The Third Pitch

By: Robert Allen Stowe

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Why does a Church Cardinal, a man of the cloth, need a fixer to retrieve a package for him? What could possibly be in the package requiring such secrecy? Charlie Franklin’s clients are usually unsavory denizens climbing from the underbelly of Cleveland, Ohio. He would like to believe the Cardinal is different but, early on, he has his doubts. Follow Charlie as he searches for the truth while dodging a growing number of curious characters who, quite suddenly, are very interested in Charlie’s mission: a local mob boss, the quirky T.K. Constantine, and the mysterious little man all dressed in black. Unlock the Cardinal’s mystery in Robert Allen Stowe’s startlingly realistic novel, The Third Pitch.

It brings the heat

The Third Pitch
Let’s start with his name Robert Allan Stowe, an authors name if I ever did hear one.
Robert Allen Stowe has crafted a wonderful baseball analogy using a man of the cloth, Cardinal Maroni, who employs the services a lawyer who likes to be paid in cash. The story only gets more twisted and unhinged as the ensemble of supporting characters enters the fray. The moral compass they are using does not seem to have a true north as these players navigate through several sectors of the underworld. Crime bosses, clergymen, monks, spies, and weirdos all effect the direction that compass points.
As the reader follows the Eminence in his clandestine arrangement with Charlie the lawyer/fixer, we delve into a world that gets very tangled. Stowe has a wonderful sense of how to keep it all out in front of the reader. He is proficient in developing his characters and we sit back and enjoy their development as the story progresses. His characters are easy to like, and it is immediately clear that the antagonist is not to be trusted, but that could be said for everyone. As the story unravels it becomes undoubtedly clear, who one might want to root for.
Robert Allen Stowe set this story up in four acts so to speak and they are well defined and masterfully laid out for the reader. The baseball jargon puts a less familiar world into terms one may be able to relate to but do not be fooled, he knows how to describe a world unfamiliar. Stowe paints a well-defined image for us. His prose are smooth and well delivered. The Third Pitch brings the heat, a few changeups, and a curveball for sure and would be enjoyed by most.
I was impressed at the accuracy for this being ai generated reading. I think I caught two words that were mispronounced. The reader seemed authentic.