This is it first time I've reviewed a book on amazon and I'm only doing it because this is the most poorly written book I've ever read. Or attempted to read, I couldn't make it past page 31.

I'm an infrequent golfer that rarely breaks 100 but even I know that the errors in this book are as bad as writing a book based in the United States and having car drivers drive on the wrong side of the road. Nearly every "fact" regarding golf and in particularly professional golf is wrong in the first 30 pages. By page 30 when there were so many errors I couldn't finish the book, I decided to write this review. And I was stuck on a plane with several hours to go with nothing to read, and I still couldn't continue the book.

Page 30...

The progessional golfer only has ONE ball that he FOUND the day before in a sand trap on the Masters course that apparently someone had left there for him to find, yet his caddie told him he had just BOUGHT some balls for him. The golfer with the one ball is said to be in the ROUGH at the Masters and needed a machete to get out.

No professional golfer would lose a ball in a sand trap so none could have been found.

Pro don't buy balls, they receive them as part of endorsement deals.

There is no real rough at the Masters, anything off the fairway that could be called the rough is lower than your front lawn, and certainly not junglelike.

etc. etc. I could go on but why bother.

In addition to be totally wrong with every golf fact, quite frankly, the book is just poorly written. Every attempt at humor is flat and there is just nothing to suggest it will get better in any way.

This is my second attempt to review this book. The first was too critical of the author to publish the review, or so they advised me. Let's start with what this book is not. It is not an attempt by the author to be funny. It is not a novel which displays the least understanding of the Master's golf tournament. It is not a novel which displays the least understanding of the game of golf - it's rules - it's nomenclature or it's history. It is - in short - the worst novel by a successful author that I have ever read and I have enjoyed Mr. Bernhardt's other efforts. It deserves no stars. It should be avoided at all costs. Fair warning!

A fine mystery, up to William Bernhardt's usual high standards. This will keep you guessing right to the end, a mystery writer's usual goal.

I am a big fan of William Bernhardt, but this book was a major disappointment. The dialogue was too glib and the
story was just plain silly. This book was a waste of my time.
He can do better!

I love golf. I especially love the masters. I really like a good read. I especially like reluctant deceive stories. You put all four of those together and you have this book. If you like two or more of those things get yourself a copy of the book tout sweet! You will not be disappointed!

There were a few inaccuracies in the book but no one other than a fairly knowledgable golf fan would even catch then. I had no problems overlooking those inaccuracies. When you have a book this fast paced with subject material I like this much I can forgive a lot!

This would be a great book for a casual read anytime any place! I read this in about 4 sittings over the course of roughly 36 hours. As I said above it is a fast paced quick read and just a great book!

Let me preface this review by saying that I was extremely exited about this book. I read and enjoyed the author's previous book, Murder One, and I am also an avid golfer. I was really looking forward to reading this book. That being said, I am at a loss to describe the depths of my disappointment in this novel. Did anyone edit this thing? This book will alienate both golfers and fans of Bernhardt by combining a severe lack of familiarity with the game of golf with a plot that resembles that of an old Scooby Doo cartoon. Allow me to explain.
Golfers who read this book will find themselves in a state somewhere between disgust and amusement. The amount of mistakes that the author makes in regard to golf would be comical if not for their frequency and absurdity. For instance, the author continually refers to water traps on the course. I've seen sand traps, and water hazards, but never a water trap. He refers to 'cart trails' several times, even though they are called cart paths and do not exist at Augusta. As for his hero, Connor Cross, he hits some truely amazing shots and attempts many others. During the Par 3 tournament, Cross decides to hit 9-iron off the tee (which the author refers to as 'tee-offs', not tee boxes) into a hole that measures 450 yards (remember, this is a Par 3 tournament) because the 9-iron is his best club and he thinks he can reach the green in one. 450 with a 9-iron? Another stellar example is when Cross decides to hit Driver into a par 3, and his ball lands on the green and spins back into a 'water trap.' The best of all comes toward the end of the book, when Cross finds himself in contention during the final round of the Masters. After nearly reaching a par 5 in one, Cross thinks he can reach the green in one on the 425 yard 17th as his caddy ponders whether someone has ever reached that green in two during the masters. Alas, he comes up 5 feet short. A 423 yard drive. Yes, he's got some power. Never fear though, Cross makes eagle regardless. He also manages to eagle the 18th. Simply remarkable. Pointing out these errors may seem picky, but they occur so frequently that anyone who plays the game of golf will be so distracted, they will find it impossible to get into the story.
As far as this book's appeal for non-golfers, I just can't imagine anyone being able to take this book seriously. Again, the author's mistakes are plentiful, the most egregious of which is when the hero's find themselves crawling through a pipe that measures 'three feet in circumfrence'. Said pipe would be less than a foot in width, but Cross, who is 6 foot, 205 lbs., manages to move around by crouching. The plot races around from here to there with no discernable direction. The killer comes out of nowhere and is completely unexpected, but not in the smooth, "wow-I-should-have-seen-that" way that marks the end of good books. The reader gets the feeling that he got tired of writing and picked the bad guy at random simply to end the story. Before this occurs, the plot basically boils down to a pathetic comedy of errors on behalf of the Augusta PD.
I am rarely this harsh on a novel. As a person who would one day like to write, I respect the effort and research that goes into the process. I've never even given a book 1 star before. This book, however, is one that should not have been published. It is easily the worst book I have read in recent memory, and quite possibly ever. I would not be surprised to learn that Bernhardt had never even picked up a golf club, and I would be astounded if he has, even once, watched the Masters on televison. This is an incredibly bad novel that I finished in one sitting (it is mercifully only 244 pages) just to be done with it. This author should fire his editor tomorrow and his publishing company should begin issuing refunds. Consider yourselves warned.
Jon Cavalier