The Long and the Short of It - Hardcover

North, Andy; Rocks, Burton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312287976 ISBN 13: 9780312287979

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2002

Synopsis

After the sudden death of her husband, Minda Hobbs returns to Angel Heights, S.C., the home of her forebears, to seek peace and purpose in her life. Instead, she finds her n'er-do-well cousin Otto as cold and stiff as yesterday's grits in the ladies' room at the historic Minerva Academy.

Shocked by her cousin's murder and still grieving over the loss of her husband, Minda has mixed emotions when she's greeted by her guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight. Shimmering with church window radiance, and smelling of strawberry jam, Augusta is a temp who's come on a double mission-to help Minda solve Otto's murder and to take care of unfinished business from an assignment in 1916.

Even though Otto could be unbearable at times, an annoying laugh is hardly cause for murder. Minda's only lead is a tiny gold pin, found wedged in a Minerva Academy bathroom stall, and its connection to a club called the Mystic Six. Together, Minda and Augusta trace the descendents of this secret society, piecing together clues that lead to a special quilt and the mystery behind Cousin Otto's unfortunate demise.

About this title

About the Author

Mignon F. Ballard lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina, with her husband. She is the author of the award-winning children's novel Aunt Matilda's Ghost as well as several acclaimed mysteries including Minerva Cries Murder and Raven Rock. Shadow of an Angel is the third book in her Augusta Goodnight mystery series.

Reviews

In the entertaining foreword, ESPN personality Chris Berman asks, "So why a book about Andy North?" Why indeed. Granted, winning two U.S. Open championships is a rare accomplishment, achieved by only 11 other players in golf history, and North's work as a commentator for PGA Tour events on ESPN is often humorous and clever. However, North's book is neither, plagued by clumsy structure and rambling asides. Part One recaps North's personal life and career, a subject with variety when about other sports superstars, but, unfortunately, all too familiar about golf personalities. Nothing new here except for the unique fact that North hit his wife, Susan, on the head with his ball three times during tournament play. In Part Two, North shares technical advice on specific shots and situations. In one poignant aside, he observes that you can play golf at five or 85, and thus it is the only sport grandparents can play with their grandchildren. Part Three offers anecdotes and appraisals of some of golf's legends, including Palmer, Nicklaus and Snead, while Part Four features random thoughts and gripes about courses, armchair golfers and the media's lack of appreciation for the LPGA. Unfortunately, coauthor Rocks's (A King's Legacy: The Clyde King Story) text reads as if it had been transcribed verbatim from a tape recorder. Tangential thoughts and disjointed time lines often leave the reader confused. North has some interesting insights into the game of golf, but they might have been better appreciated in several smaller, more specific volumes.

North won the U.S. Open twice, but because he only won one other professional golf tournament in his career, his triumphs are often considered flukes. In a combination memoir and golf instructional, North emerges as a thoughtful man whose love of the game has seen him through not only years of being called the "worst multiple Open winner" but also a plethora of injuries that, more than anything, accounted for his relatively disappointing career. If the prose here is a bit clunky (even for an as-told-to bio) and the sentiments on the syrupy side, the book will still hold the interest of golf fans, both for its solid instructional advice, particularly on the short game (North's specialty), and for the bittersweet portrait of a man whose successes earned him more criticism than his defeats. North, now an ESPN announcer, deserves a more positive footnote in golf history, and this book may help him get it. Bill Ott
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Edition details

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312287976
• ISBN 13: 9780312287979
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304