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Traces #5
Final Lap
Luke Harding will need all of his skill and resources to tackle his action-packed fifth case. Set in the highly competitive world of professional track and field, Luke and Malc are tested to their limits with a series of intriguing, mysterious events. Pushed to the edge, can Luke beat his opponent to the finish and solve the case before something else goes wrong?
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Malcolm Rose
59 books64 followersBelieve it or not, until Easter 1996, I was a Lecturer in Chemistry at The Open University. I carried out research in analytical chemistry, particularly in the area of health, and I taught mainly organic chemistry. The teaching part of the job predominantly involved writing, with some radio, TV and video work. It also left very little time for fiction writing which I tackled mostly after midnight. Perhaps that is why some of my strongest scenes are set on dark nights! Anyway, I am now a full-time writer.
Many people think it odd and fascinating that a scientist should also be a novelist but I don’t find it strange. After all, scientists have to be creative and show perseverance to carry out research. They also write a lot; in particular, they produce textbooks and articles on their research. Anyone who is imaginative, can stick to a task, and knows how to construct a sentence has the credentials for writing a novel. On top of that, my chemical research was aimed at understanding a little better some aspects of human life. A novel also seeks to illuminate some aspects of human life. The aims are similar even if the tools are different.
I reckon novel writing is not so removed from chemistry as you might think. In one life, I mix chemicals, stew them for a while and observe the reaction. In the other, I mix characters, stir in a bit of conflict and, again, observe the outcome.
I began writing stories while I was carrying out research at York for my DPhil degree in chemistry. Writing became a means of escape from everyday life. While I was at York, my then girlfriend (now wife) read my efforts and commented that I ought to try and get something published. I had never thought of writing as anything other than a hobby. Besides, as I thought then, a budding chemist couldn’t possibly be any good at it! Anyway, I joined a writers’ club to find out how to submit a manuscript to a publisher and, to cut a long story short, found a publisher in William Collins for my first novel, Rift.
I am now over half a century old, married to Barbara and have one son (Colin) who is an architect. I read all of my stories aloud to Barbara and Colin and they help me with their comments.
Many people think it odd and fascinating that a scientist should also be a novelist but I don’t find it strange. After all, scientists have to be creative and show perseverance to carry out research. They also write a lot; in particular, they produce textbooks and articles on their research. Anyone who is imaginative, can stick to a task, and knows how to construct a sentence has the credentials for writing a novel. On top of that, my chemical research was aimed at understanding a little better some aspects of human life. A novel also seeks to illuminate some aspects of human life. The aims are similar even if the tools are different.
I reckon novel writing is not so removed from chemistry as you might think. In one life, I mix chemicals, stew them for a while and observe the reaction. In the other, I mix characters, stir in a bit of conflict and, again, observe the outcome.
I began writing stories while I was carrying out research at York for my DPhil degree in chemistry. Writing became a means of escape from everyday life. While I was at York, my then girlfriend (now wife) read my efforts and commented that I ought to try and get something published. I had never thought of writing as anything other than a hobby. Besides, as I thought then, a budding chemist couldn’t possibly be any good at it! Anyway, I joined a writers’ club to find out how to submit a manuscript to a publisher and, to cut a long story short, found a publisher in William Collins for my first novel, Rift.
I am now over half a century old, married to Barbara and have one son (Colin) who is an architect. I read all of my stories aloud to Barbara and Colin and they help me with their comments.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 30, 2022
Once again, the character interactions were entertaining, especially the surprise duo that formed at the end. The reappearance of some characters from the previous books was not as significant as they were suggested to be at first, yet they were still a solid way to maintain links between the books and that added well to the episodic feel of the series as a whole.
What set this book apart from the rest of the series was the mystery. For the first time in this series, the mystery landed on the disappointing side. The clues felt too aimless, the motives were too vague, the main suspects kept being disproven and the whole thing felt like a meandering muddle that was abruptly brought to a stop by a thankfully redeeming feature: the explosive ending.
The ending was probably the most exciting thing this series had attempted to do so far and the seriousness of it will surely have crazy repercussions on the next book in the series, Blood Brother, which I can’t wait to see!
