Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics

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Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics (Final Four Mysteries #6)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 287 ratings · 79 reviews

Bestselling sportswriter and Edgar Award winner John Feinstein is back with another sports mystery featuring Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson--this one set at the summer Olympics in London. In this book, Susan Carol isn't a reporter--she's an Olympian, competing as a swimmer at her first Olympic games. Stevie is both proud and envious of her athletic prowess. And he'...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published May 14th 2013 by Yearling (first published May 22nd 2012)

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May 10, 2013 Noah Sch. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rush for The Gold by John Feinstein.
Fiction: realistic fiction
320 pages

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are two sports journalists who are fifteen. Susan is a star swimmer who has emerged as the new swimming hope of the world. First, she is the winner of the world championships, which is a major world swim meet. she wins that, which gives her a wildcard into the olympics trials in America. She also is the victor here, putting her on the Plane to London. Here, she met a friend named elizabe...more

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May 09, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Summary:
Stevie and Susan Carol are off on another adventure. This time, Susan Carol is swimming and Stevie is reporting all on his own. Susan Carol is swimming on the American Olympic team. For the majority of the novel, we follow Susan Carol as she gets ready for the Olympics, deals with agents, and the changes that seem to be coming over her friends and family. Stevie has managed to get himself on the reporting team to cover the Olympics so that he can spend time with Susan Carol. While they a...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Kyle Mann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rush for the Gold is about a young girl named Susan Carol Anderson who has gone from a good swimmer to a great one; she has one world championships and even made it to the Olympics. Also as quickly, came the agents and media wanting to sign her deals here and there, and her father, Reverend Anderson usually pushes away agents, but with all the money they offer it was hard to say no. But money can change people, and make them oblivious to their decisions. Susan Carol’s boyfriend, and reporting pa...more Rush for the Gold is about a young girl named Susan Carol Anderson who has gone from a good swimmer to a great one; she has one world championships and even made it to the Olympics. Also as quickly, came the agents and media wanting to sign her deals here and there, and her father, Reverend Anderson usually pushes away agents, but with all the money they offer it was hard to say no. But money can change people, and make them oblivious to their decisions. Susan Carol’s boyfriend, and reporting partner, is now covering her at the games, but with the agents everywhere around her, he can’t help but feel that something is wrong.
Some of the major themes in this book are to do what you love, not for the money but for the love of doing it. Also, another theme is to stay true to yourself. The main characters in the book are Stevie (Susan Carol’s boyfriend), Susan Carol, and Reverend Anderson (Susan Carol’s father), who all change a lot throughout the story. For example Reverend Anderson in the beginning of the book despises all agents and says that he will keep things under control “‘Dad, is this going to get out of hand?’ ‘Not if I can help it,’ he said,” (25 Feinstein) but later in the book he starts to change singing deals and even changing Susan Carols coach without telling her. “‘I told them Ed was my coach, he was my only coach and no one else was going to coach me. My dad said this wasn’t my decision; that the grown-ups knew what was best, they had done a lot of research before hiring Joe.’”
Also Susan Carol changes form going to just a swimmer in high school to going to the world championship and winning. Then she becomes an Olympian which is crazy and all going by so fast. “London, Susan Carol thought. My god, the London Olympics are less than five months away... How could this all be happening so fast?” (4 Feinstein)
Stevie had a very dramatic change in which he basically went from a sports reporter to a detective trying to find out what kinds of slimy deals Susan Carols agents were putting up for her competitors. He is also extremely supportive of Susan Carol and tries to help in every way possible even if the idea is extremely dumb. “Susan Carol was giving Stevie a look he had seen before. It was her ‘you have to do something that’s going to be very hard’ look.” (217 Feinstein)
In conclusion, I agreed with the theme of the novel in that you should stay true to yourself. I believe the authors purpose for writing this novel was to tell a story but also deliver a message to people telling them to not let things go to your head. I believe the book was just ok, because it was exciting in the beginning but then it plateaued for quite some time. Also for a mystery book there wasn’t much mystery.
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Sep 06, 2012 Lnlisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-ya, sports-fiction-ya

A fun mystery set at the 2012 London Olympics, the newest book in John Feinstein's YA Mystery series featuring budding journalists, Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas. Only this time, Susan Carol is one of the athletes.

