Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The story is true. The names have been changed to protect...
the guilty. Sounds like the rest of the reviewers come from a literary background, not from sports. Otherwise they would recognize this story as coming straight from the headlines of a national sports disgrace.This is a fictionalized account of the death of the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, who many people feel was murdered by his much younger Las Vegas showgirl wife. Georgia Frontiere, present owner of the St. Louis Rams, met Carroll Rosenbloom, then owner of the Baltimore Colts, while at the home of Joseph Kennedy. Yes, the same Kennedy who fathered John F., Bobby, and Ted Kennedy. Eventually she made Carroll, some 20+ years her senior, her 6th husband. Segue a few years, and many more notorious tales. Rosenbloom swaps ownership with the then owner of the LA Rams. Carroll and Georgia move to California. Then in 1979, Carroll Rosenbloom mysteriously drowns while swimming in the ocean. A death that has been the subject of many probes, including one done by PBS' Frontline in 1983. Green's big problem in trying to write his story is having too much information to draw upon from real life. Perhaps this is why The Red Zone is not up to Green's normal standards. Some reviewers thought there were too many contrivances. I offer news headlines that are even more bizarre. For example, a missing Super Bowl Trophy that the NFL had to replace (Many people reported seeing that same trophy in Rosenbloom's Bel-Air mansion). Does that seem too contrived? Well, remember the way Carroll Rosenbloom died, a mysterious drowning? There were several witnesses who reported seeing one or more people come out of the water wearing wet-suits. Or, how about the 10,000 1980 Super Bowl tickets that came up missing, and husband #7 doing time for ticket counterfeiting income tax evasion. Or better yet, what was the involvement between the Los Angeles Rams, $20 million dollars in counterfeit money, a professional wrestler/hitman and organized crime. To those who were football fans during the 60's and 70's it is easy to recognize this storyline. I could bore you with more, however a simple search on the Internet will substantiate this, and much more. (What ex-football player, now actor, was giving Georgia a "massage", causing her to be more than an hour late to her just deceased husbands memorial service.) They say life imitates art, and art imitates life. However, life is much more interesting than art. Bottom line, if you like interesting fiction, this is OK. However if you want an even more fascinating story, check out the real story behind this story.
Rating: - Typical of the genre
My brother's been raving about Tim Green for ages, so I picked this up. Green obviously has good insights on the NFL scene, but I found his characters too perfect and predictable (really, Tim, do you have to mention that Madison is beautiful in every other paragraph?), although the ending was decent. I've been told his earlier books are better, so I may read those. This one is okay, nothing more.
Rating: - Green Scores with a Formulaic Mystery Novel
I picked up this book prior to a cross-country flight. I couldn't put it down and finished it in the hotel, the same day. While neither the plot nor the characters are believable (one wonders where Green comes up with the names), the book is entertaining, if nothing else. He keeps you guessing, but his over-reliance on foreshadowing can get annoying, as can his often unorthodox use of figurative language. I recommend it to anyone who wants an easy "Grisham-esque" read for pure fun, or to any die-hard football fans.
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