Rating: 
Summary: Six Strokes Under review
Review: Amazing! Roberta Isleib has not only written a mystery which held me till the last page, she has also produced a golf pro I can identify with-we both use a 3-wood off the tee thanks to disastrous transitory relationships with drivers.
Considering the awe with which we golfers regard pros, that achievement's right up there with playing a par round.
In `Six Strokes Under' Cassie Burdett is struggling to get her card for the pro tour. One of the other golfers at tour school is murdered (as is her psychiatrist) and Cassie (a prime suspect) is forced to solve the murders to continue playing. (Personally, I think solving a murder would be the perfect way to calm your nerves on the fairways and greens and Roberta Isleib could be on to something here. You've got to have a great imagination and sound problem-solving skills to manoeuvre your way successfully around 18 holes, qualities also necessary for unravelling mysteries. Untangling a murder would keep your mind off your flying right elbow and dangling left heel, forcing you to rely on muscle memory, and therefore swing sweeter.)
If you're not a golfer, don't dismiss this novel as `only for golfers'. The golfing background is a bonus for golfers but will not detract from the enjoyment of non-golfers. The golf course is a setting for the mystery, just as a convent or worm farm or any other `place' will work for murder.
I particularly enjoyed Cassie's wicked sense of humour and look forward to reading the rest of the series to see how she develops.
I'm dying to find out, will she ever find a driver she can bond with?
Rating: 
Summary: Killer Competition
Review: Cassandra Burdette is trying to make it into the LPGA tour by completing qualifying school, an entry tournament. But just before she leaves, she finds the body of a shrink. Kaitlan Rupert, a local golfer also trying to qualify, was regularly visiting the victim and had recently begun to remember abuse suffered as a child because of her sessions with this shrink. Cassie is able to talk her way out of town even though she's a material witness to the investigation, but then finds herself checking in with a cop who thinks she really killed the guy. Meanwhile, an old boyfriend starts popping up in her life again. And Kaitlan's brother seems interested as well. All this is going to make it very hard to concentrate on the golf tournament.I enjoyed the book in spite of itself. I had the killer pegged early, and saw several plot points coming before they happened. Given the setting of the story, the book spends a good deal of time on the golf tournament. I'm not a sport person, but I was drawn into those scenes and found them as entertaining as the mystery itself. What redeemed this book the most for me was the characters. Cassie and her two friends Laura and Joe are quite likeable, and it's very easy to root for them. This book is enjoyable, but it's not what it could have been. I'm looking forward to reading more and hope the author improves the mystery aspect.
Rating:
Summary: Killer Competition
Review: Cassandra Burdette is trying to make it into the LPGA tour by completing qualifying school, an entry tournament. But just before she leaves, she finds the body of a shrink. Kaitlan Rupert, a local golfer also trying to qualify, was regularly visiting the victim and had recently begun to remember abuse suffered as a child because of her sessions with this shrink. Cassie is able to talk her way out of town even though she's a material witness to the investigation, but then finds herself checking in with a cop who thinks she really killed the guy. Meanwhile, an old boyfriend starts popping up in her life again. And Kaitlan's brother seems interested as well. All this is going to make it very hard to concentrate on the golf tournament. I enjoyed the book in spite of itself. I had the killer pegged early, and saw several plot points coming before they happened. Given the setting of the story, the book spends a good deal of time on the golf tournament. I'm not a sport person, but I was drawn into those scenes and found them as entertaining as the mystery itself. What redeemed this book the most for me was the characters. Cassie and her two friends Laura and Joe are quite likeable, and it's very easy to root for them. This book is enjoyable, but it's not what it could have been. I'm looking forward to reading more and hope the author improves the mystery aspect.
Rating: 
Summary: A bogey on this hole, but with some real potential
Review: Cassie Burdette is trying to make the cut at Q-school to join the LPGA tour. She's not the best golfer by a long shot, so Cassie needs all of her focus for her game. Unfortunately, she has a shaky long-distance romance, a shrink who abandons her for another client at a crucial moment, and an estranged dad who occupies her thoughts. In addition, Cassie just can't keep her nose out of a mystery, (even those that have absolutely no connection to her), so the murder of the leader of the tournament keeps her busy. I really enjoyed the golf stories in the book, both the anecdotes about the game and about the pro tour. The mystery was a bit overwrought and the writing was pedestrian. However, there were some interesting characters with a lot of potential. I think Isleib has the ability to put out some really good whodunits in the future.
