The Deepest Cut by P.J. Tracy - A Monkeewrench Novel

 This review is of book number 11 in the 11-book Monkeewrench series. 

It has been a few years since PJ Tracy wrote another book in her popular series, having paused to write a 4-book series featuring Margaret Nolan, a California police detective. Now, Book Eleven in the Monkeewrench series is here and the characters I love are back! 

Most mysteries have one or two main characters and an assortment of minor characters. The Monkeewrench series has 6 main characters (the homicide detective team of Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolsteth and the 4 person Monkeewrench team of Grace, Harley Davidson, Annie and Roadrunner (who together are collectively referred to as Monkeewrench throughout the stories).  

Monkeewrench is a software company whose expert computer team developed a program to help law enforcement with difficult cases.  Since they are based in Minneapolis, the police they help most often is the MPD homicide department.  

The minor characters which populate this series are just as interesting and fun to get to know as the main characters. Written with a large dose of humor, the drama of the crimes being investigated are mitigated by this lightheartedness. We love the interaction between Leo and Gino and among the other members of the homicide department. And the fascinating characters seem to grow with each publication, giving us a group of characters who seem so real and so likable with each reading that we become convinced they are all real. 

Gino’s complaints about the Minnesota weather in each book are very relatable to those who have experienced similar situations (it’s way too hot with too many mosquitoes [SUMMER]. Or, it’s too bitterly cold here; I’m moving to Florida! [WINTER] ). 

And let’s not forget Charlie, the mongrel abandoned dog taken in by Grace, who is scared of his own shadow until he learns what a home with love is all about. 

I have dearly missed the Monkeewrench team and all their adventures during the time between Book 10 (2019) and Book 11 (2025).  Welcome back, Monkeewrench ~ you have been missed!

A Brief Synopsis of The Deepest Cut

In Book ten, homicide detectives Leo & Gino arrested a pair of killers for the murder of several women, aided by their cyber-sleuth friends and partners at Monkeewrench.  One of the killers has a fatal heart attack after being arrested; the other (Wolfgang Mauer) is sent to a maximum security mental hospital in rural Minnesota.

In The Deepest Cut, we find Mauer plotting his escape (with help from his ‘mother’) and planning a revenge involving the detectives and the Monkeewrench crew who got him a life sentence.

The escape is successful and three bodies and the kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy later, an inexperienced county sheriff finds herself head-first in a massive manhunt. She teams up with Minneapolis homicide and Monkeewrench to find Mauer before more people die.

Summary

I recommend reading the Monkeewrench Series by P.J. Tracy starting with Book One (Monkeewrench / Want to Play?), as each book in the series builds on characters we meet in subsequent books. The interactions and backstories help understand the characters better as we meet them again in each new book. In Book Eleven (The Deepest Cut), we find that the county sheriff helping solve the current case is someone we first met in Book Ten. :) 

Even the authors’ backstory is fascinating: they were actually a mother-daughter duo using a pseudonym.

Welcome to the Monkeewrench Series by P.J. Tracy! 

*Book Review of ‘The Deepest Cut’ by P.J. Tracy and background on the Monkeewrench Series was written by Wednesday Elf

*The Intro Image is compliments of Pixabay and Fotojet. The monkey image is from Pixabay.

Read the Monkeewrench Series of Books ~ from the first to the latest: 

 

Monkeewrench (Monkeewrench Mysteries Book 1)Check PriceThe Deepest Cut: A Monkeewrench NovelCheck Price

 

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National Peanut Day- A Holiday Review

Peanut Day is one of those fun food holidays we love to celebrate, despite the fact that there is no known origin for most of them. Nevertheless, we peanut lovers will enjoy celebrating this one on September 13, as we do every year! 

Nutty as it might seem, PeaNUTs are not NUTS! They actually grow underground, like potatoes and are considered part of the legume family, same as peas and beans.

Origin of Peanuts

The peanut was discovered over 3,500 years ago, most likely in South America. Peanuts were not widely planted or harvested until after the advancement of farm technology. Since peanuts are annuals and have to be grown from seeds each year, peanut crops were too labor-intensive until then. The modern methods of planting and harvesting peanuts not only transformed the peanut farm, but farming the world over.

As peanut production became more popular, possible uses for it were investigated.

