Library Journal
While Ivan Monk, an African American private investigator, swaps stories with cronies in a Los Angeles barber shop, an elderly former player in the Negro Leagues collapses and dies in front of them. Intrigued by the man's hitherto unknown past and because the old man played ball with Ivan's cousin, Ivan investigates. His cousin, ostracized since his "anti-black" testimony resulted in a long prison term for an aspiring politician, attends the funeral and then is murdered (casting suspicions on the first death). Full of neighborhood activity, baseball and jazz history, and general comments on the human condition, this fourth title in the series (after Bad Night Falling) belongs in most larger collections; fans of African American mysteries will certainly enjoy. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.