What set this book apart from the rest of the series was the mystery. For the first time in this series, the mystery landed on the disappointing side. The clues felt too aimless, the motives were too vague, the main suspects kept being disproven and the whole thing felt like a meandering muddle that was abruptly brought to a stop by a thankfully redeeming feature: the explosive ending.
The ending was probably the most exciting thing this series had attempted to do so far and the seriousness of it will surely have crazy repercussions on the next book in the series, Blood Brother, which I can’t wait to see!
December 5, 2022
more of the same, its becoming predictable, but its still enjoyable.
October 23, 2011
This is another very good book in this series. I have been reading them to help my oldest son with his reading comprehension. The Traces series has been an outstanding one for middle school age children.
May 5, 2023
Summary
Traces: Final Lap is the 5th out of 6 books in the Traces series, and the first book was the one I did my first Goodreads Review on. This book is a mystery about an investigator, Luke Harding, and his Mobile Aid to Law and Crime (M.A.L.C). The case for this book were a bunch of mishaps relating to the Games, which is a newly founded organization meant to be like the Olympics but for young athletes-in-training. However, there have been a bunch of “accidents” relating to the construction of the games. Two construction workers fell off of the roof when working on the dome for the Games, the water of the pool that was used for the games was poisoned, sending young athlete Brooke Adams to the hospital, and the organizer of the games, Libby Foster, disappeared.. The Authorities, who are similar to the government, suspect that the culprit, who Luke code-named Spoilsport, also has crashed a plane that was related to Luke’s case from earlier. Luke begins to look for leads, such as Frank Russell, a man who’s animal sanctuary was taken down and replaced by an airport. Luke suspected that he used poison from one of his snakes to poison the pool. Or someone like Royston Klein, Libby’s boyfriend who was caught helping athletes cheat for the Games. Eventually, far into the case, a tree falls down into Luke’s hotel room, almost killing him if it wasn’t for Malc. Eventually, when Luke finds out who did all of these crimes, he gets kidnapped by Spoilsport himself. Malc runs to Jade Vernon, Luke’s girlfriend, to find Luke. Using Malc’s navigation system, Jade and Malc find Luke in the hands of Ian Pitchard. Ian was always a suspect, but was on the bottom of Luke’s list, because they became good friends. But, after Ian admitted he committed all of these crimes, such as killing Libby, assaulting and kidnapping Luke Harding, crashing a plane, poisoning a pool, and sabotaging the construction which killed two workers, all to sabotage the games. Fortunately, Malc ends up alerting the authorities to arrest Ian, and then find Luke and save him and he survives.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I liked how it differed from the other books in the series. I especially liked it when Luke got kidnapped, because that’s never happened before. This kidnapping led to a Jade and Malc duo, which we haven’t really seen before. I also liked how the case started off slowly and didn’t seem intense, but then it slowly got more intense throughout the book. At first, I thought this book was just like the rest in the series, but then BOOM! Luke gets hurt and kidnapped, leading to an intense and epic rescue. There was also a lot of foreshadowing, which had my head spinning.
