John Litzenberg’s novel “Dead at Home” weaves an unmistakable love of baseball with a classic suspense-thriller style, culminating in a narrative that can truly hit home. It follows the story of Charlie Blyer, a college baseball player on a pilgrimage to see all the great ballparks of the country, unknowingly entangling himself in a sinister plot. As he continues to connect the dots, he finds himself deeper and deeper in, until there is no way out.
The author, John Litzenberg, is a Sonoma Valley High School alum and long-time track and cross country coach for the Dragons. He is a lifelong Giants fan and season ticket holder who has been to many of the stadiums featured in the novel.
His narrative evokes the blunt, yet moving storytelling style of authors like Stephen King. His writing radiates his personality, passions, and life, offering a glimpse into his reality. However, his story and characters fall flat on occasion, and the climactic showdown fails to thrill as it should have. There was no sense of drama, of danger, and I left the book feeling as though it just petered out and resolved before it should have.
All in all, if you know the author personally or are looking for something thrilling and out of left field, I recommend “Dead at Home.”