Rating:
Summary: A Fast-Paced Read
Review: Even if the only golf you play is of the miniature variety, you'll enjoy Six Strokes Under, a fast-paced amatuer slueth mystery. Robert Isleib has created an immensely likable protagonist in Cassie Burdette, as aspiring LPGA golfer with a cart-load of insecurities hobbling her game. Isleib's professional background as a psychologist pays off in the well-developed, complex characters she has created. No cardboard cliches here--even the minor characters are richly drawn. Cassie's efforts to overcome her demons and play well enough to earn a spot on the LPGA tour add drama to this well-plotted tale of sexual abuse, repressed memories, ruthless ambition and murder. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: A Fast-Paced Read
Review: Even if the only golf you play is of the miniature variety, you'll enjoy Six Strokes Under, a fast-paced amatuer slueth mystery. Robert Isleib has created an immensely likable protagonist in Cassie Burdette, as aspiring LPGA golfer with a cart-load of insecurities hobbling her game. Isleib's professional background as a psychologist pays off in the well-developed, complex characters she has created. No cardboard cliches here--even the minor characters are richly drawn. Cassie's efforts to overcome her demons and play well enough to earn a spot on the LPGA tour add drama to this well-plotted tale of sexual abuse, repressed memories, ruthless ambition and murder. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: entertaining amateur sleuth sports tale
Review: Former PGA caddie Cassandra Burdette will soon attend the LPGA Qualifying School in Sarasota. Her mother hates that Cassandra is wasting her time on this frivolous activity that reminds her too much of her former husband, the golf pro who deserted them. Though lacking family support and knowing the odds are so against her, Cassandra knows she must try. Also attending the four day "boot camp" is fellow Myrtle Beach phenomena Kaitlin Rupert, who claims recovery of an ugly memory that her father sexually abused her. After finishing a visit with her psychiatrist, Cassandra notices that the door to a neighboring doctor's office is open when it never is and she hears weird noises from within. Reluctantly Cassandra enters only to find someone has murdered Dr. Benchley, Kaitlin's psychiatrist. Police Detective Maloney feels that Cassandra is the prime suspect and does not want her leaving town any time soon. Cassandra begins making her own inquiries not realizing that a killer will gladly ace her if she gets to close to learning the score. SIX STROKES UNDER makes a birdie as the opening drive of the Golf Lover's Mystery. The story line is at its best when Cassandra prepares for her big moment at school while dealing with a who-done-it that psychologically ruins par for her. Cassandra is a wonderful heroine, but why she accepts bogies from Kaitlin hurts her appeal. Still, Roberta Isleib provides duffers with an that is a fine first round. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: six strokes under
Review: Great first book. It was fun to read. The author is very witty and the book is fast paced. A great book for anyone who loves mystery's and golf. Take this one to the beach.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting story line
Review: I am a beginning golfer, so when I saw this in the book store, it caught my attention right away. It is the story of Cassandra Burdette, an aspiring LPGA golfer who stumbles onto a murder victim. Then she heads of to LPGA Q school (qualifying school) and stumbles onto another murder victim. Naturally, she is a suspect and tries to balance her golf game, with solving the case. I thought I knew who committed the crimes mid-way through the book, and was surprised in the end who was arrested. However, like all good books, it twists at the end, and the story was redeemed! I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, and not to heard to follow (especially since the author put a glossary of golf terms at the front of the book).
Rating:
Summary: Interesting story line
Review: I am a beginning golfer, so when I saw this in the book store, it caught my attention right away. It is the story of Cassandra Burdette, an aspiring LPGA golfer who stumbles onto a murder victim. Then she heads of to LPGA Q school (qualifying school) and stumbles onto another murder victim. Naturally, she is a suspect and tries to balance her golf game, with solving the case. I thought I knew who committed the crimes mid-way through the book, and was surprised in the end who was arrested. However, like all good books, it twists at the end, and the story was redeemed! I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, and not to heard to follow (especially since the author put a glossary of golf terms at the front of the book).
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