Feinstein's sports insider perspective fully informs this intrigue of sports-agent derring-do at the Olympics. Not only is the scandal probable (given past sports scandals), but readers will be enlightened about what happens at swimming meets, the perils of being represented by an agent, and a taste of what life at the Olympics is like. A great front-row seat for sports fans, even just the casual ones. ( )

Stevie and Susan Carol are back. This time, Susan Carol, is headed to the 2012 Olympics in London as a competitor. Stevie has gotten a gig as a writer covering the event. Characters from earlier books in the series pop in to lend a hand as the duo try to get to the bottom of some funny business when it comes to lucrative contracts and sponsorships for athletes.
As I read the book, the Olympics are about a month away and the swimming trials were being televised. This made me think about the behind the scenes deals and what it might be like to be at these events as a participant and reporter. I feel like I gained new insight into the world of marketing athletes. Feinstein even made a joke about Ann Curry getting moved from a morning show, which just happened - prescient! The book was a fun ride and made me look even more forward to the 2012 Games! ( )

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/2012/04/rush-for-gold-mystery-at-olympics-... ( )

Feinstein's Stevie and Susan Carol are back for another down-to-the-wire mystery at a major sporting event, this time the 2012 London Olympics. Only this time, Susan Carol's the athlete, not the reporter. When her swimming skills earn her a spot on the US Olympic team, sponsorships and lucrative contracts lure her father into signing on the dotted line. As Susan Carol's time becomes less about being a friend and athlete and more focused on Susan-Carol-as-celebrity, Stevie and his mentor realize that something isn't quite as it should be. But what is it? And how can Chip Graber, who was involved in Stevie and Susan Carol's first reporter mystery, help? Told by one of the great sports writing insiders, this book's pacing will reel in diverse readers. Highly recommended. (83) ( )

New York Times bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein dives headfirst into a scandal of Olympic proportions in this exciting sports mystery.

Teen sports reporter Susan Carol is competing as a swimmer at her first-ever Olympic games. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, and her best friend Stevie is both amazed and envious. Usually they cover sporting events together, now he's covering her. But Stevie can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Everyone wants a piece of Susan Carol's success--agents, sponsors, the media. Just how far will they go to ensure that America's newest Olympic darling wins gold?

John Feinstein has been praised as "the best writer of sports books in America today" (The Boston Globe), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel.