description Mortal Stakes Overview
Mortal Stakes is a 1975 crime novel by Robert B. Parker and the third book featuring Boston private investigator Spenser. Spenser is asked to determine whether a fictional Boston Red Sox pitcher is deliberately affecting games, but the inquiry develops into a case involving coercion, violence, and threats against the player's family. The novel combines hardboiled investigation with professional baseball and the ethical choices confronting its detective.
help Mortal Stakes FAQ
Why is Spenser investigating a Boston Red Sox pitcher in Mortal Stakes?
Spenser is hired to determine whether star pitcher Marty Rabb is deliberately affecting games. What initially resembles a baseball gambling inquiry develops into a case involving blackmail and threats against Rabb's family.
Where does Mortal Stakes fall in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series?
Published in 1975, Mortal Stakes is the third Spenser novel. It follows The Godwulf Manuscript and God Save the Child.
Does Hawk appear in Mortal Stakes?
No. Hawk, one of the series' most important recurring characters, first appears later in Promised Land, the fourth Spenser novel.
Is Mortal Stakes based on a real baseball scandal?
Its plot is fictional and centers on the invented Red Sox pitcher Marty Rabb. The premise nevertheless draws on baseball's long-standing anxiety about gambling and fixed games, famously associated with the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
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