Amen Corner is a 2007 novel by American author Rick Shefchik, published March 9 by Poisoned Pen Press. A mystery/thriller set at the Masters Tournament of golf, it centers on Minneapolis police detective and amateur golfer Sam Skarda, as he competes in his first Masters and tries to stop a crazed killer determined to put an end to the tournament. It is the first in a series about Skarda and his adventures investigating crime in the sports world. The second, Green Monster, was published August 1, 2008.
Rick Shefchik is an American novelist, nonfiction writer, and journalist. He is the author of the novels Amen Corner, published in 2007, Green Monster, published August 1, 2008 by Poisoned Pen Press, Frozen Tundra, published in 2010 by North Star Press and Rather See You Dead, e-published in 2011. 2012 saw the release of his first book of nonfiction, From Fields to Fairways: Classic Golf Clubs of Minnesota. In 2015, he released Everybody's Heard About the Bird: The True Story of 1960s Rock 'n' Roll in Minnesota..
Poisoned Pen Press is a publisher of mystery fiction based in Scottsdale, Arizona, US. Poisoned Pen Press typically publishes thirty-six new hardcover mysteries per year, thirty-six new large type editions of those hardcovers, and between thirty and forty new trade paperback editions of previously published hardcovers. Audio books of new titles are produced by Blackstone Audio. All titles are distributed through Ingram Publisher Services.
Mystery fiction is a genre of fiction usually involving a mysterious death or a crime to be solved. Often with a closed circle of suspects, each suspect is usually provided with a credible motive and a reasonable opportunity for committing the crime. The central character oftentimes will be a detective who eventually solves the mystery by logical deduction from facts presented to the reader. Sometimes mystery books are nonfictional. "Mystery fiction" can be detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle or suspense element and its logical solution such as a whodunit. Mystery fiction can be contrasted with hardboiled detective stories, which focus on action and gritty realism.
Reviews
Bill Ott of Booklist said of the novel “Shefchik…takes his share of shots at the green-jacketed elite who run the Masters, but he makes a game attempt at realism, both in his portrayal of the tournament itself and in his premise: a Minneapolis cop, on medical leave, wins the U.S. Publinx Championship and qualifies for the Masters… Shefchik combines a surprisingly grisly plot and a convincing villain with plenty of more or less realistic golf action … this one makes the cut. Entertaining …”
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. Booklist’s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is available to subscribers in print and online. Booklist is published 22 times per year, and reviews over 7,500 titles annually. The Booklist brand also offers a blog, various newsletters, and monthly webinars. The Booklist offices are located in the American Library Association headquarters in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.
The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, often referred to as the Public Links or the Publinx, was a men's amateur golf tournament, one of 10 individual amateur championships organized by the United States Golf Association. The USGA typically called the event the U.S. Amateur Public Links, which it has registered as a service mark. The tournament was devised as a championship for golfers who played on public courses, as members of private clubs were barred from entry. In February 2013, the USGA announced that the event would be discontinued after its 2014 edition, and would be replaced by a new men's amateur four-ball championship.
Susan Pettrone of Reader Views said “I found myself thoroughly enjoying every moment of this book. The sharp character of Sam, the smarts of Caroline and the cool determination of the killer, all make for an extremely entertaining read … I would highly recommend ‘Amen Corner’ for anyone with a love of golf as it is not only a mystery but a look behind the scenes of the Masters … from start to finish … a winner in every sense of the word…a great read and an engaging story all wrapped up in one.”
Marx Swanholm of the Minneapolis Star Tribune[dead link] called Amen Corner "an entertaining novel, full of inside details on America's closely guarded cathedral of golf."
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