How to Grow the Peanut: and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human ConsumptionCheck Price

Dr. George Washington Carver was probably the most instrumental in discovering how beneficial peanut crops could be.  After researching this amazing groundnut, he published  "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption" in 1916. In this book, Carver discovered over 300 uses for peanuts, including cooking oils, cosmetics, and dyes (even coffee).

In addition to being tasty, peanuts are very good for you. Each ounce provides 8 grams of protein and is high in antioxidants, vitamins E and B6, and beneficial minerals.

🎵 Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack 🎶

Peanuts are also a fun snack food. They appear to be particularly popular at the Circus and at ball games. 

 ~ lyric from Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.

Personal PeaNUT Notes

I am really nutty about nuts of all kinds, with peanuts being one of my very favorites. Peanuts on a Hot Fudge Sundae is absolutely necessary for me! And, banana bread and muffins HAVE to have walnuts, making them banana NUT bread! 

Plus, I mainly only like desserts with nuts in them (brownies, cookies, ice cream Sundaes, candy…. All have to have nuts for me to enjoy them the most)! 

Summary

So, if you are like me and sometimes you feel like a nut*, choose the tasty peanut on September 13th to celebrate National Peanut Day!

*Line from the Almond Joy Commercial song. 

Related Links:

• Peanut Brittle Recipe shared on the ReviewThisReviews.com site by Tracey Boyer (Homemade by Jade)
• National Nut Day was written and compiled for you by Wednesday Elf
• Peanut Butter Holidays - Holidays Celebrating Peanut Butter are listed here for you by Wednesday Elf on Review This Reviews.

*National Peanut Day Holiday Review was written by Wednesday Elf

**Intro Image Source: Pixabay

Peanuts for your snacking pleasure, or for your backyard squirrels….. 

PLANTERS Salted Peanuts, Plant Based Protein Snacks, 2.19lbs (1 Ct) | Roasted Salted Nuts. 0g Trans Fat. Resealable Jar. Snacks for Adults. Party Mix, Party SnacksCheck PriceP-Nuttles Butter Toffee Covered Peanuts, 5.25 Oz Resealable Bag (Pack of 3) - Sweet & Salty Candied Peanuts Snacks - Perfect for Parties, Travel & Gatherings - Kosher Certified Crunchy Gourmet SnacksCheck PriceNaturalee Peanuts, Plain In Shell 2 lbs - Raw, Unsalted | Natural Healthy Snack, Squirrel or Wildlife Feed, No Additives, Heart Healthy, High ProteinCheck Price

 

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Revenge Prey - A Lucas Davenport Novel

 Review of book #36 in John Sandford’s Prey series.

Synopsis of Revenge Prey

A former and high-ranking Russian Intelligence Officer defects to the United States after giving the CIA critical information about Russian spies who have infiltrated U.S. government services. For a year, he and his wife Martha and their son Bernard have been sequestered at a CIA facility near Washington. 

Now, with new names, the Summers are being turned over to the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection Program. The plan is to hide them in a wooded Minneapolis suburb which resembles their former home near Moscow. 

The CIA, along with the FBI, secretly transports the Summers family to their new location, turning them over to the Minneapolis WPP team of Lucas Davenport and Shelly White. Just as they arrive, shots are fired and enemies dodged as a Russian hit team attempts to eliminate the defector.

As a result, all original plans are abandoned, forcing the Summers family back into hiding while new arrangements are made. 

Meanwhile, an investigation must uncover what can only be a leak within the CIA, FBI, or Witness Protection Program, as no outside entities were aware of the family's relocation.

Summary

As Marshal Davenport and his team attempt to track down a ruthless Russian hit team, the CIA agent works on discovering the leak. 

Another outstanding thriller in John Sandford’s Prey Series. 

*Book Review of Revenge Prey by John Sandford was written by Wednesday Elf.

For more book reviews of John Sandford books, click here.

For more books reviewed on this site, for your reading pleasure, check out ReviewThisBooks.com 

The Prey Series includes the first book (#1), this current book (#36) and the next book (#37, release date due March 30, 2027)

Rules of Prey: A Lucas Davenport NovelCheck PriceRevenge Prey (A Prey Novel Book 36)Check PriceRuthless Prey (A Prey Novel Book 37)Check Price

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The End-of-the-Trail on Route 66

The last part of our road trip takes us through New Mexico, Arizona and on to the California Coast where the designated ending to Route 66 is at the Santa Monica Pier.

