening letter arrives for Doug. It contains an ominous promise from an unknown
man: “One day you will pay for what you’ve done.” Evidently, Doug got the man’s wife pregnant; a botched abortion
nearly killed her. Doug and Scott don’t take the threat seriously. As Scott thinks to himself, “what maniac seeking
revenge would ever hint before they strike?” Seven years later, it’s spring training in Peoria, Arizona, and Doug’s
showing promise as a San Diego Padres pitcher. Scott has opened a law practice with his father. And Jackie is having an
affair with Pete Marcus, Doug’s teammate and mentor. When Pete is brutally murdered, the liaison comes to light and
Doug becomes a suspect. Carl Craven, the detective on the case for the much maligned Peoria Police Department,
investigates. Feldman is an economical writer with a particular knack for courtroom drama. He ambitiously weaves
several strands of plot together and assembles a rich cast of characters in the telling, including Scott and Doug. As a
minor league manager reflects about Doug, “the kid was blessed with amazing talent, but he was going to throw it all
away over a bottle of booze and an endless string of women.” Though certain storylines don’t deserve the attention they
get, in the end, the author brings the tale to a satisfying, tidy conclusion.
An engaging mystery featuring friendship, revenge, and America’s pastime.
Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 2600 Via Fortuna Suite 130 Austin, TX 78746
indie@kirkusreviews.com

Clarion Review MYSTERY
Murder on the Mound
David Feldman
Lulu (Jan 15, 2020)
Softcover $15.99 (260pp)
978-1-68471-440-7
Filled with salacious intrigue and procedural details, Murder on the Mound is a fascinating murder mystery.
In David Feldman’s mystery novel Murder on the Mound, a major league baseball player is accused of murder; his
college teammate turned lawyer is tasked with proving his innocence.
Scott and Doug were college teammates, best friends, and dating twin sisters when they were recruited by teams on
opposite sides of the country. A partier and womanizer, Doug is signed by the Padres, marries Jackie, and refuses to
change his ways. He receives a threatening letter from the fiancé of a woman whom he seduced and abandoned.
A short time later, Pete, Doug’s friend and mentor, is found murdered; all evidence, including the revelation that Pete
was having an affair with Jackie, points to Doug. Married to Debbie, Jackie’s twin sister, and having been forced into
retirement from baseball due to an injury after years with the Red Sox, Scott is hired to prove Doug’s innocence. It’s a
difficult case, considering Doug’s past, his tenuous, open relationship with his wife, and his obvious jealousy over her
affairs.
As Scott investigates the crime, a host of characters, each with their own possible motives, is revealed. Some of these
additions to the cast, including Lou, the former police chief turned private investigator, serve the story well; others,
including a dismissed juror, are placeholders. A subplot involving Lester, a computer hardware entrepreneur and client
of Scott’s prior to Pete’s murder, at first seems to contribute little; it is later revealed to have greater implications for
the courtroom drama, connecting several loose ends. Regardless of their function, each character is introduced with a
complete backstory; in many cases, these are so involved that they detract from the growing suspense of the main
story.
As the mystery builds, short interjections narrating the killer’s thoughts and actions after the crime eliminate possible
suspects, including Doug, though prematurely; they cast suspicion on the most likely culprit. These interjections
shadow, and in some ways undermine, Scott’s diligent work.
The details of Scott’s defense are interesting. Scott is a methodical lawyer; the steps that he and his team, including
Lou, take result in a fascinating blueprint of a palpable murder defense. Scenes that take place at the crime scene, in
the forensics lab, and in the courtroom itself are educational, despite the melodramatic situations they sometimes
involve.
Murder on the Mound is a fascinating mystery in which two former teammates team up again to beat a murder rap.
JASON MILLER (May 29, 2020)
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The author of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have
their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the author will receive a positive
review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

So for those of you who read the recent article about my new book, you will recall that I was committed to giving back to worthy causes from my book sales.

So today I am happy to announce that for the months of April, May and June, I will donate $2.00 for every book purchased to a Covid 19 relief fund. Additionally, if you send me a review of the book, I will make an additional $1.00 donation in your name.

You may email the review and the name under which you want the donation to be made to me at my email address, which is: davidfeldmanbooks@gmail.com.

Let’s see how much money we can raise for the relief effort all while getting to enjoy Murder on the Mound.

Thank you and stay safe and stay healthy.

David

This profile was recently published in several Connecticut newspapers. Thank you to Brian Gioiele for a great piece.

https://www.sheltonherald.com/news/article/Shelton-man-living-dream-as-published-author-15188572.php

Murder on the Mound was a thrilling murder mystery story that sucked me in from the first pages!  An exciting read that kept me on my toes until the very last page. I hope that we will be hearing more from Scott and Doug very soon.  Emily

Thanks Emily. Glad you enjoyed the book.

I just received this review from a reader and wanted to share it with you all.

Thanks Janel for the review. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. Yes, there will be more of Scott and Doug to come.  Hush Money is in the works!!

“Absolutely loved this book. Totally sucked me in and I had to finish it in one day. It was entertaining, very well written and kept me guessing to the end. Hoping there will be more of Scott and Doug soon.” – Janel Volpicelli

Book reviews will be posted on this page.