In the Olympic arena, athletes not only have to overcome all the pressure and hype of the world's media to compete in their sport and achieve their Olympic dreams, they also have to navigate through dirty agents and sponsors promising millions. After a recent growth spurt give...more A fun mystery set at the 2012 London Olympics, the newest book in John Feinstein's YA Mystery series featuring budding journalists, Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas. Only this time, Susan Carol is one of the athletes.

In the Olympic arena, athletes not only have to overcome all the pressure and hype of the world's media to compete in their sport and achieve their Olympic dreams, they also have to navigate through dirty agents and sponsors promising millions. After a recent growth spurt gives Susan Carol unexpected speed in the Butterfly, she becomes a rising young star in US Swimming, and she not only has the talent but also the looks to be a sponsor's dream. When Susan Carol's father gives in to the delights of dancing dollar signs, only her boyfriend, Stevie Thomas, seems to have her back. Luckily Susan Carol and Stevie are used to uncovering dirty plots from their past experiences as junior journalists at other major sporting events. The Rush to the gold is not only a race for the medal, but also a race against time to stop the bad guys.

This is the first of Feinstein's books that I've read, but I didn't feel like I had missed anything by not reading the others in the series. There was a tremendous amount of detail and background information about Olympic swimming that was really fun to learn about. Lots of real athletes and media personalities, such as Michael Phelps and Bob Costas, made their appearance here as background to the story. The mystery was good in the sense that it was well thought out, made sense, seemed likely, etc. The only problem was maybe that the mystery was too good because in reality, a situation like that would be nearly impossible to prove and very, very, very hard to catch in the act. Still it was good. My only complaint was with the father situation.

Cool book. Not being much of a sports fan, I don't know that I will read any of Feinstein's other books. However I liked this book enough that if one looks even slightly interesting, I will definitely give it a try.

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Aug 18, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, contemporary, good-for-boys, mystery, ya-fiction

Why I picked it up: I’ve read at least 2 other books about Stevie and Susan Carol before, and this one is set at the London Olympics.

Teenage sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol have been at many major sporting and they have found some sort of mystery or controversy at each. The Olympics are no exception, except that this time, Susan Carol is an athlete and something doesn’t seem right with the sports agency she & her dad have signed a contract with. With Susan Carol competing, Stevie is...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As an Olympics junkie, I just had to check this out. (I even took a grad course in the history of the Olympics) Because we start school July 30, I also wanted to read it to decide how many copies to have ready in the library. I agree with other posters that the Olympics part was the most interesting, and the "mystery" was definitely secondary, and not really that necessary.

Once you get over the somewhat contrived situation, the main thing is that the book does a pretty good job of describing com...more

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May 17, 2012 Betsy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, middle-grades, mystery, young-adult, sports

I haven't read the others in this series, so the characters and their back stories were new to me. Feinstein seems to do a good job giving you enough information about their history without going overboard (and, therefore, boring folks who have read the others). I'm an Olympics fan and a mystery fan, so this was a fun read; it's typical of mysteries--light reading, fun plot, and likable young sleuths. I think kids in the 7th-9th grade range will enjoy this series--both girls and boys. (There's a...more

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May 10, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an interesting story that takes a closer look at the lives of elite young athletes. Susan Carol Anderson is an elite swimmer. When the story starts she is reliving the World Championships in Shanghai instead of listening to the agents from the Lightning Fast Agency who are trying to get her to sign a contact with them. All of a sudden she has become a celebrity and, since she is a very pretty young woman, agencies are lining up to represent her. Her father decides to sign with Lightning...more This was an interesting story that takes a closer look at the lives of elite young athletes. Susan Carol Anderson is an elite swimmer. When the story starts she is reliving the World Championships in Shanghai instead of listening to the agents from the Lightning Fast Agency who are trying to get her to sign a contact with them. All of a sudden she has become a celebrity and, since she is a very pretty young woman, agencies are lining up to represent her. Her father decides to sign with Lightning Fast.

Susan Carol is suddenly under even more pressure as she gets ready for the Olympics. She is constantly trying to balance the demands of her agents and the needs of her coach. And her father is too dazzled by the thought of the huge amount of money that she might be able to make to pay attention to what Susan Carol really needs. Luckily, Susan Carol is a level-headed young woman who has friends who really do want the best for her.

Her best friend, boyfriend, and reporting partner, Steve Thomas, is watching as all this happens to his friend. Instead of working together to find and write the stories as they did in five previous mysteries, now Susan Carol is the story. Stevie has the advantage of being able to see the whole situation from outside and begins to get suspicious about just how far the agents will go to make Susan Carol a money-making star for them.