Traces: Final Lap is the 5th out of 6 books in the Traces series, and the first book was the one I did my first Goodreads Review on. This book is a mystery about an investigator, Luke Harding, and his Mobile Aid to Law and Crime (M.A.L.C). The case for this book were a bunch of mishaps relating to the Games, which is a newly founded organization meant to be like the Olympics but for young athletes-in-training. However, there have been a bunch of “accidents” relating to the construction of the games. Two construction workers fell off of the roof when working on the dome for the Games, the water of the pool that was used for the games was poisoned, sending young athlete Brooke Adams to the hospital, and the organizer of the games, Libby Foster, disappeared.. The Authorities, who are similar to the government, suspect that the culprit, who Luke code-named Spoilsport, also has crashed a plane that was related to Luke’s case from earlier. Luke begins to look for leads, such as Frank Russell, a man who’s animal sanctuary was taken down and replaced by an airport. Luke suspected that he used poison from one of his snakes to poison the pool. Or someone like Royston Klein, Libby’s boyfriend who was caught helping athletes cheat for the Games. Eventually, far into the case, a tree falls down into Luke’s hotel room, almost killing him if it wasn’t for Malc. Eventually, when Luke finds out who did all of these crimes, he gets kidnapped by Spoilsport himself. Malc runs to Jade Vernon, Luke’s girlfriend, to find Luke. Using Malc’s navigation system, Jade and Malc find Luke in the hands of Ian Pitchard. Ian was always a suspect, but was on the bottom of Luke’s list, because they became good friends. But, after Ian admitted he committed all of these crimes, such as killing Libby, assaulting and kidnapping Luke Harding, crashing a plane, poisoning a pool, and sabotaging the construction which killed two workers, all to sabotage the games. Fortunately, Malc ends up alerting the authorities to arrest Ian, and then find Luke and save him and he survives.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I liked how it differed from the other books in the series. I especially liked it when Luke got kidnapped, because that’s never happened before. This kidnapping led to a Jade and Malc duo, which we haven’t really seen before. I also liked how the case started off slowly and didn’t seem intense, but then it slowly got more intense throughout the book. At first, I thought this book was just like the rest in the series, but then BOOM! Luke gets hurt and kidnapped, leading to an intense and epic rescue. There was also a lot of foreshadowing, which had my head spinning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2018
Rose, Malcolm Final Lap, 231 p. Kingfisher (Houghton), 2007. Violence - PG.
Luke and his MALC have been called to the building site of the Youth International Games to solve a rash of sabotage and a mysterious disappearance. Solving crimes is dangerous enough, but now Jade, Luke's girlfriend is on-site as the composer of the music of the Games. How can Luke keep her safe and find the criminal?
Rose's investigative novels are an interesting look at technology and forensics witth great murder mysteries to boot. Fans of Muchamore's Cherub series need to be pointed right at these, too.
MS - ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
Luke and his MALC have been called to the building site of the Youth International Games to solve a rash of sabotage and a mysterious disappearance. Solving crimes is dangerous enough, but now Jade, Luke's girlfriend is on-site as the composer of the music of the Games. How can Luke keep her safe and find the criminal?
Rose's investigative novels are an interesting look at technology and forensics witth great murder mysteries to boot. Fans of Muchamore's Cherub series need to be pointed right at these, too.
MS - ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library-Teacher.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
April 19, 2025
That's the last one I read as a kid, so I remembered it somewhat.
I loved having Jade around more and actually having her help out and work with Malc to find Luke. I always love the process in these books but never the villain. The villains are always cartoony and moustache twirly when they get discovered. I liked Ian's care for the animals, but he was also too goofy to be taken seriously.
I love these books for the characters way more than the mystery, which is fine.
Onto true mystery though, the final two books I never read. I really do wonder how the series wraps up.
I loved having Jade around more and actually having her help out and work with Malc to find Luke. I always love the process in these books but never the villain. The villains are always cartoony and moustache twirly when they get discovered. I liked Ian's care for the animals, but he was also too goofy to be taken seriously.
I love these books for the characters way more than the mystery, which is fine.
Onto true mystery though, the final two books I never read. I really do wonder how the series wraps up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2021
Super!!!!
February 28, 2022
Rating: 4/5
This was a wilddd ride! I think this was probably the craziest endings so far, and it really had me on the edge of my seat. It was really good and the mystery was even better! I really enjoyed this instalment of Traces.
This was a wilddd ride! I think this was probably the craziest endings so far, and it really had me on the edge of my seat. It was really good and the mystery was even better! I really enjoyed this instalment of Traces.
May 25, 2024
Such mysterious vibes! The pool scene really drew me in!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2025
Took a while to get into but was well worth it for the end :)
*I paused the reading of this book for 2 months before I resumed
*I paused the reading of this book for 2 months before I resumed
October 18, 2025
Very enjoyable. Makes you excited to know what would happen next. How things would end.