THE LAST THREE STATES OF ROUTE 66:  

New Mexico, Arizona, California

NEW MEXICO - 487 Miles

Of the original 400+ miles of Route 66 across New Mexico, 265 miles are still drivable.  Running parallel to Interstate 40, this drivable, historic stretch connects iconic boomtowns like Tucumcari, Santa Rosa, Albuquerque, Grants, and Gallup. Travelers can experience vintage neon signs, classic motels, and deep Indigenous and Spanish heritage.

Highlights include the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, the Blue Hole, an 80-foot artesian spring, in Santa Rosa, the Nob Hill district, filled with vintage diners and local events in Albuquerque, and the McKinley County Courthouse (The Heart of Indian Country) in Gallup.

ARIZONA - 401 Miles

Check out the Petrified Forest National Park in NE Arizona. Spend a night in a vintage concrete teepee in Holbrook (AZ). Stop at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Joseph City and the Powerhouse Museum in Kingman, known as the “Heart of Historic Route 66”. 

Conclude your Arizona Mother Road trip in Oatman, as you enjoy a mountain drive through the Black Mountains.

CALIFORNIA - 314 Miles

From the Arizona border at Needles, the Route 66 Road Trip includes over 300 miles through the Mojave Desert, past historic ghost towns and those iconic roadside diners. Barstow offers a desert oasis featuring the ‘Mother Road Museum’. 

You will pass through San Bernardino, Pasadena & Los Angeles, then follow Colorado Boulevard directly to the Ocean. The official “End of the Trail”, complete with a sign, is at the Santa Monica Pier.

Summary

This concludes our scenic road trip of the iconic Route 66. We hope you have an opportunity to celebrate this famous highway’s 100 years during its Centennial by enjoying even a small part of the distance from Chicago to Santa Monica. 

♫ ♫ Get Your Kicks on Route 66 ♬ ♪ 

Related Links:

• Route 66 Centennial - The Beginning
• Celebrating the Centennial of Route 66 - The Middle Part

*This review of the third part of Route 66 was written by Wednesday Elf.

+All images in this review are courtesy of Pixabay and Wikipedia

+Travel tips for New Mexico, Arizona and California on Route 66: 

New Mexico Kicks on Route 66Check PriceArizona Kicks on Route 66Check PriceRoute 66 in California (Images of America)Check PriceRoute 66: 100 YearsCheck Price

 

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Wait Till Next Year - A Book Review

 By Doris Kearns Goodwin

This is a memoir of a childhood time during the 1950s in the suburbs of New York City. It was a magical time of neighborhood rivalries when the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees all called New York home. 

Ebbets Field Postcard (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Doris Kearns Goodwin was a very young girl as the 1950s began, and shared a deep love for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team with her father, who taught her early on how to keep score. This was a time before night games began, so daytime baseball games were the norm. Doris would listen to the afternoon Dodgers game on the radio, faithfully filling out the scorecards in the little red score book her father had given her, then describe the narrative of the game to her dad each evening when he returned from work. From this humble beginning came the start of her coming-of-age story related in the memoir “Wait Till Next Year”. 

Synopsis of the Memoir

Wait Till Next Year - A MemoirCheck Price

Doris’ stories as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, peopled by Jackie Robinson (her favorite player), Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider and Pee Wee Reese, also included her recollections of her family, neighborhood and childhood friends. She describes what it was like to grow up in Rockville Centre, Long Island in a time when neighbors were extended family; a time defined by post-war suburban growth, early television broadcasts and Cold War anxiety.

A delightful memoir of a girl, an era and a game! A growing-up time which came to a close for Doris with the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn in 1957 (along with the Giants) and the death of her mother. 

Author Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin

Goodwin is an American historian, biographer and political commentator who specializes in US presidents. She worked as a fellow under Lyndon B. Johnson, which inspired her writing as a presidential historian. Her Wikipedia story is here. 

Summary 

I was given this book by a friend who knew what a huge baseball fan I am. The gift came from a recent evening at the Kansas City Royals ballpark where, between innings, we had a discussion about the many baseball-related books we’ve each read. 

In addition to enjoying the book from a baseball-fan standpoint, I really enjoyed it from the fact that Doris Kearns Goodwin is just three years younger than I am and her descriptions of her life in the 1950s and the baseball teams and players she talks about were SO familiar to me, growing up in New York State in the 1950s. It was like she was describing MY childhood days! 