I liked the close-up view of the inside world of young elite athletes. It was interesting to get a look at the backstage activities like sponsors, agents, and endorsements. I liked that the book combined real people, like Bob Costas, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and even the Queen of England, with the fictional stars of this story. It added a lot of realism.

This story spans the time from the World Championships, through the Olympic Trials, all the way to the London Olympics. It is packed with intrigue, slimy characters doing sneaky things, and good friends trying to protect their friend. I recommend it to both mystery lovers and lovers of sports stories. Now, I need to catch up on the earlier adventures of Stevie and Susan Carol because I want to see how they developed their great friendship.(less)

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May 01, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Susan Carol and Stevie are back, and this time Susan Carol is very close to making the Olympic team. She is approached by all sorts of agents and sponsors because she is not only a fantastic swimmer; she is also pretty. Her father is bowing to the pressure for her to wear logos at every interview, which confuses and angers her. Stevie, writing for the Washington newspaper, manages to go to the Olympic trials to be with her (their long distance romance seems to be working better than most), and w...more Susan Carol and Stevie are back, and this time Susan Carol is very close to making the Olympic team. She is approached by all sorts of agents and sponsors because she is not only a fantastic swimmer; she is also pretty. Her father is bowing to the pressure for her to wear logos at every interview, which confuses and angers her. Stevie, writing for the Washington newspaper, manages to go to the Olympic trials to be with her (their long distance romance seems to be working better than most), and when she makes the Olympic team, he goes to London as well. While in London, the politics and agent anxiety increase-- Stevie is yelled at for talking to Susan Carol and not getting proper permission to speak to other swimmers. He has to struggle with balancing his reporting with wanting to be with his girlfriend all the time. Susan Carol has to struggle with an increasingly overbearing father who wants her to fire her long time coach because he isn't "big time" enough, and with the pressure to win a gold--so that she can earn the big bucks in sponsorships. When it is clear that another girl, Elizabeth, is a better swimmer but not as pretty and personable as Susan Carol, Susan Carol becomes angry that looks count for so much. Is someone sabotaging Elizabeth because she isn't as attractive? Stevie and Susan Carol are able to use their well-honed investigative skills to figure this out.

Strengths: Even though this book is about a girl, the guys will still pick it up. I was oddly intrigued by all the swimming descriptions as well as the machinations of the agents. Feinstein's background as a sports news writer is always apparent, and that's a good thing when trying to hook reluctant readers.

Weaknesses: While the inclusion of actual athletes as characters will add immediacy to the story now, it will also cause it to date, like Zan Hagen's Marathon. Also, because I am not at all familiar with swimming personalities, I wasn't sure which characters were based on real people and which were purely fictional.

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Apr 17, 2012 Lucie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the first lines the reader is plunged into the vortex of high level competition with the media circus, the pressure of sponsors, the stress to keep good results as if the reader was in the shoes of the athlete.
This is awesome!

Of course, there is a story that develops through the flair of Stevie and Susan Carol who like to find troubles. They find a new scoop to dig into and thanks to their friends and acquaintances let you navigate through the scenes of professional sport. As for the auth...more From the first lines the reader is plunged into the vortex of high level competition with the media circus, the pressure of sponsors, the stress to keep good results as if the reader was in the shoes of the athlete.
This is awesome!

Of course, there is a story that develops through the flair of Stevie and Susan Carol who like to find troubles. They find a new scoop to dig into and thanks to their friends and acquaintances let you navigate through the scenes of professional sport. As for the author, he mixes real and fictional events, ditto for the characters, to keep the reader in an exciting environment.
This is perfect for sports enthusiasts who want to distract themself with a suspense novel. Just let yourself go and enjoy the various trails that the two young reporters follow. Although the journalist's cap is left majoritarily to Stevie since Susan Carol plays the stars of the basins.

Beyond the story what fascinated me is the writing of John Feinstein. He reveals sharp details on the training, the discipline and rigor of the butterfly and emotions that only a swimmer could describe as strongly. As if the reader is participating in the race to be the one who gives the final push to reach the wall and head out of water... Splendidly done !
As if one looked a competition on television instead of reading it in a book how clear and vivid the images are pictured. You feel the atmosphere, the chlorine from the pool. My heart rate was accelerating while I was frantically turning the pages to see who has won the race... I was there!
Ditto for the newsroom atmosphere or the excitement and crazyness of interviews after a big event. Even if the situations are funny or pathetic, the sport sceneries descriptions are always accurate ...