December 7, 2025
This is a fast-paced, engaging read that keeps the pages turning as the mystery unfolds. The author's background as a Senior Lecturer in chemistry adds a distinctive scientific edge that makes the series unique.
It's intriguing to see Luke beginning to view MALC as more than a machine, however, some plot elements feel contrived and don't flow as naturally as they could.
The final section is especially gripping, with palpable tension throughout. Jade is an absolute badass (more than Luke will ever be) and her interactions with MALC are a highlight. It also raises the question: is MALC beginning to act on his own?
It's intriguing to see Luke beginning to view MALC as more than a machine, however, some plot elements feel contrived and don't flow as naturally as they could.
The final section is especially gripping, with palpable tension throughout. Jade is an absolute badass (more than Luke will ever be) and her interactions with MALC are a highlight. It also raises the question: is MALC beginning to act on his own?
August 5, 2011
ROSE, Malcolm. Final Lap. 233p. Kingfisher. 2007. pap. $5.95. ISBN 978-0-7534-6005-4. LC number unavailable.
Gr 8 Up--Sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding is back in this fifth book in the series, set in the future. This time, someone is trying to sabotage the Youth International Games. The stadium, near London, is in the process of being built, and The Authorities ask Luke to investigate a series of strange accidents at the construction site. First the games' organizer disappears. Then two construction workers plummet to their deaths. Shortly after that, a swimmer is severely injured while testing out the facility's pool. Luke and his trusty sidekick robot, Malc, zero in on several suspects, but as the search for "Spoilsport" intensifies, his own life becomes endangered. This action-packed, quick read will keep readers guessing who Spoilsport is and what his or her motives are. A good read for reluctant readers or for teens interested in forensic science.--Shannon Seglin, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Source Citation
Seglin, Shannon. "Rose, Malcolm. Final Lap." School Library Journal Mar. 2007: 218. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.
Gr 8 Up--Sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding is back in this fifth book in the series, set in the future. This time, someone is trying to sabotage the Youth International Games. The stadium, near London, is in the process of being built, and The Authorities ask Luke to investigate a series of strange accidents at the construction site. First the games' organizer disappears. Then two construction workers plummet to their deaths. Shortly after that, a swimmer is severely injured while testing out the facility's pool. Luke and his trusty sidekick robot, Malc, zero in on several suspects, but as the search for "Spoilsport" intensifies, his own life becomes endangered. This action-packed, quick read will keep readers guessing who Spoilsport is and what his or her motives are. A good read for reluctant readers or for teens interested in forensic science.--Shannon Seglin, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Source Citation
Seglin, Shannon. "Rose, Malcolm. Final Lap." School Library Journal Mar. 2007: 218. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.
December 11, 2017
Final Lap by Malcolm Rose is a realistic fiction book. It is about the main character Luke and his buddy Malc trying to find spoilsport. You would like this book if you like adventure and sherlock holmes.
January 29, 2012
Final Lap was a good book overall. Unfortunately I read the Traces series out of order so I already knew part of the ending of this book, but it was still very enjoyable to read. The mixture of mystery and humor was very well done, as usual. I liked the plot, which revolved around a string of murders and serious injuries associated with the Youth Games. Is it the grumpy trainer? Or the man who supervises the renovation of the sports center? Or a former inhabitant of the land on which the center is being built? It could be anyone. Read the book to find out.
August 1, 2009
This one is the slowest so far but i hope it gets better
Read
May 13, 2010F ROS traces bk.5
January 8, 2011
Read this one in lit circles and i just had to read the rest! :0
April 15, 2011
Wrapped up way to quickly.
November 25, 2015
I felt the ending of this book was a little rushed though I did enjoy it when Jade had a turn at being an F.I.
December 23, 2012
Luke investigates accidents at the construction site for the Youth International Games.
The teaser at the end claims it's for the previous book, but it is not. It's not nice to confuse old people!
The teaser at the end claims it's for the previous book, but it is not. It's not nice to confuse old people!
Read
October 25, 2017Great Book recommend everyone to read this book
August 29, 2009
I'm a fan of Forensic Science, so this series is simply irresistable.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews