“Even for someone who is not a big murder mystery fan, there is much to like about this yarn. For starters, I loved the fact that the hero of our story, a refugee [from] the barrio, makes a profession of finding the “on” switch for gizmos whose owners are too self-important to read the instructions and too rich to have to. Not only does this make the guy a plausible investigator, but it also encapsulates the zeitgeist of pre-crash LA, where the social strata seem to be just as unstable as the earthquake prone geology.
“As the story proceeds, we learn such choice morsels of cultural history as the fact that the first American football game was between what is now Princeton University and Rutgers and, of course, much about the history of soccer. What we also learn about is fair play, both on the playing field and off (The book, by the way, is aptly titled, both because a detailed understanding of soccer’s off side rule plays a key role in the apprehension of the bad guy, and because many of the characters in the story were, indeed, “off sides”. Also, the ethical sophistication of the rule itself is shown to be a surprisingly meaningful object lesson.).
“The story has the weakness that the hero, like Harry Potter, is a bit too good to be true. Nevertheless, I gave the book 5 stars because the author is a first time mystery writer, and also because he took the trouble to understand the details of the complicated finance that underpinned the mortgage bubble.”

   –Edward D. Weinberger on Amazon.com

   “This was a fascinating read, neither a cozy kind of mystery or a brutal one (though there is a rather brutal murder…). The author is a journalist, with a good journalist’s wide knowledge of the bizarre reasons behind bizarre events. The tone is dryly ironic as the book lays out L.A. suburban culture and links soccer (in a bizarre version of How Soccer Explains the World) to the mortgage fiasco. Minor characters are particularly delightful, such as the Accused, who reminded me a great deal of my beloved father-in-law, who could empty a room in five minutes.”

   –commenter using the name Chutes on Amazon.com

   “A wonderfully strange and fascinating book. A great read … even if you don’t understand the offside rule.”

   –K. Magee on Amazon.com

   “Long time journalist and soccer referee, William Barrett, brings a unique blend of soccer history, Los Angeles culture and murder mystery in OFFSIDE: A Mystery …

   “This book is definitely for adults and is especially interesting if you are a native Angelino like me!  I grew up near where this story takes place and could relate to many of the themes and references.  I enjoyed reading this book and it would be especially interesting if you are in real estate or finance.”

   –Lisa on The SoCal Soccer Mom blog and Amazon.com

“Three stars”

“Witty and frank, Offside is an intriguing mystery with a solid in-depth base of history, politics, pop culture, and, of course, soccer. Soccer seemed to be the central theme, and why wouldn’t it? It’s vital to Latino culture. But not being a sport buff, it was a little much and a tad confusing at times.
“Barrett paints a true landscape of the SoCal scene and he does so with such brutal finesse. The Mexican cultural references and historical facts were a great value and only enhanced the Latino awareness.
“Although slow at capturing my interest, the book illustrates the writer’s impressive skills. He cleverly explores poverty, racism, and other socio-economical issues that Latinos face today. It’s enlightening and thought-provoking. The book is almost suitable for a Chicano Studies class; portions of it can be printed in textbooks. The story, however, was not as great. I felt like I was waiting for the mystery. Also, the variety of characters made it hard to keep track of the story.
“It was evident that the author had vast experience and knowledge in police protocol, government, politics, pop culture, and sports, but I felt that it all depleted the energy from the story. Overall, this was an okay first novel.”
–Celia on Livin’ La Vida Latina (a Latina book club), Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

     “A very engaging story.”

   –commenter using nickname “dwoman2014” on Wattpad.com

     “Story was excellent … All in all it was a fabulous read!”

   –commenter using nickname useitorloseit on Wattpad.com

   “This is a very entertaining read. Mitchener meets Baldacci. The author has a remarkable ability to intertwine historical strings going back centuries (foot oriented sports) with a fast paced murder mystery. This would be a great book to embrace by the fire or on a beach. A very good first novel. I am awaiting the next.”

   –Jonathon Rogers on Amazon.com