Final Round [Hardcover]

William Bernhardt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2002

In the glamorous world of professional golf, one match is synonymous with excellence, tradition, and prestige. The Masters is played on the sweeping fairways of Georgia’s exclusive Augusta National Golf Club, drawing its annual pilgrimage of Lear-jetting international superstars, the spotlight of the media, and throngs of fans. But this year, the tournament has attracted something else. A killer is coming to play a deadly game of his own.

For Connor Cross and John McCree, two pros who share a long friendship and a passion for golf, the April competition is a chance to catch up on old times, joke around, make some ill-advised bets, and generally calm each other’s nerves before the play turns serious. But while John has always been able to get a grip on his game by tee time, Connor has never quite figured out how to throw the switch and focus. Then a killer strikes–and for the reigning bad boy of the PGA tour, everything changes in a hurry.

The victim’s wife begs Connor to try to find a murderer who threatens not only to kill again, but to destroy the Masters. And as Connor is drawn into the intrigue, a most remarkable phenomenon occurs. This maverick player shoots a sizzling round of golf. Suddenly, Connor is conquering a vicious slice, cleaning up his short game, and even listening to his caddie as he uncovers some jaw-dropping personal secrets of his fellow pros.

But as Connor–in the company of an alluring female cop–unravels a mystery of murder and uncovers the mystery of his inner game of golf, he also faces the greatest hazard of all. For with one round left to play, and the body count rising while his scores drop, Connor Cross is the next in line to die.

A gripping thriller set against the elite world of pro golf–the way it looks when the cameras aren’t turned on–Final Round is the ultimate novel for anyone who has ever suspected that while golf may be the greatest game ever invented, playing it well can be murder.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nobody raises a ruckus or even a loud voice at the Masters, the prestigious and very proper golf tournament that brings the best players and most ardent fans to Augusta, Georgia, every April. Nobody bashes a player to death with a nine iron and leaves the body in a sandy bunker on the 18th hole, either, except someone did just that to John McCree, whose best friend and fellow golfer, Conner Cross, wasn't playing his best game even before the murder. Three people die, including Jodie McCree--Conner's girl prior to becoming John's wife--before Conner unmasks a killer who'd do anything for a chance at the coveted green jacket of a Masters champion.

Veteran author William Bernhardt, best known for legal thrillers like Naked Justice and Murder One, has penned a well-paced mystery with plenty of inside dope and Masters history. It will provide a welcome diversion for golfers who get through the winter by dreaming of the greens and fairways of spring. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly

Conner Cross, golf pro/first-time sleuth, is a Peck's bad boy whose antics are threatening to get him kicked out of the Masters tournament at Georgia's snooty Augusta National Golf Club in this entertaining if implausible whodunit from veteran Bernhardt (Primary Justice; Murder One; etc.). Cross can't seem to take anything seriously, not even his own game, which is suffering grievously. But when his best friend is found murdered and he's suspected of the crime, Cross takes it very seriously indeed, especially after he learns that the murder weapon was his own nine-iron. He soon teams up with red-haired Lt. Nikki O'Brien of the Augusta P.D., who would rather arrest him than accept his assistance. In the pair's running duel of words, the chemistry Conner and Nikki generate consistently delights. You don't have to be a golfer to appreciate the anecdotes about actual events at past Masters that introduce each section. Bernhardt may resort to a B-movie ending with the real killer trying to evade capture by seizing the heroine around the neck (you just know that sucker's not going to make it out the door), but he's clearly having fun with the genre cliches and so will the reader. Agent, Robert Gottlieb. (Apr. 1) Forecast: Media and bookstore appearances tied into the Masters tournament scheduled for April 8-14 will add yardage to this one.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345449622
• ISBN-13: 978-0345449627
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,375,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love my job. Even on the worst day when I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, I am grateful for having been given this magnificent opportunity to participate in the literary exchange of ideas. My mother says I was telling people I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I know that seems incredible, but she's my mom, so we have to believe her. I never missed an opportunity to visit the library, which was blissfully near my home, and the librarians there took a great interest in this nerdy, shy, bespectacled kid who kept reappearing almost every day. They encouraged me to read widely and to read the best of everything, and that is exactly what I did and have continued to do all my life.

I sent off my first submission when I was eleven, to Highlights Magazine. This was a poem of which I was particularly proud concerning the Oklahoma Land Run. They turned me down. Yes, that was my first rejection letter. Over the next twenty years, I collected over 400 more of them. No, I'm not exaggerating. I still have them. Every last one. There was a reason, I realize now, why all those compositions were being rejected. They weren't very good. But they improved over time. I didn't know it, but during the entire torturous process of submission and rejection, I was learning how to write.

I finally had my first novel published (by Ballantine, a division of Random House) when I was thirty-one. To some, this may seem an early age to publish, but if you clock it from my first rejection, it took twenty years. That was a great year--my first son, Harry, was born in August, and my first book, Primary Justice, was born in December. The book surprised everyone and the follow-up did even better and before I even realized it I had accomplished my goal--I was a real honest-to-gosh writer. I've been writing ever since. I've written more than twenty novels, edited two anthologies, done two books for children, and published numerous stories, essays, puzzles, and poems. I have three children now, and this job allows me to be present when they come home from school and available when they need me during the day, which is a blessing I could not have anticipated back when I was a seven-year old gazing dreamily at author photos on dust jackets, wishing I could see myself there.

My goals for the future are to continue to learn, to grow, to find new ways of doing my work and doing it better. I think the current interest in thrillers provides a marvelous opportunity to spin bigger and more exciting stories. I've learned that I enjoy teaching, which has led to the William Bernhardt Writing Programs and The Fundamentals of Fiction DVDs, as well as many speaking and teaching engagements throughout the year. My interest in mentoring aspiring writers led me to start the Small-Group Seminars and Master Classes, which allow me to teach my favorite subject all across the nation. And in my personal life, my goal is I to be the best parent possible to Harry, Alice, and Ralph, and the best possible partner to my wife, Marcia. I'm very excited about the future--my personal life with these extraordinary people, and my professional life, creating new stories for you wonderful people who still understand the importance of storytelling and the written word.
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William Bernhardt is the author of more than twenty novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, Capitol Murder, Capitol Threat, Capitol Conspiracy, and Nemesis. He is one of fewer than a dozen recipients of the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He is also one of the country's most popular writing instructors, teaching at various conferences throughout the year. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Marcia, and their children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wow. I don't even know what to say about this., April 5, 2002

By 

JC "JC" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Round (Hardcover)

Let me preface this review by saying that I was extremely exited about this book. I read and enjoyed the author's previous book, Murder One, and I am also an avid golfer. I was really looking forward to reading this book. That being said, I am at a loss to describe the depths of my disappointment in this novel. Did anyone edit this thing? This book will alienate both golfers and fans of Bernhardt by combining a severe lack of familiarity with the game of golf with a plot that resembles that of an old Scooby Doo cartoon. Allow me to explain.

Golfers who read this book will find themselves in a state somewhere between disgust and amusement. The amount of mistakes that the author makes in regard to golf would be comical if not for their frequency and absurdity. For instance, the author continually refers to water traps on the course. I've seen sand traps, and water hazards, but never a water trap. He refers to 'cart trails' several times, even though they are called cart paths and do not exist at Augusta. As for his hero, Connor Cross, he hits some truely amazing shots and attempts many others. During the Par 3 tournament, Cross decides to hit 9-iron off the tee (which the author refers to as 'tee-offs', not tee boxes) into a hole that measures 450 yards (remember, this is a Par 3 tournament) because the 9-iron is his best club and he thinks he can reach the green in one. 450 with a 9-iron? Another stellar example is when Cross decides to hit Driver into a par 3, and his ball lands on the green and spins back into a 'water trap.' The best of all comes toward the end of the book, when Cross finds himself in contention during the final round of the Masters. After nearly reaching a par 5 in one, Cross thinks he can reach the green in one on the 425 yard 17th as his caddy ponders whether someone has ever reached that green in two during the masters. Alas, he comes up 5 feet short. A 423 yard drive. Yes, he's got some power. Never fear though, Cross makes eagle regardless. He also manages to eagle the 18th. Simply remarkable. Pointing out these errors may seem picky, but they occur so frequently that anyone who plays the game of golf will be so distracted, they will find it impossible to get into the story.