Plus, I was mostly a NY Yankees fan (still am), but also followed the Brooklyn Dodgers during their time as a New York team. I never forgave them (just like a lot of other Dodger fans) for leaving Brooklyn and never cheered for them again. Doris Kearns ended up moving to Massachusetts as an adult and gave up on the Dodgers; becoming a Boston Red Sox fan! 

Wait Till Next Year is very well written, well worth reading by anyone. It will especially appeal to fans of Baseball, and people who were young in the 1950s. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have passed it along to my brother, another huge baseball fan! 

*Book review of “Wait Till Next Year” was written by Wednesday Elf 

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Celebrating the Centennial of Route 66 - The Middle Part

MIDDLE STATES OF ROUTE 66: Oklahoma, Texas

If you have ever wondered how Route 66 acquired the nickname “The Mother Road”, here is the backstory!

The nickname came from author John Steinbeck. He coined the term in his 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, to describe the highway as a primary lifeline for Dust Bowl refugees migrating west to California.

OKLAHOMA: 432 miles - The State with the Longest Stretch of Route 66

The state of Oklahoma has the longest continuous stretch of the Mother Road of any of the 8 states it passes through. The route enters the state in the northeast corner near Quapaw, runs southwest through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and exits near Texola.

A few of the landmarks to visit as you travel on your Route 66 road trip include:

• Blue Whale of Catoosa: This is a quirky, iconic roadside attraction built in the 1970s. It is perfect for photos. It is located just east of Tulsa at Catoosa, Ok. The attraction is quite literally a ‘blue whale’ built of concrete and iron. This waterfront structure has become one of the most recognizable attractions on old Route 66.
• The Golden Driller in Tulsa is a 76-foot statue of an oil worker. It was originally erected for the 1953 International Petroleum Exposition. The statue depicts an oil worker leaning on an oil derrick. It is the seventh-tallest statue in the United States. 
• The Arcadia (OK) Round Barn was built by a local farmer in 1896 and has become one of the landmark tourist attractions along the stretch of Route 66 in Oklahoma near Oklahoma City. . It has a unique architecture. 
• National Route 66 Museum Complex in Elk City, OK features exhibits, classic cars, and a peek into the golden age of American road trips. Another interesting tourist stop on your Oklahoma Route 66 road trip.

TEXAS - 186 Miles - The State with the Midpoint of Route 66

Route 66 across Texas generally parallels Interstate 40. The route features quirky art installations, ghost towns, and classic diners, with Amarillo serving as the major hub along the way.

Start by visiting the restored Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café in Shamrock. Then on to McClean, Texas to see the Devil's Rope Museum, which showcases a massive, quirky collection of barbed wire, and the first Phillips 66 station in Texas.

MIDPOINT: The official geo-mathematical midpoint of historic Route 66 is located in Adrian, Texas, at exactly 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Los Angeles.

In Amarillo you will find 13 blocks of vintage architecture, as well as antique shops and local dining. Don’t miss the infamous Cadillac Ranch, then treat yourself to a massive steak at The Big Texan Steak Ranch.

Summary

Having finished the middle section of your road trip of Route 66, you will next enter the last stretch of the three western states, taking you to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica.

Related Links:

• Route 66 Centennial - The Beginning
• The End-of-the-Road on Route 66

*This Travel Review was written by Wednesday Elf 

**All photos are courtesy of Pixabay & Wikipedia

Sightseeing along Route 66 in Oklahoma and Texas:

ROUTE 66 AND OKLAHOMA PARKS ADVENTURE GUIDECheck PriceRoute 66 - 20 Points of Interest in TEXASCheck PriceRoute 66 in Texas (Images of America)Check Price

 

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The Friend of the Family by Dean Koontz

 

Unlike his contemporary fiction, Dean Koontz writes this story from a historical viewpoint. The story’s timeframe begins in 1930 and continues through most of the 1930s decade and into the early days of World War II. 

Synopsis of this Novel

The Friend of the FamilyCheck Price

Alida is born with an oddity and her family rejects her, selling her,  as a very small child, to the owner of a traveling carnival. There she is put on display in the sideshow of the “Museum of the Strange”. Her only recourse to ignoring people staring at her all day was to lose herself in books.  

After years with the carnival, the owner, Forest Farnam, sells out and moves his best ‘oddity’, Alida, to the speakeasies circuit. 

Adida has resigned herself to this lonely life of being exploited as she doesn’t know there could be more to life for her. Then she is rescued by two compassionate strangers, Franklin and Loretta Fairchild.

The Fairchild’s are movie makers who do well for themselves due to people needing movies as an escape in this Depression-era time.  They see Alida as a gifted and extremely well-read girl in need of a loving touch and a family. Alida finds the love and family she has always dreamed about, but never thought she would find, with this loving couple and their three very precocious and imaginative children. 

Despite everyone in the family being very generous and accepting, Alida knows she is still a very different kind of girl. She begins having dreams that are unsettling to say the least, and often feel threatening. She fears these vivid dreams are also warnings and she feels that it is the Fairchilds who may need rescuing. 

Alida will do anything to keep her newfound family safe. How she goes about this gives us an ending that is definitely Koontz! 

Synopsis

This is an historical novel that will give you a look at life in 1930s America from a different perspective. It also gives you a story about an unusual girl who discovers her mysterious purpose in life surrounding family, sacrifice and love. 

For More Dean Koontz Book Reviews, Click Here

For More Book Reviews, check out ReviewThisBooks.com 

*Book Review of “The Friend of the Family” was written by Dean  Koontz

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Route 66 Centennial - The Beginning

There is a legendary highway in the United States known as the “Mother Road”. It was established in 1926 and stretches 2,448 miles from its beginning in Chicago, Illinois to its end at the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California. This iconic highway is best known as “Route 66”. 

This highway was built to serve as a primary route for westward migration and tourism. While officially decommissioned in 1985,  its popularity continues as a popular route for tourists and visitors. 

Now, in 2026, we are celebrating the route’s Centennial, with events and celebrations occurring throughout the eight states Route 66 covers. The celebrations include local town festivals, museum exhibitions and many other events.

This page is the beginning, with the middle and the end to follow in subsequent pages.

Route 66 Centennial - The Beginning

Illinois, Missouri, Kansas

Driving the first three states of Historic Route 66 takes you from the bustling streets of Chicago through the rolling Ozarks of Missouri, and into the brief but beautifully preserved vintage stretch of Kansas.

The original beginning of Route 66 was at Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, right by Grant Park. Now, in 2026, the Centennial celebration for Route 66 has designated the Navy Pier as Chicago’s Pier-to-Pier Start, a symbolic launch point for Route 66's 100th anniversary. The extension creates a scenic "pier-to-pier" journey linking Lake Michigan directly to California's Santa Monica Pier.

ILLINOIS - 301 Miles - Historic Points

Iconic restaurant on Route 66

Illinois has many points of interest along Route 66. They include the historic Old Log Cabin Inn in Pontiac, which is one of the oldest continually operating restaurants  on the Mother Road.

Pontiac also has the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum which features classic cars, memorabilia, and the largest collection of Route 66 artifacts in the country. It is listed on the National  Register of Historic Places.

The Gemini Giant at Wilmington, IL is a famous 30-foot-tall fiberglass "Muffler Man" in a space suit, a much photographed statue on the road.

Springfield, Illinois has the Shea’s Gas Station Museum, offering a massive collection of vintage neon signs and petroliana.

Classic highway memorabilia, along with old VW bugs, can be seen at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch (along with real rabbits!). 

MISSOURI - 317 Miles - Iconic Points on Route 66

Chain of Rocks Bridge

Historic Route 66 leaves Illinois and enters Missouri by crossing the Mississippi River. The iconic crossing for the Mother Road is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which connects Madison, Illinois, directly to the northern edge of St. Louis, Missouri.

Residents of St. Louis, Missouri regularly travel along portions of Route 66 in their daily commutes as it passes through the city.

Missouri has often been called the "Birthplace of Route 66" because its official name was conceived in Springfield in 1926. There are multiple places to visit along this iconic highway, including the historic Ozark attractions,the Meramec Caverns in Stanton and the Wagon wheel Motel in Cuba, MO, which is the oldest continuously operating motel on Route 66. 

KANSAS - 13 Miles - Short, But With Much to See

Eisler's in Riverton, Kansas

Kansas has just a tiny portion of Route 66, just 13 miles long ~ the shortest route of the eight states. It stretches across the SE corner of Cherokee County.  While short, there is a must-see stop in Galena where you will find a restored 1923 Kan-O-Tex service station featuring the International Harvester boom truck that inspired the character "Mater" from Disney's Cars. 

You can also stop by the Old Riverton Store (established in 1925), known as one of the longest continuously operating grocery stores on the entire route, or check out the Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum to dive into local history and outlaw lore.