Having had the opportunity to taste this environment, I was particularly blown away by the authenticity of the decor and the way the author has captured the atmosphere. An incredible suspense translated through well-chosen words.

A beautiful novel which I discovered the fourth component and that I will hasten to read the previous volumes as I was truly amazed by this one.
A book to get an advance taste of the London Olympics.

Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr... (less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-to-try, mystery-suspense-thriller, series, young-adult, kindle-books, read-2012, beach-read-challenge

This was a very quick read. I picked up this book because it has to do with swimming and both my boys are competitive swimmers. I have not read the other books in the series, but I didn't feel like I was missing out on too much background information. The author does a good job of letting you know enough about how the main characters arrived at this point in the story without boring you to death with background information.

The good things about this book: fast paced, interesting storyline, well...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Maggie Fouberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book because it was well written and all of the scenes were painted with vibrant words and great detail. John Feinstein is an amazing author he mostly writes sports mystery books that are full of plot twists and aren’t very predictable which is good. In this book a 15 year old swimmer Susan Carol Anderson makes the Olympic trials then ends up making the London 2012 Olympic team. When she gets to the Olympics she is bombarded by offers from different companies that want her to be...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Carie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So.... I've been a competitive swimmer for about 45 years. I HAD to purchase this book from the book fair this fall. For me personally....I liked the book (didn't LOVE it), but was thoroughly engaged during the whole read. The details of the swimming were on par. I got excited reading about all the nuances of the races, and the Olympic Trials (which I attended) and the name-dropping of all the "real" swimmers. That part was FUN for me!
What bothered me was:
1) the book is billed as a "mystery" wh...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started reading this one last week during the Olympics, and I'm almost finished with it now. I've really enjoyed it because it gives you a behind the scenes look at what the athletes go through leading up to the Games and during the competition.

It is a fictional story that follows a 16-year-old swimmer competing in her first Olympics (think Missy Franklin but in the book her name is Susan Carol Anderson). So the main character isn't a real person, but a lot of real athletes make appearances in...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Debbie Tanner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chapter-books, mystery, realistic-fiction, young-adult

I liked this mystery set at the Olympics. The characters seemed realistic (especially since the author uses real people in the story and the story is about an actual event, the Olympics in London, 2012). It was pretty mysterious and had some good plot twists that seemed like things that could or would really happen. I'd never really thought about how agents choose their clients or how companies choose their spokespeople so it was sort of an interesting (fictional) window into that process... alt...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For a book club book, not bad. As a swimming book and mystery, pretty interesting. Being a swimmer and a coach I could see everything that was going on in this novel. I have no doubt in my mind that Feinstein used Missy Franklin as a model for what happened in the novel (even though Missy has not gone pro). I enjoyed the swimming parts, and I enjoyed the ending and mystery. However, my biggest complaint is that the ending was sort of forced on us, and it was done so quickly, that we sort of had...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Officially 3 1/2 stars. Nearly a 4 star book. This book is written in third person omniscient and gives the perspectives of two different characters. For me, it was a little difficult to track. A text feature that identified a change in character perspective would have been very helpful.

As for the plot, if you like sports, sport-writing and mystery....you'll like this book. Featuring 2 very clever and talented teenagers. Characters are Stevie, male protagonist and sports writer for a Washington...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Mrs. Knott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-recommended-for-middle-school, great-for-boys, recommended-for-fourth-grade

