The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game »

John Feinstein is the author of many bestselling books, including A Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled, and Living on the Black. His books for young readers, Last Shot, Vanishing Act, Cover-Up, and Change-Up offer a winning combination of sports, action, and intrigue, with Last Shot receiving the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best young adult mystery of the year.

Mr. Feinstein began his career at the Washington Post, where he worked as both a political and sports reporter. He has also written for Sports Illustrated and the National Sports Daily. Mr. Feinstein is currently a commentator for National Public Radio; he writes columns for AOL Sports and Golf Digest and continues to contribute regularly to the Washington Post.

John Feinstein lives in Potomac, Maryland, and Shelter Island, New York, and has two children.

Bestselling writer John Feinstein is back with another exciting sports-mystery, this one set behind the scenes at the storied Army-Navy football game.

Teen sportswriters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson are thrilled to be covering "America's Game." The Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of Navy have met on the football field since 1890, and it's a rivalry like no other, filled with tradition. But this year, the match-up is also filled with intrigue.

For weeks, Stevie and Susan Carol have been spending time at Annapolis and West Point, getting to know the players, and coaches. And the secret service agents. Since the president will be attending the game, security will, of course, be tighter than tight. As the game draws nearer Stevie and Susan Carol can tell that the agents are getting tenser.

But as usual when Stevie and Susan Carol cover a big event--nothing is quite as it seems, and the coaches aren't the only ones calling plays...

Publishers Weekly

Feinstein's fifth installment about junior sports reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson mines his adult nonfiction title, A Civil War (Little, Brown, 1996) for its setting: the annual Army-Navy game, a gridiron classic that traditionally ends the college football season. Considerable time is spent spinning a thread about security and racism because President Barack Obama plans to attend, but the real "mystery" unspools quickly, late in the story. Stevie and Susan Carol share a subtle but sweet chemistry stemming from their shared love of sports as well as their experiences as 14-year-old reporters, whose credibility as observant insiders is rarely questioned by adults. Feinstein's respect for both West Point's cadets and the midshipmen of Annapolis is evident, making this a good choice for kids with an interest in the military, but the most enthusiastic audience will be readers who devour Sports Illustrated the moment it arrives. Feinstein unloads on corrupt officiating and the professionalization of college sports, and he writes cameos for a parade of sports stars and the reporters who cover them, creating a rousing backdrop for this light but engaging read. Ages 10 up. (Sept.)