Summary

From The Navy Pier (beginning) in Chicago, Route 66 travels through Illinois, Missouri and a short stretch of Kansas. Continue your journey along “The Main Street of America” with the links below. 

Related Links:

• Celebrating the Centennial of Route 66 - The Middle Part
• The End-of-the-Road on Route 66

*Part 1 of the Route 66 Centennial story was written and compiled by Wednesday Elf (July, 2026)

Travel Guides to Route 66 in Illinois, Missouri & Kansas:

Route 66: Centennial Travel Guide to the Mother RoadCheck PriceIllinois Bucket List: Explore 150 Epic AdventuresCheck PriceRoute 66 - 30 Points of Interest in MISSOURI and KANSASCheck PriceRoute 66 in Kansas (Images of America)Check Price

 

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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

 Review of a novel by Stephen King

Cast of Characters:

Trisha McFarland. Age nine. Main Character

Tom Gordon.  Closer. Pitcher, number 36, for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. 

Time Sequence: June, 1998

Synopsis of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon : A NovelCheck Price

The story begins at ten o’clock on a June Saturday morning in Maine. Trisha is in the family car on her way, with her divorced mother and older brother, for a short hike along the Maine/New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail. At ten thirty, she was lost in the woods!

Trisha had not meant to get lost. During the hike, she was trailing behind her mother & brother who were arguing again over the brother wanting to go back to Boston and live with his dad. Trisha got tired of listening to them, so when they reached a fork in the trail, she stepped off to the lessor trail to go to the bathroom. When done, she thought she could just cut across through the woods to rejoin the main trail. Instead, she got confused and ended up walking in the wrong direction.

The story occurs over the space of a week, with Trisha’s wanderings and poor choices of direction getting her more & more lost, including way beyond the search areas where search & rescue teams were looking for her. 

To keep from being too frightened, especially the first night alone in the dark, she uses her Walkman to listen to a game on the radio of her favorite baseball team (The Boston Red Sox), with her favorite player, Tom Gordon. 

Trisha also began to conserve her small store of food meant originally for lunch on the day hike. This included one tuna sandwich, some chips, celery sticks and Ding-Dongs, plus water and one other drink! 

As the days go by, Trisha keeps walking, first following a stream because she heard that streams usually end somewhere near civilization. When the first stream peters out, she follows another. She mentally replays conversations with her dad on weekend visits, especially those about the Red Sox and Tom Gordon, also her dad’s favorite team. In one conversation, Trisha remembers dad saying: 

“I believe Tom Gordon can save 40 games this year (1998). I believe right now he’s the best Closer in the major leagues — that if he stays healthy and the Sox hitting holds up, he could be pitching in the World Series come October!”  

Eventually, as days pass, the batteries in the Walkman die. So, Trisha begins to keep her mind occupied with imaginary conversations with her hero, Tom Gordon. 

Summary

The entire story (with a few side lines from minor characters) is narrated by and involves mainly Trisha McFarland (and, of course, her baseball hero, Tom Gordon). How she copes when she runs out of food and water and later becomes ill, is a testimony to the endurance of youth and the belief that things will work out. 

Stephen King does a marvelous job keeping you riveted to each section of Trisha’s journey alone in deep woods. Only, Trisha doesn’t believe she’s alone; she’s convinced Tom Gordon is with her, encouraging her to keep going.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a bit of a departure for Stephen King. Rather than a true horror story, (which is a genre I definitely stay away from; thereby seldom reading books by King), it is more a psychological thriller. And, since it involved baseball, and the fact that it is a fiction story involving a real-life baseball player from the 1990s, (whom I had just recently read about), I found myself drawn to it. I am glad I did, as I really enjoyed it.

Summary

Tom Gordon is best remembered in Boston for his dominant 1998 season out of the bullpen, where he set a then-major league record of 43 consecutive saves and a franchise record of 46 saves. Thereby, bringing Trisha’s dad’s earlier statement of 40+ games into focus.

Tom ‘Flash’ Gordon played for the Red Sox from 1996 through 1999. Find his stats and career information and how he acquired the nickname ‘Flash’ here.  He is currently the radio color commentator for the Boston Red Sox.

*Family Note: Former Major League Baseball pitcher Tom "Flash" Gordon has three sons, two of whom followed in his footsteps to play in the major leagues. 

*Book Review of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" was written by Wednesday Elf

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