Hurry! Run to the bookstore and get this book! Especially while the Olympics are going on! This book was especially fun to read as the Olympics are currently unfolding before us. The best thing with Feinstein books is he adds real characters to his stories, which makes it more exciting to read and helps the "being there" experience! Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are often mentioned in this book along with other swimming professionals that we are watching on tv right now!
This book is one of the...more Hurry! Run to the bookstore and get this book! Especially while the Olympics are going on! This book was especially fun to read as the Olympics are currently unfolding before us. The best thing with Feinstein books is he adds real characters to his stories, which makes it more exciting to read and helps the "being there" experience! Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are often mentioned in this book along with other swimming professionals that we are watching on tv right now!
This book is one of the "Final Four Mysteries". Feinstein started this series several years ago. This series has two teenagers, Stevie and Susan Carol, who are young sportswriters who have won a writing competition and now get to cover important sporting events - NCAA basketball tournament, Army/Navy games, Super Bowl, World Series.... and now they are at the 2012 Olympics. Except this time Susan Carol isn't covering the Games... she's participating in them! She's qualified for the Olympics in the 100m and 200m butterfly events. She's being surrounded by agents and sponsors, but how far is everyone willing to go to help her win gold?
If you are interested in swimming (like me!), you will love this book! I loved all the swimming people that were mentioned. The book was obviously written awhile ago because there was mention of Phelps "having decided" to not swim a certain race, when in reality, he did. There is definitely mention of the Lochte-Phelps rivalry throughout the book. At one point, a decorated female swimmer almost doesn't qualify for the finals in her heat.... sound familiar??? Feinstein does a great job staying true to the sport, in all of the books he has written. Having an understanding of swimming, I knew what he was talking about when he mentioned the lengths they were swimming (200m....1000m warm-ups) and the times the swimmers swim. Some kids who are unfamiliar with swimming may not understand the terms, but it won't make them not understand the story.
This "mystery" doesn't really start until the very end of the book. In fact, through most of the story I was wondering if they were ever going to get to it!
I think this book will be well-loved by kids who really enjoy sports or enjoy the Olympic Games. Kids who like mysteries and not have a love for sports, may not enjoy this book as much because of how long it takes to get to the mystery!
I am going to miss this book as I finish watching the 2012 Olympics, it was fun to read!(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Kari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

As a competitive swimmer, I am sometimes skeptical of novels about the sport, but sportswriter Feinstein really captures the essence of the competition well. I guess this is book 5 in a YA mystery series, and now I want to go back and read the other books in the series.
Junior reporter Susan Carol Anderson suprisingly blossoms on the world swimming stage a year before the Olympics, winning the world title in the 200 butterfly. She goes on to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London in the 100 and...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Brian added it · review of another edition

I felt that this book had a great story to it that kept you interested and wanting to turn the next page. The book takes place at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the main character Susan Coral is competing for a swimming gold medal in the 100m and 200m fly. She is an unbelievable athlete that she gets tons of looks from sponsers and gets plenty of endorsments. If she gets gold the more money she will get. Something happends that shouldn't really happend and it should make Susan Carol win gol...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This is the first book that I read from these author’s mysteries series. Even when it’s considered a book for kids and young readers I enjoyed it a lot. The main characters are Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas, two clever teenagers with a set of talents of their own, who team up to figure out what’s going on with Susan Carol’s agents and reps. Both are sports writers and reporters, but she’s also a swimming athlete and a shining new star in the Olympian horizon. However the stakes are high...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Teresa in Ohio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read, feinstein-john

I decided to read this book in antipaction or the upcoming Olympics. This book does a great job of explaining how athletes get ready to compete at a high level and juggle life school and other issues. Susan Carol is a world championship swimmer working on preparing for the Olympic trials when agents and sponsors bombard her and pressure her dad to sign with them. The money is very tempting and causes friction in the dad/daughter relationship. I really enjoyed just reading the story to get a deep...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Noelle Boc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stevie and Susan Carol, the 15 year old sports reporters, are back at the Olympics. This time, Susan Carol is actually a competitor in swimming. The intrigue in this plot deals with the agents surrounding Susan Carol and how they are trying to influence her, her family and her choices for money. The details in the swimming races are wonderful, really bringing a new appreciation to anyone who watches the sport (or will in the future). It takes a good long time for the real bad guy to show up in t...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Wendy Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book outloud to Josiah and Haven and we were totally into it. I started reading it during the Olympic Trial and since the book starts at the Charlotte Ultra Swim in May and finishes at the Olympics, it was very timely. We had just attended the Charlotte Ultra Swim and had seen many of the swimmers mentioned (in this fiction book) at the meet - even meeting some of them. So it was very personal and meaningful for us. We enjoyed the inside look at swimming at this elite level (although...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sports-swimming

