Mississippi Blue 42

Fierce FBI rookie Rae Johnson explores the criminal underbelly of college football in this captivating thriller from Edgar winner and former collegiate quarterback Cranor (Broiler). Set during the 2013–2014 season, the novel finds Rae, daughter of University of Arkansas coach Chuck Johnson, heading onto familiar turf for her first case. She arrives in Compson, Miss., to join burned-out agent Frank Ranchino on a stalled undercover probe of potential fraud in the University of Central Mississippi’s football program. Then star quarterback Matt Talley plunges to his death from the roof of a bar, and the game changes—at least in Rae’s mind. Disobeying her pension-minded partner’s orders to stay in her lane, Rae goes rogue and poses as a sports journalist to pursue her own, increasingly high stakes investigation into the quarterback’s death. Though Cranor calls perhaps a few too many audibles as the plot twists escalate in the novel’s final third, his quirky characters, playful humor, and insider’s view of the college football landscape ensure that this makes it all way to the end zone. Readers will hope to hear more from Rae soon. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (Aug.)