Fatal Scores by Mark de Castrique

FATAL SCORES by Mark de Castrique is another title in the Sam Blackman and Nakayla Robertson mystery series set in Asheville, North Carolina. De Castrique often incorporates aspects of Asheville’s history and in this newest title, he blends the music contributions of Bela Bartok and Robert Moog’s synthesizer, plus, a sporting exhibition by Babe Ruth, and environmental activism due to past concerns related to runoff from local paper factories. A couple of generations and numerous intertwined characters are involved which makes for a complex set of suspects. Until the very end, I was as bewildered as Nakayla and Sam who says, “This whole case has been one of conflicting actions.  Like pieces from multiple puzzles dumped from the same box.” Eagerly anticipated by series fans, FATAL SCORES is also captivating as a stand-alone.