In the American deep south in 1957, the Redbirds battle the Bayou Braves for the championship. Ronnie LeBlanc, the Redbirds' pitcher, believes that winning the regional title is his ticket out of a dead-end job at the local sugar mill. When the Redbirds suffer a series of losses, the team's coach quits, and the sole person willing to take the job is a former Negro League pitcher-the only African-American in a still-segregated game.
Ronnie begins to suspect external forces are the cause of his team's unlucky streak. As he digs for answers, he stumbles upon a secret: Bo Brasseux, the town's bigoted banker, is scheming to kill the Redbirds' new coach, throw the championship game, and ruin Ronnie's family financially. A scout for the Chicago Cubs could be the answer, but will being tapped by the Cubs be enough to thwart Brasseux's despicable plans against the coach and Ronnie's family?
Based on a true story, "Stealing First" is only one tale in this collection that offers glimpses of small-town politics, snake-handlers, nosey house-hunters, and the making of a murderer. Each story looks at our prejudices and conceits, our loves in all their variations, and the worst and best of us.
About the Author: Cynthia Drew has garnered several awards for her novels, among them the 2018 INDIE Gold for Best Mystery, a 2012 INDIE for Best Historical Fiction, and the 2013 Mom's Choice Award for Best Inspirational and Motivational Literature for Children. She is a practicing private investigator.
Joan Golden is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter.
Sisters, Cynthia Drew and Joan Golden have also published several mysteries under the pen name, Drew Golden.