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 29, 2012 jjamest23 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is Realistic Fiction because the book is made up and it could have happened. The setting for this book is that this girl named Susan Carol Anderson and the setting takes place in swimming. The Characters are Susan Carol, Stevie, Bobby and so many more. The Problem in this story is Susan Carol keeps winning 1st place , but then she fall behind in 2nd and 3rd place and she wants to make the semifinals and the finals. The Plot of this story is that she wants to go to the S and the F. (S=s...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Sadie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I liked most about Feinstein's novel was the behind the scenes look at the Olympics. It made me curious about how much research he must have done to write this mystery. After leading a book club discussion with 8th graders on this book, I have to say the majority of the group liked it- felt entertained by it- but we didn't love it. I will say that it brought up some interesting questions about the media sexualizing young athletes. Stevie and Susan Carol were also very likable teenage journa...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was definitely the climax of the series with Stevie and Susan Carol. Everyone's known since book one that Susan Carol loves to swim. For fans, the idea of her at the Olympics is mind boggling. This makes its a great read for all fans for John Feinstein.
I have to say, I don't think it was a mystery. I feel like Mr. Feinstein tried to stick it in with the last 20% of the book, but it felt awkward. I think that if he just told the story of Susan at the Olympics, it would've been just as good.

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Nov 28, 2012 Laureno rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Any swimmers out there will love this by John Feinstein. Susan Carol is off to london , but not to write about the 2012 olympic games. She is off to compete on them and she will be the youngest swimmer competing in the entire games. But things go from good to bad when her agent JP wants her to do some advertising that Susan doen't lik . And when Stevie sees JP taking to the officials about the swimming. Will Stevie and Susan Carol figure out what is going on before it happens ?

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Aug 29, 2012 Teresa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Weeellllll . . . much of it read like a Wikipedia entry for Olympic records. :( Not a hugely compelling mystery for someone who is a mystery fan. Feinstein's experience as a sports reporter shows through. This book reads much like a sports article. Given its publication date, it also seems like a shameless effort to capitalize on the London Olympics. How about writing a story in which there is some personal passion involved?

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About John Feinstein

John Feinstein is one of the nation’s most successful and prolific sports authors who has written 24 books to date. His most recent work Are You Kidding Me? , written with Rocco Mediate, was released on May 18, 2009, and is presently on the shelf at bookstores everywhere. In addition, he is an award-winning columnist and regular contributor in both radio and television.

His works include the two t...more John Feinstein is one of the nation’s most successful and prolific sports authors who has written 24 books to date. His most recent work Are You Kidding Me? , written with Rocco Mediate, was released on May 18, 2009, and is presently on the shelf at bookstores everywhere. In addition, he is an award-winning columnist and regular contributor in both radio and television.

His works include the two top best-selling non-fiction sports books in history. In 1995, he published the all-time best seller A Good Walk Spoiled, a year inside life on the PGA Tour as told through seventeen players on the PGA Tour. Just behind that in sales is A Season on the Brink, which chronicled a year in the life of the Indiana basketball team and its enigmatic coach, Bob Knight. The book's chart-topping success was also adapted to film with an ESPN production of a made-for TV movie of the same title.

Feinstein's books take his readers into places they would not normally be allowed to go. A Season on the Brink looked into the Indiana locker room, team practice sessions, Knight's office, on the team bus and airplanes as Feinstein traveled with the team. In intricate detail, Feinstein vividly depicted life inside a championship college basketball team, a style which has become a trademark for nearly all of his books.

Perhaps one of his most poignant books, Caddy for Life, the Bruce Edwards Story was released in 2004. In that book Feinstein writes about the life and final days of Tom Watson's caddy, Bruce Edwards, who had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as the deadly Lou Gehrig's disease. Early on, the book was identified as a great candidate to be adapted to film, and Feinstein’s long-time friend Terry Hanson led that effort on John’s behalf. They engaged the prestigious William Morris Agency and commissioned a screenplay in conjunction with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company, Live Planet. The script was optioned by Disney, who considered either ABC or ESPN for air and the body of work presently is still in development.

John Feinstein is a 1977 graduate of Duke University and spent 11 years as a sports and political reporter with The Washington Post. He has also contributed to Sports Illustrated, The National Sports Daily, ESPN, CBS Sports and Golf Digest. Presently he appears regularly on-air at The Golf Channel and National Public radio and writes for The Washington Post, Golf Digest and The Sporting News. He resides in Potomac, MD, and Shelter Island, NY.

Series:
* Final Four Mystery (less)

More about John Feinstein...

Books by John Feinstein

A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour

Next Man Up: A Year Behind the Lines in Today's NFL

The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14823580-rush-for-the-gold?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347585376l/14823580.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14823580-rush-for-the-gold?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein[/url]

Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics (Final Four Mysteries #6)

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