Price: $13.00
Binding: Trade paperback
Trim size: 5" x 7-1/2"
Pages: 224
ISBN-10: 1-932325-01-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-932325-01-0

This 2003 Mystery Company edition restores to print the 1990 novel that marked the debut of the Cat Marsala series.

A bomb explodes, taking the life of Louise Sugarman and injuring reporter Cat Marsala. As a controversial advocate for the decriminalization of drugs and for treating addiction as a medical problem, Sugarman has many enemies. Outraged by the attack, Cat resolves to find the killer. The investigation forces Cat to confront the issues and the people on both sides of the debate.

Praise for Barbara D'Amato and Hardball

"Hardball is fast and funny and Cat Marsala is a delight. The book reads like a tough screwball comedy with Carole Lombard as the star and Howard Hawks as the director. Cat is witty and determined and the cast of characters in her life is perfect."

Stuart M. Kaminsky

"The series about Chicago journalist Cat Marsala is one of the best going in at least two areas: pure fair-play puzzle-spinning, and a fresh and well-realized specialized background in each book."

Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

"Cat is as likable as she is clever."

Publishers Weekly

"Every facet of Hardball is a stunning success. At one level, it’s a philosophical and practical treatise on the drug problem; characterization and description are splendid. The black policeman, Captain Harold McCoo, is a wonderful character, and the account of Cat’s biweekly visit to her imprisoned brother is unforgettable. The mystery and its solution are faultless. Top notch!"

The Drood Review of Mystery

"D’Amato sketches in a full set of characters and a plateful of action. The personal relationships are fully drawn and the plotting is sound. Marsala’s character strikes a fine balance between flip and caring."

The Indianapolis Star

"Along with her talent for dreaming up wild, whiz-bang climaxes, Ms. D’Amato has a knack for creating refreshingly complex characters."

The Baltimore Sun

"Her writing is clean and without pretension, what Cat calls ‘English as I like to hear it – clear, unemotional, to the point.’ The author also seems genuinely involved in the spirited debate she sets up on the pros and cons of legalizing drugs."

The New York Times Book Review

"D'Amato, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for Authorized Personnel Only (2000) and the Carl Sandburg Award for Good Cop, Bad Cop (1998), knows how to wring suspense out of her subjects."

Booklist

"With the good characterizations, a closely plotted mystery, a good ending and thought-provoking views, this is a book you shouldn't miss! I couldn't put the book down. The character is one I hope will return early and often... I promise you that this book is one that you will not regret purchasing."

The Casebook (Book Sleuth Mystery Bookstore

For more information, visit: www.barbaradamato.com