The Winner Maker, Bond Jeff

Thrilling ... an exhilarating and emotionally astute mystery. - Kirkus Reviews

Bob Fiske -- the 74-year-old dinosaur whos taught Honors English and coached varsity football for five decades -- is missing.

To his Winners, class favorites Fiske designated over the years for their potential to Live Big, its heartbreaking. Fiske did more than inspire with soaring oratory; he supported their ambitions into adulthood. Four of his brightest former stars reunite to find him, putting high-octane careers on hold, slipping police barricades, racing into the wilds of Northern Michigan for clues about the fate of their legendary mentor.

Others dont see a legend. They see an elitist whose time has passed.

When a current student -- female -- disappears just hours into the Winners search amid rumors of inappropriate meetings, the Great Mans reputation is a shambles.

Feints, betrayal, explosive secrets from their own pasts: as facts emerge, each Winner must decide how far theyll go for Fiske. Can the truth redeem him? Or has this cult of hyper-achievement spawned a thing so vile none of their lives will survive intact?

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More from Kirkus Reviews: Bond collapses two distinct literary genres into one seamless novelistic whole: a mystery and an emotional drama ... Fiske is deliciously enigmatic ... Bond is so ingeniously inventive--he consistently moves the story in wholly unpredictable directions ... The novels central mystery is thrilling, but the true spine of the tale is the fragile connections between the past Winners, who must not only investigate Fiskes disappearance, but also the authenticity of their lives and friendships.