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Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (Final Four Mysteries #1)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 1,659 ratings · 235 reviews

Steven Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s contest for aspiring journalists. His prize? A trip to New Orleans and a coveted press pass for the Final Four. It’s a basketball junkie’s dream come true!
But the games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be eve...more

ebook, 272 pages

Published December 24th 2008 by Yearling (first published February 8th 2005)

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Apr 25, 2013 Joe Da rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the book the Last Shot by John Feinstein is expiring book that show us to chase are dreams. The main charters in the book are Stevie thomas and Susan Carol Anderson they both write essays so that they can chase there dreams of being a sports boardcaster. The story takes place at March Madness which is a college basketball tournament. Both Stevie and Susan write a essay so that they can be picked to attend the March Madness with a all access pass to get on the court.
Both Stevie and Susan win...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Gaten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book starts off by explaining that Stevie won a writing contest and in doing so, he was given the opportunity to write an article at the Final Four. It then goes on to explain that sports, basketball in particular, have always been a big part of Stevie's life. Throughout the first 3rd or 4th of it, Stevie, the main character and Susan Carol, the other contest winner, were basically walking around the stadium and meeting other reporters. Stevie got to interview the Coach from Duke and Stevie...more The book starts off by explaining that Stevie won a writing contest and in doing so, he was given the opportunity to write an article at the Final Four. It then goes on to explain that sports, basketball in particular, have always been a big part of Stevie's life. Throughout the first 3rd or 4th of it, Stevie, the main character and Susan Carol, the other contest winner, were basically walking around the stadium and meeting other reporters. Stevie got to interview the Coach from Duke and Stevie has always hated Duke so he had this vision of himself being the guy who finally stood up to Coach K. As the interview went on Stevie began to realize that he was actually a nice guy and not at all like the media portrays him.

After that, Stevie and Susan Carol began to walk around the stadium again. As they were going to the Minnesota St. locker room to interview some players they heard someone tell the star player from Minnesota St. that he has to win this game and throw the finals game or him, the coach, and the organization were all going down. Out of curiosity, Stevie and Susan Carol were able to find the players locker room and talk to him about what happened. The player explains that he actually failed a class and the person talking to him was his professor who passed him in that class. If the player did not do what he was told the professor would leak this information and have everyone involved lives be destroyed in doing so.

The rest of the time Stevie and Susan Carol were trying to figure out how they could stop this conspiracy. At the end they were held hostage by the professor and some of his "friends" during the finals game where Duke was playing Minnesota St. At some point there was a knock on the door and a man who was supposed to be part of the conspiracy, came bursting through the door and tackled the man holding the kids hostage. He saved them and took them to the stadium and explained that he actually was not part of it. Duke was winning throughout the game. Susan Carol got the attention of Chip, the player who was in trouble to show him that they were okay. After seeing that, Minnesota St. started to make a comeback. Minnesota St. finally tied the game with fourteen seconds left. Chip stole a pass with 5 seconds left ran down the court and hit a buzzer-beater to win the game. At the end, everything turned out well and the problem was solved.

Overall, I found this book to be okay, but nothing special. I was really expecting it to be more about sports and actually playing basketball, rather than about a lot of reporting and what the reporters are allowed to do at events like the Final Four. That was a disappointment for me. I was hoping to read a book more about sports so I was quickly dismayed when there wasn't much about it. The start to this book was very slow and hard to get through but once I got past it to the real plot it was much more readable and enjoyable. I can't say that I hated it at all, the only major problems for me were the slow start and not being what I expected. It did do things well, though. For example, I thought the plot development was very good and that is one of the biggest things needed to make a good book, in my opinion.

I would recommend this to people who are interested in journalism, particularly sports journalism, or anyone who really enjoys a good mystery/suspense book. Although it doesn't talk about playing basketball much, I would still recommend it too sports fans, mainly because it does talk about players that basketball fans may know. When I saw those players names I really felt a connection because I knew some of the players and other people in sports they talked about.
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Jan 16, 2013 Ilesh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

a. Realistic Fiction/ Mystery
b. 251 pages
c.The Last Shot by John Feinstein is a book about Stevie Thomas, Susan Carol Anderson, and Chip Graber. Stevie and Susan Carol are USBWA competition winners. They are both excellent writers. Chip is a basketball star from Minnesota State. Someone has black-mailed Chip to lose the championship game in New Orleans. Chip's dad is the coach and he is also part of the blackmail. Chip needs help from many people to resolve this issue. As they move forward in th...more

