After a second world championship in four years, the Boston Red Sox have finally buried the Curse of the Bambino — or have they? Red Sox owner Louis Kenwood receives an extortion note signed “Babe Ruth” claiming that the 2004 World Series was fixed, and demanding $20 million to keep the information from the press and the commissioner’s office. If the allegation of a fix becomes public, Kenwood fears irreparable damage to the value of his franchise and to his legacy as “Lucky Louie,” the man who finally brought a championship to Boston after eighty-six years. Thus, the Red Sox turn to private detective Sam Skarda to find out who’s behind the extortion plot.

RICK SHEFCHIK spent 26 years at the St. Paul Pioneer Press as a media critic, feature writer/columnist, enterprise reporter and sportswriter, before leaving in 2006 to devote his full time to writing novels. He's also a lifelong golfer and plays guitar with an oldies band called Yesterday’s News. He lives in Stillwater, Minnesota, with his family.