Review this Book   Kindle Edition Amazon The Let's Play Ball Blog Category:  Mainstream Publisher: Independently published ISBN-10:  B093B6JCHP Type: Fiction Pages: 255 Copyright: April 24, 2021 ISBN-13: 9798742818762 Price: $2.99 (eBook) Major League ballplayer Justin Moore is kidnapped from his own ballpark and transported to a foreign land. It might take high-level international negotiations to free him. Or maybe he will take matters into his own hands. Major League ballplayer Justin Moore is blessed with dazzling good looks, popularity in the community, a lovely wife and family, and only a few hiccups in his past. At mid-career he is hitting his stride, both personally and professionally. Then a kidnapping plot originating in Cuba, and concocted by Guadalupe, the embittered ex-wife of a Cuban-American ballplayer, blasts everything to pieces. Justin’s long weeks of captivity are complicated by numerous political issues between the two countries, which add to his peril. He can see no way out that won’t potentially lead to his death. What will it take for Justin, and his grief-stricken but determined wife April, to recover their formerly happy, privileged, and rather complacent lives? Is it even possible to get past such a trauma? The one-time golden couple of baseball must adjust to a new reality that seems unthinkable at first, but gradually comes into focus.     Excerpt He buried his face in his hands, as despair swept over him. A sob escaped his throat, but he struggled to hold back the tears, in case the witch should come in. No way would he cry in her presence and endure another dose of nauseating platitudes and worthless reassurances. There must be ways to commit suicide here. Justin forced himself to his feet and went to the window. His room was three stories high, with a courtyard far below, where guards roamed periodically. There was no way to get the window open. If he broke it, he’d probably rupture an artery. And even if he managed to jump out, he’d smash himself to bits on the cobblestone. Maybe there’s an easier way, he reflected with a bitter chuckle. The next time Guadalupe comes in here to make sure I’m being a good boy about showering after exercise, or working on that softball manual, I’ll cuss her out. If I rattle her enough, she’ll summon the guard outside to come in and put a bullet through my head, no questions asked. Nah, I won’t get that lucky. More likely, she’ll just have me taken away in irons and clapped back into jail. Then my situation really will be hopeless. Not that it isn’t already. The tears came, despite his efforts at self-control. The scene outside the window blurred as he thought about home. He couldn’t help wondering how the family had made it through Christmas. He hoped it had been fairly normal, for the girls’ sake, yet the thought that they might be adjusting to life without their daddy sent another stab through his heart.

Onlinebookclub
Justin Moore, a Major League baseball star, is married to his high school sweetheart, April, and has
two daughters, ten-year-old Andrea and seven-year-old Melissa. He and his family live a charmed and blessed life. Seven years ago, another ballplayer, Manny Chavez, had been kidnapped and sent to a Cuban prison by his ex-wife, Guadalupe. Manny was eventually returned home, and he married his girlfriend, Jessica. Ironically, after working out at the same ballpark with his friends, Murphy and Robin, Justin is kidnapped from the clubhouse. Manny believes Guadalupe is behind the kidnapping because the events are similar to his abduction. Guadalupe lives in the Cuban palace, is married to Alfonso Junior, and will be the first lady when President Ramirez dies. Why does she want Justin? Is the kidnapping personal or political? Will there be a war between Cuba and the United States? You will have to read Gilded Prisons by Linda Gould to find out.

For me, the most positive aspect of this book is that the story is not about the baseball game. Many of the characters are baseball players, but there is not much about the game itself. Every time Linda Gould switches characters, the character’s name labels that section; I never experienced any confusion about who I was reading about. The author has developed each character beautifully, and it is easy to visualize each of them. I could see the children playing, the sternness of the guards, the terror in the victims, and the deceit in conversations between the characters. I enjoyed the lyrics to the song “I Came Home to You.” This book contains many life lessons. My favorite two are: “we can only control what we can control” and “hatred is a waste of time and energy.” Our world would be so much better if everyone thought this way.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. The action-packed and fast-paced plot flows smoothly and is an easy and quick read. A professional editor has edited the book as there are only two minor errors in the entire book.

With all of the positive aspects and the minimal errors in this book, there is absolutely no reason to give this book less than 4 out of 4 stars. This book is a joy to read, and I had a hard time putting it down.

I recommend this book to adults who enjoy reading about Major League baseball, deceit, and mystery. You will find these, and much more, in this fantastic book. However, I do not recommend this book to younger readers because of the profanity and sexual content.


Reader Views
“Gilded Prisons” by Linda Gould is an exciting novel with wide audience appeal. The author skillfully crafts a tale of sports, crime, politics, social inequity, and romance for non-stop action from the very first page.

Justin Moore has it all—he’s a Major League Baseball player at the peak of his career, a loving wife, and two beautiful daughters. Indeed, he is living the American Dream. A dream that quickly turns into a nightmare when mercenaries for Cuban royals kidnap Justin straight from the Filibuster’s locker room. Held hostage in the royal palace, Justin has every creature comfort imaginable but must endure the attentions of future First Lady Guadalupe, mistress of his gilded prison. After months of captivity, the royal twins help Justin escape the palace, but how will he get out of Cuba? And, once home, will Justin and his family ever feel a sense of normalcy again?

The characters are the biggest draw for me in any story and the characters Linda Gould created in “Gilded Prisons” are entertaining, with both complicated and green traits, while also being strong – but not strong enough they can’t be broken. Each character takes a different course and adds to the story, invoking feelings that scale the spectrum from love, hope and happiness to desire, helplessness, greed and rage. The future First Lady, Guadalupe’s character, is outstanding and goes through a remarkable transformation from an evil, sadistic captor to… well, I won’t spoil it for you. Let’s just say she learns a lot about herself and the world on her journey.

The plot takes some unpredictable turns, to say the least. Gould keeps the reader guessing throughout the adventure, incorporating original and sometimes outrageous twists readers will NOT see coming.

“Gilded Prisons” weaves together a delicate web of plot twists, characters you’ll love to hate (or hate to love?), and political intrigue that might remind you of certain societal issues going on in the world today. There is also an enjoyable glimpse behind the scenes of Major League Baseball, America’s favorite pastime, a world full of its own politics and social prejudices.