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Jan 06, 2013 7robbie added it · review of another edition

I thought Last Shot was a very good book that was very exciting and suspenseful. I thought it was good because i could relate to it because it's about the Final Four and I watch that on TV every year. Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson went to the Final Four in New Orleans because they won a writing contest. I watched Kentucky defeat Kansas in the championship game when the Final Four was in New Orleans last season. The book is about a star player at Minnesota State University that is gettin...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: level-elementary

7/9/12 ** Started this last night & finally stopped on p. 57. I may as well have kept reading, because the characters haunted my early attempts at sleep. I always think that's a sign of good writing. :)

And, now...I've spent the whole day reading this instead of the work/school-related reading that I was supposed to be doing. I suppose that we might be able to say this was work-related, since it's a middle-grades book and I definitely plan to talk it up to my 4th graders. HOWEVER, it definite...more

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May 31, 2012 Gabe Newman added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4th-quarter-shelve

I give this book 3/5 stars. It has a lot of mystery. It is a little slow through out the book. But all the events finally come together and the ending is really good. I like mysteries because I enjoy to be suprised. I also like the topic of the final four and basketball. It also has a lot about writing because the steve the main character is a writer and enjoys it. I like writing too and I enjoy making connections with characters I am reading.

This book is about Steve Thomas, a 14 year old writer...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Jc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Possibly the best book ever (not a joke but the truth) this book is great! The consequences, the hopelessness, the imperfectioness of the solution. Everything! First, the plot.
The plot was great. A kid who loves writing wins a contest---perfectly realistic, in fact, I remember winning a writing ontest when I was younger---and Stevie goes to the Final Four. There he looks for a story, sees a team coming in, sees his favorite player... And BAM! Scandal of the Century. He and his co-winner Susan Ca...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Todd L. added it · review of another edition

March 15, 2012
Last Shot

The plot of this book seemed to move along slowly…and then it got to the point where it seemed almost impossible to put down. Stevie Thomas, an eighth grader from Philadelphia, was one of the Winners of a USBWA competition. The other winner? A tall, extremely pretty and intelligent southern girl named Susan Carol. The prize for winning this competition was a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans and the winners received a press pass to the series of games. The problem/con...more March 15, 2012
Last Shot

