Seattle, WA.—On April 1, 2015, Camel Press will release Split to Splinters ($14.95, 264 pages, ISBN: 978-1-60381-205-4), by Max Everhart, the second book in a mystery/suspense series featuring Eli Sharpe, a former baseball player turned detective. A retired baseball star believes one of his four daughters is stealing his career memorabilia and gives Eli free rein to rattle the family skeletons.“Max Everhart’s PI, Eli Sharpe, was himself a former ballplayer, but a mediocre one. Yet his grasp of human nature is of all-star quality. Sharpe is a clever and appealing character, and the story’s suspects are vivid and distinctive. Split to Splinters is a solid hit, and I look forward to his next case.”
—Steve Steinberg, coauthor (with Lyle Spatz) of the award-winning 1921: The Yankees, the Giants, and the Battle for Baseball Supremacy in New York
5 Stars: “This excellent neo-noir mystery expertly blends baseball and detective work. How have we not seen this before? There is a patience and quiet observation to both that make the pairing particularly effective. Throw in some fascinating characters and ingenious twists and you've got Go Go Gato. This is an entertaining read, one that will make you want to know more about Eli Sharpe and his world of booze, baseball, and bad guys.” —Elizabeth Dutton, author of Driftwood and 1,033 Reasons to Smile
When Jim Honeycutt, a Hall of Famer who hurls 90 MPH fast balls in his 50s, finds that his 300th career win baseball is missing, he hires ex pro baseball player Eli Sharpe to investigate. A note points to Jim’s four lovely daughters. As Eli delves into the clan’s complicated family dynamics, he must also interview their boyfriends, their alluring mother, her best friend, and a washed-up journalist.
Says Everhart, “Like most of my stories, Split to Splinters started with an image: Eli Sharpe in the batter’s box, ducking to avoid getting hit by a high fastball. From there, I had to figure out who was throwing the ball, and for that, I turned to Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. One of my heroes growing up, Ryan served as the basis for the Jim Honeycutt character. I thought it would be interesting to surround this rugged, virile character with formidable women, so I gave him four daughters, a wife, and possibly, a mistress. Still needing a mystery, I was inspired by a much better writer than myself: William Shakespeare and his tragic family man, King Lear.”
Max Everhart has a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. His short stories have been published in CutBank, Elysian Fields Quarterly, Slow Trains Journal, and juked. For more information, to www.maxeverhart.com.
Split to Splinters can currently be preordered on Amazon.com. After April 1, 2015, it will also be for sale in eBook and print editions on BN.com, Amazon.com, the European Amazons, and Amazon Japan. Bookstores and libraries can order by contacting info@camelpress.com or through Ingram and Baker & Taylor. Libraries can also order through Brodart. Other eBook versions can be purchased on Smashwords or any of the major online retailers.
ABOUT Camel Press—Based in Seattle Washington, Camel Press publishes genre fiction: romance, mystery/suspense, fantasy and science fiction. We publish the books that grab you and hold you in their grip long into the night.