A compelling murder mystery set in the heart of the European peloton. The world champion is killed, and the international powerhouse Haven team replaces him with a seemingly washed-up American, Will Ross, who discovers that the death was no accident.
The best of two worlds. Being a cyclist I appreciate the way he portrays the riding. Being a mystery reader I like a good story with a puzzle. This made me happy on both. I may have been a harsher judge if the cycling hadn't appealed to much, but it did. Here was an American rider trying to work the system and ride for a European pro team. American's often have difficulties adapting to the tradition and culture of Europe's teams. It is a complex and very established group that make newcomers earn their place in the peloton. This is hard enough without the language and culture hurdles. Will was not ever going to make it until his very inept abilities became his primary asset to be used by the team owners in a family/corporation finagle. Will is a flawed oaf but he also has a few qualities that are endearing. This is what I consider a good bus book to read in transit. Easy to read in short bits and simple enough it never requires rereading for dropped plot lines or characters.
An interesting mystery based around professional bicycle racing in Europe. France, Spain, Belgium. Will is hired to fill in for the team favorite who does suddenly. There are sweet dream sequences where Will talks to friends who have passed over, usually when his body is depleted from a grueling race. I especially liked the ending. I thought the fate of his nemesis was only going to be inferred, but at the final pages the story comes out.
This book is a perfect example of why we need 3.5 star ratings. Entertaining, interesting characters, nice plot twists, some excitement-- a solid, very readable book which nevertheless is not quite a four star read.
I have been trying to find the best cycling novel. I enjoyed this but it is not great literature and is probably best appreciated by someone obsessed with cycling.
Any book that uses "Coppi thinks you're a putz" as an opening can't be a bad story. Wished I bought the Haven jersey back in the day. A fun read. Wished there were more
Fun but I enjoyed the cycling culture themes much moe that the weak detective story. Contains many excellent one-lines like "He makes Catherine de Medici look like Pee Wee Herman."