The plot of this book seemed to move along slowly…and then it got to the point where it seemed almost impossible to put down. Stevie Thomas, an eighth grader from Philadelphia, was one of the Winners of a USBWA competition. The other winner? A tall, extremely pretty and intelligent southern girl named Susan Carol. The prize for winning this competition was a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans and the winners received a press pass to the series of games. The problem/conflict in this story was when Stevie and Susan were wandering down a place they shouldn’t of been and overheard a man who worked for the team, telling a player, Chip Graber, that he better lose the Final four game to Duke or else his and his dad Coach Graber would lose their careers and all of the games they won that season would be forfeited. Stevie and Susan would go on to try to figure out a way to help Chip Graber solve his problem. This plot seemed to be very believable but there were some parts that were a little questionable like when Stevie and Susan tell a security guard they are Chip Graber’s, Minnesota State University’s star players, cousin and his girlfriend. Dumbly believing them, the guard lets them by and they walk right up to Chip Graber’s hotel room door. The beginning of this book seemed to be rather boring but once closer to the middle it was very entertaining and kept you right on the edge of your seat.
I could relate to these two main characters a lot because they both had a love for the game of basketball. The author did a great job developing these characters as the story moved along. At first, Stevie seemed to be a very quiet and shy type of person especially around Susan Carol but then as the book continued, his sense of humor seemed to show more and more and had me laughing constantly. Susan Carol on the other hand was a very talkative outgoing person who had great manners and knew how to talk to the coaches, writers, sportscasters, and players even better than Stevie. Whenever Stevie and Susan needed to get by someone, Susan would just use her polite manners and her southern accent and the guard or whoever was in their way would let them by. This skill didn’t seem to work very well for Stevie and he always seemed to be asking for help or backup from Susan.
This author seemed to have a very interesting style of word choice and voice. He used modern day terms that the normal eighth grader would use and say. I would have to say that this author has the best style I have ever read so I would give his style a five star rating because he uses lots of metaphors and examples while also using real stats and non-made up things for the teams, players, names of sportscasters, and others. The author also uses humor and comedy throughout this book.
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Jan 13, 2012 Josh Underwood rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Last Shot
By: John Feinstein
Published Date: 6/27/2006
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Steven (Stevie) Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s contest for aspiring journalists. His prize is winning a trip to New Orleans and a press pass to the Final Four. The games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court. Stevie and his fellow winner,...more The Last Shot
By: John Feinstein
Published Date: 6/27/2006
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Steven (Stevie) Thomas is one of two lucky winners of the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s contest for aspiring journalists. His prize is winning a trip to New Orleans and a press pass to the Final Four. The games going on behind the scenes between the coaches, the players, the media, the money-men, and the fans turn out to be even more fiercely competitive than those on the court. Stevie and his fellow winner, Susan Carol Anderson, are sneaking around the Superdome and overhear what sounds like a threat to throw the championship game. They have just 48 hours to figure out who is blackmailing one of MSU’s (Minnesota State University) star players and why.
The theme of this story is that no matter how old you are, you can do anything if you put your mind and effort into it. One way this is shown in the story is in the beginning when Susan Carol and Stevie were both chosen as winners of the contest, they are both just teenagers but have the talent to win the writing competition. Second Susan Carol and Stevie were able to sneak into a hotel and act as a star player’s cousin in order to get information. They pulled off getting passed the guards by preparing plans before they even tried to attempt this. Lastly in the end they both ended up joining a newspaper company and finally becoming journalists, yet they are only kids.
If you are a sports fan you will definitely want to read this book. He uses many realistic situations and includes famous coaches, analysts, writers and broadcasters in his books. He uses a lot of humor but also much suspense. He is a great suspenseful writer who makes you never want to put the book down. I have read his books the Cover Up, the Change Up, The Rivalry and now this. I believe this is the best book in the series because of the suspense it includes.
“Whoo boy,” Stevie said to Susan Carol. “These guys must be pretty desperate, fighting to get a quote from an assistant.” Here he is just speaking in a modern day dialect that we use day to day. Page 50.
I am a big fan of John Feinstein books because I love sports. He also keeps me reading with the suspense that is nail biting. The story was great because it was realistic, humorous and suspenseful. His books are great for mystery fans, non sports fans, really anyone who would enjoy any of the topics I mentioned.
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Jun 19, 2010 Shally Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: may-june-2010-books

Summary: Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol are two 13-year-old winners of a national writing competition. Their prize is being student press writer at the Final Four Tournament as a part of March Madness. It was a dream come true for both of them. While there they both encountered a MSU player being blackmailed and threatened to throw the championship game. This encounter changed their entire experience and instead of student journalists they changed into investigative journalists to solve the myste...more

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May 06, 2010 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Last Shot, by John Feinstein is an excellent book. It is a thumb’s up for many reasons. It is about two kids that win a trip to the Final Four basketball tournament. There, there is a big blackmail scandal with a mystery that they coincidentally overheard, but have to solve. The best aspect about the author is that he made a very good plot; he made the book very interesting, and knew what he was talking about. For example, he included detailed information about the people involved in the final f...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Last Shot," by John Feinstein is a book on realistic fiction. In this story, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol are the eighth graders that entered a writing contest sponsored by the U.S basketball writers association (USBWA), and won. The grand prize was a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans. They both recieved passes for this event to get backstage and they were considered working jounalists. Stevie says this will not be his only trip to the final four because he wishes to be a journalist in his...more "Last Shot," by John Feinstein is a book on realistic fiction. In this story, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol are the eighth graders that entered a writing contest sponsored by the U.S basketball writers association (USBWA), and won. The grand prize was a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans. They both recieved passes for this event to get backstage and they were considered working jounalists. Stevie says this will not be his only trip to the final four because he wishes to be a journalist in his future, but this is before he has the thrill of his life in 2005. Stevie is a huge St. Joes fan, from the big east. Duke, Connecticut, and Minnosota state are the other three teams at this final four event. Unlike Susan, who is a huge Duke fan, Stevie refuses to like the blue devils because he says all there fans are on the bandwagon. They put there deffereneces aside when they find out that Minnesotas best player is being blackmailed. Chip Graber was being told to throw the championship game or else his father would be fired
In this book, the author tells you a lot about the setting. It mainly takes place in New Orleans in the basketball arena. It is present time, about in 2005. So everything is very real life-like. They sneak around the arena in some parts, doing things they are not supposed to be. The author makes you feel like your there in that exact hallway when Susy and Stevie hear the big secret. He tells you how they felt, and exactly what sorrounded them at that point in the book.
The two main characters in this book are Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol. They both are fans of enemy teams. They argue like normal teenagers would and they bicker back and forth non-stop. They speak the truth and help eacthother throughout the entire novel. The characters are honest children that are out on a mission. They say what they have to say about the situation, and give eachother there opinions on how to help. Susan is always hopeful. For example, she states "Don't give up," whenever Stevie says, "We're getting nowhere fast."
The theme in this book is clear in some ways. The author tries to get across what cruel world his can be. He is also pointing out that you never know what is going on behind closed doors. Meaning, you never know about games being thrown or bets being made behind big events like the final four. In this case, the bigest star, Chip Graber, was being blackmailed. It is not to often we hear about big blackmails like this one, but it has happened to us all.
As a huge basketball fan, I like this book a lot. It made connections to the teams I hate, like Duke, and connections to my favorite coaches, like Roy Williams. There are many moments in this book that will put you on the edge of your seat, because you never know whats going to happen next. There are many sneaky parts in this book, like when they sneak around the arena, and when they eavesdrop on Chip. All around, I was always being drawn in to read more and more. I am glad I chose to read this book.
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Oct 09, 2009 Mudassir rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first picked up this book, I expected it to be a book describing amazing shots and the on and off-court controversy of a basketball player. However, this book disappointed me because it was more of a mystery than a basketball novel. The author spent most of the book discussing what happens to Stevie Thomas and Susan Anderson, the main characters of the book. The two won a nationwide contest to attend the Final Four basketball game occurring in New Orleans, where they will be considered as...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Alin8 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Rivalry
By John Feinstein

John Feinstein is right on the ball once again, as he succeeds expectations in his book Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery. It is a must-read for any college basketball fans, or avid mystery readers. Two fourteen year old aspiring reporters named Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas have just won the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association’s award for young sports writers. The main prize is a media pass to all three of the Man’s Final Four games to see what’s going on...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Mindi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reading-olympics

I had to share, because this made me laugh...

The other day, my beau asked me,"Now that you're a librarian, do they make you read a lot of crap that you don't want to read?" This made me raise an eyebrow. Apparently, he had seen this book on the kitchen table and wondered why I was reading it.

A disclaimer: Last Shot is on the required reading list for my fifth grade students competing in our Reading Olympics program (basically a battle of the books), so I do have to read it. That aside, I actual...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Katelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: class-books

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery is by a well-respected sports author, John Feinstein. Feinstein was born on July 28th 1956 in New York, and then went on to graduate from Duke University where his love for college basketball began. With a degree in journalism, he was hired as an intern for the Washington Post. In 1985 he took a brief break to work on his first book, then moved to New York City and got a new job with Sports Illustrated in 1989. He began his best-selling career with A Season on th...more Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery is by a well-respected sports author, John Feinstein. Feinstein was born on July 28th 1956 in New York, and then went on to graduate from Duke University where his love for college basketball began. With a degree in journalism, he was hired as an intern for the Washington Post. In 1985 he took a brief break to work on his first book, then moved to New York City and got a new job with Sports Illustrated in 1989. He began his best-selling career with A Season on the Brink; his collection of books about basketball grew. Feinstein has written non-fiction and fiction books for young-adults. Many of his novels were about basketball but he also had great success in golf, tennis, baseball, and football books as well. John Feinstein is a very versatile author but mostly enjoys writing about all kinds of sports.

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein is a mystery book which takes place in New Orleans at the Superdome during the NCAA Final Four for basketball. Steven Thomas and Susan Carol have won a national writing contest, their prize, a free trip to New Orleans and press credentials that can get them almost anywhere around the Superdome. Their only job is to write a story or article about something exciting that’s going on during this major event for college sports. But while they were roaming the halls of the Superdome, they overheard a conversation that they most definitely weren’t supposed to hear. Someone told MSU’s star player, Chip Graber (who’s dad is the coach) that he has to throw the championship game or else. Who would want someone to do such a thing? I believe that the author’s message is that people aren’t always who they say they are. Steven, Susan Carol, and Chip all believed in MSU’s old Dean but he just let them down by lying to them. I also think that Feinstein’s message is that it’s always best to tell the truth. After everything is solved, Chip’s dad Alan told him that he wished he knew sooner so they could fix it before. I strongly recommend this book to young-adults, boys and girls, even if they don’t know much about basketball.
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Jul 10, 2010 Dana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young_adult3

I listened to the Audio version of this book so my views might be a little squed. I don't know about anyone else, but hearing the name Susan Carol all the time drove me insane. Why did she have to have a long name and why did her name have to be brought up constantly?

If you like basketball and mysteries, then this book is for you. Last shot is about a boy named Stevie who is a hardcore basketball fan and a writer. He enters a writing contest and gets chosen as one of the winners with a girl name...more

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May 01, 2012 04dakotac rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reports

Have you ever been blackmailed? Well in the book the “Last Shot” Chip Graber was being blackmailed during the final four. Four people from M.S.U blackmailing a basketball superstar Chip Graber, and it’s up to two young reporters to stop the blackmail.
Steven Thomas one of two winners for the USBWA contest and Susan Carol Anderson the other winner of the writing contest, and were selected to go the Final Four in New Orleans. When they both got there, a couple of people took them to their hotel. Th...more

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May 20, 2009 Rosalia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: battle-of-the-books, realistic-fiction, young-adult, boy-reads, mystery, 2009

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

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Nov 30, 2010 Anthony Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dreams do Come True:
Kids can be Adults Sometimes,

Stevie Thomas read the letter once, and then twice, then a third time to be sure it was real. Then he started screaming. “Mom! Mom! Mom!” (3) As if something was wrong... This realistic fiction story, written by John Feinstein, takes place in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during modern times. One of the main characters is Stevie Thomas. I rated this book a three out of five stars because it was a good book but it wasn’t the best one that...more Dreams do Come True:
Kids can be Adults Sometimes,

Stevie Thomas read the letter once, and then twice, then a third time to be sure it was real. Then he started screaming. “Mom! Mom! Mom!” (3) As if something was wrong... This realistic fiction story, written by John Feinstein, takes place in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during modern times. One of the main characters is Stevie Thomas. I rated this book a three out of five stars because it was a good book but it wasn’t the best one that I read so far. That I have read. The first couple sentences really made me want to know what Stevie’s letter was all about and what would happen as a result of the letter. The book it was impossible to put it down because it was holding back surprising details, it had readable vocabulary, and it trick the reader along the way.
One of the reasons the book is impossible to put down is because it was holding back surprising details for example, the title misleads the reader into thinking the story will be about someone taking the last shot in an important game. However, the story is really about three young students reporting on high school and college basketball games. Another surprising detail in the book is when Stevie read the letter about winning the writing contest. He seemed really surprised and yelled like something was wrong or someone was out to get him. “Mom! Mom! Mom!” (3). Stevie realized he had won something big, but he wasn’t sure how his dream came true would work out. Thus, the surprising details made it hard to stop reading this book.
Another reason the book is impossible to put down is because readable vocabulary. The content is easy to read, easy to follow, and I recognize some of the names of the teams. While reading this book, I realized we have some of the same interests in basketball like the Final Four. Stevie’s dad was able to create a lot of excitement about basketball in Philadelphia. “He had started taking Stevie to se Philadelphia’s big five Temple, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Pennsylvania and La Salle when he was four” (3). I can follow the story pretty well because when I went to a Bulls game for the first time my interest got deeper in basketball like Stevie’s. I watch more games on TV and I would love to go to more games. Since I can relate to this book I just cannot put this book down.
Furthermore, this book is impossible to put down because the author of the story tricks the reader into thinking that a major college basketball player is taking the final shot of an important game in the Final Four. It’s easy for the reader to believe this because it happens all the time in sports. For instance, when the Lakers were going against the Celtics last year in the seventh game and Kobe took over the game in the last quarter and won the game. “Steve Jorgensen had them both free in under a minute” (228) when he tried to get the tape to the Garry so like he’ trying to suck up to him.
To conclude, the book, Last Shot by John Feinstein, it was impossible to put it down, because it was holding back surprising details, it had readable vocabulary and it tricks the reader along the way. I was able to make personal connections because I sort of can relate to this book. I can remember my first time at a basketball game just like Stevie can. We both had unexpected events, like when he won that contest and like when I won the conference for my football team. It sort of started like how Stevie’s victory started. My dad took me to a football game and I loved it. I just want to get on the field and play with them. I had to be about seven. I was still a little to young, but just like Stevie learning about basketball. I learned about football and we both had a dream like mine was to come in first place for our division and like he wanted to win the contest. We both accomplished our dreams this how I can relate to this book.
I think I should get at least a (B) because I worked hard one this and I think its good for my first one. The most difficult thing about this was getting it done on time and it going to be hard getting use to doing a book review. I plan to improve by getting this in on time.

