Cover-up: Mystery at the Super Bowl (Hardcover)

by John Feinstein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
The third outing for precocious teen reporters Steve Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson finds the intrepid pair transformed into TV personalities, stars of a cable talk show called Kid Sports. On the eve of the Super Bowl, however, Steve is fired (the network wants to pair sexy-beyond-her-years Susan Carol with a twentysomething rock star). Steve still has a newspaper gig, though, so the pair reunite at the Super Bowl, where, of course, they stumble on yet another scandal, as they did in Last Shot (2005) and Vanishing Act (2006). Feinstein doesn't try to pretend that his premise is even remotely realistic—even the kids laugh at the odds of two teens ferreting out the biggest stories at the biggest sports events in the country—and once the reader suspends a few gallons of disbelief, this series delivers an entertaining mix of mystery, insider detail (including cameos by big-name sports media figures), and ripped-from-the-headlines subject matter (the scandal this time deals with steroid-taking offensive linemen). Good fun for younger teen sports fans willing to go with the formula. Ott, Bill

Review
“Sure to be a hit with sports fans.”—Kirkus Reviews

“An entertaining mix of mystery, insider detail (including cameos by bigname sports media figures), and ripped-from-the-headlines subject matter”—Booklist

“Fast-paced action . . . a glamorous background.”—The Horn Book

“Every teen with NFL or ESPN dreams will appreciate Feinstein’s latest sports mystery”—VOYA


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375842470
• ISBN-13: 978-0375842474
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,738 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #61 in	Books > Teens > School & Sports > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feinstein has crafted a compelling and gripping read that can be enjoyed as much by adults as by teenagers., September 10, 2007

By	Norman Goldman "Editor of Bookpleasures.com" (Montreal) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

John Feinstein's background as a sports journalist for the Washington Post, as well as a contributor to Sports Illustrated and the National Sports Daily, comes in quite handy in creating a lively and fascinating novel, Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl.

The novel focuses on two teenage reporters who stumble across a scandalous cover up on the eve of the Super Bowl involving an owner of a National Football League team and five of the team's players.

Our story begins when Stevie Thomas, the co-host with Susan Carol Anderson, is fired from his USTV television sports commentary position that is aimed at teenager viewers and he is replaced with a rock star, Jamie Whitsett.

Stevie is subsequently offered a reporter's gig from his friend Bobby Kelleher, a journalist for the Washington Herald, to cover the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. After some deliberations with his parents, Stevie accepts the gig and informs Susan Carol, who will likewise be attending the Super Bowl as reporter for USTV, of his good fortune. The teenagers promise to meet up with each other once they arrive in the Super Bowl city.

When Stevie arrives in Indianapolis, he is offered another gig from CBS where he would be sent out with a crew each day and see what he comes back with. Apparently, CBS was quite impressed with Stevie's nose for news from what they had witnessed when he was a co-host with Susan Carol.

The narrative begins to take on a life of its own when a slightly inebriated team physician of one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl comes onto Susan Carol at a party, not realizing she is older than fourteen. While conversing with Susan Carol, the doctor brags that most of the players would never get on the field without his help, as he is a kind of magician or as he states, "I wave my magic needle on Sundays and everyone plays." Eventually it comes out that our good doctor is into giving his players shots of steroids particularly one called HGH. Furthermore, before the deciding game prior to the Super Bowl, five of the team's players tested positive. When Susan Carol bluffs the doctor and tells him that she can't believe this happened, his response was that she may be right-unless someone was covering up the test results.

There is much to recommend in this novel particularly the manner in which Feinstein successfully blends the divergent strands of the narrative. What is more, Feinstein does a great job in capturing the colorful and circus atmosphere of Super Bowl week with just the right nuances. With effective characterizations of two strong characters with compelling voices, Feinstein has crafted a compelling and gripping read that can be enjoyed as much by adults as by teenagers.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep Reading and Never Stop, September 20, 2007

By	Grade Six "Humanities" - See all my reviews

Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl is the last part of a trilogy. The book is about two teen reporters who have solved two huge sports mysteries, a kidnapping at the U.S. Open and blackmailing at the Final Four. The main characters are Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson; they are both 14 years old and appear on the USTV kids' sports report, so they are pretty much celebrities at their schools. Stevie and Susan Carol get invited to the Super Bowl, but then Stevie gets fired from USTV for no reason. But Stevie's mentor, who writes for the Washington Herald, gets him credentials to see the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Dreams play in the Super Bowl.

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol solve mysteries with each other and make a great team just like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. One of their mysteries begins when Susan Carol was at a party one night, and a drunk guy reveals information that he was a doctor for the Dreams, and the Los Angeles' offensive linemen were all taking steroids.

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol once again investigate a huge sports mystery, but this time they're not working together. Will Stevie and Susan Carol solve the mystery? Will the offensive linemen come clean? Is the doctor a bad guy? You'll have to read the book and answer those questions yourself. Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl makes you want to keep reading and never stop.

Jake R.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading for boys, January 14, 2008

By	D. Mccreight (Dresden, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Our grandson read the book and said it was awesome. He loved the way it was written. In fact, it was hard for him to put down and do something else he was so in to it. After finishing this one, he couldn't wait to start on another mystery by the same author.