As far as this book's appeal for non-golfers, I just can't imagine anyone being able to take this book seriously. Again, the author's mistakes are plentiful, the most egregious of which is when the hero's find themselves crawling through a pipe that measures 'three feet in circumfrence'. Said pipe would be less than a foot in width, but Cross, who is 6 foot, 205 lbs., manages to move around by crouching. The plot races around from here to there with no discernable direction. The killer comes out of nowhere and is completely unexpected, but not in the smooth, "wow-I-should-have-seen-that" way that marks the end of good books. The reader gets the feeling that he got tired of writing and picked the bad guy at random simply to end the story. Before this occurs, the plot basically boils down to a pathetic comedy of errors on behalf of the Augusta PD.

I am rarely this harsh on a novel. As a person who would one day like to write, I respect the effort and research that goes into the process. I've never even given a book 1 star before. This book, however, is one that should not have been published. It is easily the worst book I have read in recent memory, and quite possibly ever. I would not be surprised to learn that Bernhardt had never even picked up a golf club, and I would be astounded if he has, even once, watched the Masters on televison. This is an incredibly bad novel that I finished in one sitting (it is mercifully only 244 pages) just to be done with it. This author should fire his editor tomorrow and his publishing company should begin issuing refunds. Consider yourselves warned.

Jon Cavalier

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Berhardt Hits a Bogey....., April 24, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Final Round (Hardcover)

John McCree and Connor Cross were childhood friends from rural Oklahoma when they discovered the game of golf. Now both are pros on the PGA tour. John has smoothed out all the rough edges, married well, and made a name for himself. Connor's made a name for himself too. He's proud to be the wise-cracking, irreverent, rule-breaking, bad boy of golf. Now both have been invited to play in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, that bastion of tradition and prestige. All the stars of golf, past and present, are here, and the famous and coveted green jackets can be seen everywhere you turn this week. Unfortunately the splendor of this annual event is spoiled when Connor finds his best friend dead and buried in a sand trap off the eighteenth green. Who could have wanted John dead? He was a class act, popular among fans, and a friend to all on the tour. Or was he... John's wife begs Connor to stay in the tournament for John's sake, go undercover and investigate. And when the murder weapon turns out to be his nine iron, and he becomes the prime suspect, Connor decides he'd better do just that before he ends up losing more than just another golf match..... William Bernhardt, a master of the legal thriller and courtroom drama, shows, in Final Round, why authors should stick with what they know, and not be lured into an arena in which they are totally unfamiliar. It is obvious from page one that William Bernhardt has never played the game of golf, or even watched a golf tournament, and this poorly researched mystery is so full of inaccuracies, that it lacks all credibility. Mr Bernhardt's story line is completely transparent, and filled with repetitive, predictable scenes. His writing is immature, and his dialogue, inane. This is supposed to be a mystery, yet there's no suspense, tension, or intrigue. But worst of all, his characters are all one-dimensional, cartoon cliches...the bad boy turned good, the always drunken pro with the big mouth, the young and rising star everyone resents, the snobby and officious tournament director... It all adds up to a truly awful book that should never have gotten past an editor. Do yourself a big favor, and stay away from Final Round. This is definitely a book to miss.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars the publishers should be ashamed of themselves, November 1, 2005

By 

A. Winstead - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Final Round (Hardcover)

This is probably the worst book ever written. Obviously Mr. Bernhardt knows nothing about golf and Ballatine Books should never have published it. Now I know why it was only $1 at our library sale. It is a 'tee box' not a 'tee off', people 'play golf' not 'golf' and who would even think that a 9 iron would be an alternate club to a driver? Augusta should sue for defamation of character. Aside from the golf gaffs, the plot was perdictable and stupid. Do even ask about the dialogue. Don't waste your time.