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Aug 26, 2012 Shannon Cruthirds rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: student-books

Mystery + YA sports book sounds like a recipe for a book I would struggle to get through, but I liked this one. I think the draw for me was the glimpse behind the scenes of the Final Four. John Feinstein was a sports writer for the Washington Post, so even though I haven't taken any time to vet his descriptions of the media at this huge event, I'll take his word for it. The main characters' run-ins with the security guards and NCAA officials were amusing enough, and the dialogue between the two...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Yenchen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a basketball fan, I really enjoyed this novel. This book opens a new perspective to me in sport novels by making the main characters reporters rather than the actual athletes playing in the sport. This perspective allows the author to create a well written mystery that happens "behind the scenes" during the final four. Even if you're not a basketball fan, you will still enjoyed this book. There isn't too much actual basketball play being described for a reader who is not a basketball fan r...more

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May 08, 2013 Daran Washington is currently reading it · review of another edition

It has a lot of mystery. It is a little slow through out the book. But all the events finally come together and the ending is really good. I like mysteries because I enjoy to be suprised. I also like the topic of the final four and basketball. It also has a lot about writing because the steve the main character is a writer and enjoys it.

This book is about Steve Thomas, a 14 year old writer. Steve and Susan Carol Anderson are winners of the United States Basketball Writing Association writing co...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Ryan J. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought that this book is personally one of the best books I have ever read. I like how the book had an ordinary background (the Final Four) with a mysterious twist. I like how Stevie, the main character, is chosen to go to the Final Four to write about the games and the players, but basically turns into a detective, with his co-winner Susan Carol, when they hear a professor blackmailing Chip Graber, the star of the Minnesota State Purple Tide. I also find it random, yet interesting, that they...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Jack Morrison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the novel "Last Shot." It's about two kids who won a contest. They got to go see the final four for free with their parents. Once they get there they wonder around the hotel and hear the coach for Michigan State in a room demanding his team his to lose.
This puzzles them. So they do some snooping around which gets them in quite a bit of trouble. I honestly wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
I say that because sure it was interesting and all, but some parts seemed like they dragged on...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007-2010

Thirteen-year-olds Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson have won a sports writing contest which awards them the opportunity to cover the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament in New Orleans as actual members of the media. While searching for a story, the two accidentally overhear one of the players being threatened by a mysterious man who demands that the player throw the championship game. With two days before the final game, Stevie and Susan Carol set off on an attempt to discover the root o...more

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Mar 21, 2010 Eddie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is great because it has mystery and basketball in a twist. Two people named Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol, both thirteen. They where elected to be the USBWA reporters for the March Madness Tournament. During the Final Four part a MSU player got black mailed by an MSU professor. He has to win his first game and "choke" on the next game. So Stevie and Carol have to stop this black mailer.
This book is great for people who like basketball and a little mystery. I give it a 3 out of 5 beca...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Henry Singer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All kids who want to be a reporter can only dream going to the final four as press. After 14-year-olds Susan Carol Anderson, and Steve Thomas win a writing contest, they get to fulfill this dream. They soon realize that being a reporter isn't all fun and games, after they overhear a conversation about throwing the national championship. Chip Graber, and his dad who is also the coach, would be falsely accused of cheating if they don't throw the national championship game against Duke. Susan Carol...more

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Apr 21, 2013 6andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Last Shot by John Grisham is the first book in a series of sports mysteries. It all starts when Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol win a writing contest and win media passes into the Final Four. When exploring the venue, Stevie and Susan Carol accidentally overhear a conversation between the star Minnesota player, Chip Graber and an unidentified man. The man is telling Chip he must throw the Championship Game, or else...
Stevie and Susan Carol have forty-eight hours to find out who is blackmailing Ch...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is constantly suspenseful. It is about a 13 year old boy named Stevie and a 13 year old girl named Susan Carol, who win a writing contest. Since it is about basketball, they win a trip to the final four in New Orleans. Before the games start, they overhear Minnesota State star Chip Graber getting blackmailed to throw the championship game and don't know what to do. One of the teachers, Thomas Whiting, had changed his transcript to show two Fs, making Chip ineligible to play. If this pi...more

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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.

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* 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

A March to Madness: A View from the Floor in the Atlantic Coast Conference

More…

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8694893-last-shot?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1301863152l/8694893.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8694893-last-shot?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein[/url]

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (Final Four Mysteries #1)

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