Customer Reviews

Change-up: Mystery at the World Series

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Norbert Doyle is a pitcher who has toiled for years in the minor leagues before being brought up to pitch in the majors at the end of the baseball season. Doyle's rise from obscurity to appearing in the World Series and his tragic personal story propel him and his two teenage children, David and Morra, into the media spotlight. The now-famous athlete is sought out for interviews and pursued by agents promising lucrative corporate sponsorships and movie deals. But does Doyle have a secret that could jeopardize his promising future?

After 14-year-old reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson score an interview with Doyle and his kids, they stumble across inconsistencies in reports about his wife's tragic death. Following the interview, Susan Carol meets privately with David, and she begins hiding things from Stevie.

As the World Series plays out on the field, Stevie continues his investigation. The deeper he digs into Doyle's past, the more he discovers that things are not as they seem with the pitcher and his family. The closer Stevie gets to the truth of what happened on the night Doyle's wife died, the more he is pressured to back off and keep quiet.

John Feinstein's passion for sports, his play-by-play narrative of events on the field, and his behind-the-scenes knowledge of journalism are evident. CHANGE-UP gives a realistic portrayal of perseverance, the pressures of writing under deadline, adhering to journalistic ethics, competition among reporters and photographers, and the exacting process of digging for information and verifying facts. Also woven into the story is a reporter's dilemma of the public's right to know versus the individual's right to privacy.

CHANGE-UP serves up a couple of curves --- some mostly mild swearing, a few tame romantic scenes, some pushing and shoving, and one slapping incident. Young sports fans, especially those who love reading about baseball with a behind-the-dugout mystery, or readers who are curious about the field of journalism, should enjoy this latest sports novel from the Edgar Award winner of LAST SHOT.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

Norbert Doyle is a pitcher who has toiled for years in the minor leagues before being brought up to pitch in the majors at the end of the baseball season. Doyle's rise from obscurity to appearing in the World Series and his tragic personal story propel him and his two teenage children, David and Morra, into the media spotlight. The now-famous athlete is sought out for interviews and pursued by agents promising lucrative corporate sponsorships and movie deals. But does Doyle have a secret that could jeopardize his promising future?

After 14-year-old reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson score an interview with Doyle and his kids, they stumble across inconsistencies in reports about his wife's tragic death. Following the interview, Susan Carol meets privately with David, and she begins hiding things from Stevie.

As the World Series plays out on the field, Stevie continues his investigation. The deeper he digs into Doyle's past, the more he discovers that things are not as they seem with the pitcher and his family. The closer Stevie gets to the truth of what happened on the night Doyle's wife died, the more he is pressured to back off and keep quiet.

John Feinstein's passion for sports, his play-by-play narrative of events on the field, and his behind-the-scenes knowledge of journalism are evident. CHANGE-UP gives a realistic portrayal of perseverance, the pressures of writing under deadline, adhering to journalistic ethics, competition among reporters and photographers, and the exacting process of digging for information and verifying facts. Also woven into the story is a reporter's dilemma of the public's right to know versus the individual's right to privacy.

CHANGE-UP serves up a couple of curves --- some mostly mild swearing, a few tame romantic scenes, some pushing and shoving, and one slapping incident. Young sports fans, especially those who love reading about baseball with a behind-the-dugout mystery, or readers who are curious about the field of journalism, should enjoy this latest sports novel from the Edgar Award winner of LAST SHOT.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

This was a great book! The story was about two teen reporters, Stevie and Susan Carol, who always go to the big tournaments in sports. This time they are going to the World Series. A new pitcher, Norbert Doyle, has been pitching in the minor leagues for 12 years but got pulled up to play for the Washington Nationals against the Boston Red Sox. Now that Norbert is in the majors, the teen reporters must get a story on him. After the interview, the two teen reporters believe there is something Doyle is hiding from them. After his first appearance all of the reporters want a story on Norbert Doyle, but Stevie and Susan were the first to get a inside scoop from Doyle himself all alone with no other reporters trying to steal their story. Next, they try to use all of the possible people involved in Doyle's life to get that missing piece. To find out the missing piece of Doyle's life, read the book. It's worth it!

My son could not put this book down. My son says he would recommend this to anyone who likes baseball.

John Feinstein's CHANGE-UP: MYSTERY AT THE WORLD SERIES tells of one Norbert, a late call-up for an underdog team in the World Series who is a success. Teen reporters Stevie and Susan have scored their first in-depth interview with him - and find themselves charmed by Doyle. When the conflicting stories begin their interview becomes an investigation into the World Series events that reveals some dangerous truths from behind the scenes.