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Mississippi Blue 42
Edgar-winning author Eli Cranor throws a glorious Hail Mary in this series debut starring an FBI agent whose very first case lands her in a college football empire in Mississippi—where not everything goes according to the playbooks.
Compson, Mississippi, 2014: Newly-minted FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson knows a thing or two about the gridiron. She practically grew up on the football field, alongside her father, a legendary national-championship-winning college coach. Which is why she’s perfect for her first assignment out of to investigate illicit money flows in a booming football town in central Mississippi. White-collar crime.
Rae brings fresh knowledge to the sting, but her mission to bust the so-called bagmen—diehard fans who effect recruiting decisions and game outcomes through under-the-table cash bonuses to players—has been unsuccessful. Things get complicated when the star quarterback of the University of Central Mississippi team is flung off a roof to his death, a money-filled gym bag beside him. Rae isn’t there to investigate murder, it’s not in her jurisdiction—but try as she may to push it away, something’s going on in Compson, Mississippi. Something not quite right.
To get to the bottom of it, Rae must ingratiate herself with the people of Compson—the players, and gridiron girls, and coaches, and politicians, who comprise the complex social machinery of the small-town football empire. A heart-pounding noir thriller, Edgar-winning author Eli Cranor’s latest is an ambitious and well-researched dive into the crooked corners, the tenuous alliances, and the power-hungry sideliners of America’s most popular game.
Compson, Mississippi, 2014: Newly-minted FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson knows a thing or two about the gridiron. She practically grew up on the football field, alongside her father, a legendary national-championship-winning college coach. Which is why she’s perfect for her first assignment out of to investigate illicit money flows in a booming football town in central Mississippi. White-collar crime.
Rae brings fresh knowledge to the sting, but her mission to bust the so-called bagmen—diehard fans who effect recruiting decisions and game outcomes through under-the-table cash bonuses to players—has been unsuccessful. Things get complicated when the star quarterback of the University of Central Mississippi team is flung off a roof to his death, a money-filled gym bag beside him. Rae isn’t there to investigate murder, it’s not in her jurisdiction—but try as she may to push it away, something’s going on in Compson, Mississippi. Something not quite right.
To get to the bottom of it, Rae must ingratiate herself with the people of Compson—the players, and gridiron girls, and coaches, and politicians, who comprise the complex social machinery of the small-town football empire. A heart-pounding noir thriller, Edgar-winning author Eli Cranor’s latest is an ambitious and well-researched dive into the crooked corners, the tenuous alliances, and the power-hungry sideliners of America’s most popular game.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published August 5, 2025
73 people are currently reading
10693 people want to read
About the author
Eli Cranor
18 books484 followersEli Cranor played quarterback at every level: peewee to professional, and then coached high school football for five years. These days, he's traded in the pigskin for a laptop, writing from Arkansas where he lives with his wife and kids.
Eli's novel Don't Know Tough was awarded the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and will be published by Soho Press in 2022. Over the course of his career, Eli's fiction has garnered multiple awards (2018-The Missouri Review; 2017-Greensboro Review). Along with fiction, Eli writes a nationally-syndicated sports column, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly over at CrimeReads. Eli is currently at work on his next novel.
Eli's novel Don't Know Tough was awarded the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest and will be published by Soho Press in 2022. Over the course of his career, Eli's fiction has garnered multiple awards (2018-The Missouri Review; 2017-Greensboro Review). Along with fiction, Eli writes a nationally-syndicated sports column, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly over at CrimeReads. Eli is currently at work on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
August 3, 2025
College football, pay offs, and an FBI investigation are the name of the game in Mississippi Blue 42. Eli Cranor is a former professional football player and wrote what he knows with his latest book. He writes the plays, the ins, and the outs of football! He also writes about the money behind some plays and how far fans and others who affect recruiting and game outcomes by supplying players with bags full of money.
Special Agent Rae Johnson knows football. One might say it is in her blood. Her father is a "national-championship-winning college coach." When she is chosen to investigate the bags of money delivered to players in Compson, Mississippi by 'bagmen', she dives right in! She begins her investigation by interviewing various people ranging from player, gridiron girls, local politicians, and even the coaches themselves. I enjoyed the parts where she wondered about her own father in terms of what he might know and wondering if he was ever influenced by others in terms of outcomes of games.
I had high hopes for this book as I have loved the previous books which I have read by Eli Cranor. I missed the rawness and grittiness of his previous books. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book. I have a feeling that American Football fans might enjoy this book more than I did. I can't fault Eli Cranor's writing - it's top notch as always. Some of the football plays and lingo were lost on me. I did enjoy the connection that Rae had to the college football world. She knows the game inside and out which helped her gain the trust of those with whom she spoke. I did find myself wanting more of her background and wanted some scenes with her father.
Even though this book didn't completely win me over, I did enjoy the investigative work. I found this book to be thought provoking and found myself wondering how often pay offs and thrown games take place in sports.
While I didn't love this book as much as I have enjoyed his previous books, I still enjoyed this one. As with his previous books, this book does tackle some tough subjects such a competition, racism, power, poverty, and coercion. It has a good mystery, and the narrator of the audiobook did a fine job.
*A Witches words buddy read with Brenda and Dorie. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Mississippi Blue 42.
Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Special Agent Rae Johnson knows football. One might say it is in her blood. Her father is a "national-championship-winning college coach." When she is chosen to investigate the bags of money delivered to players in Compson, Mississippi by 'bagmen', she dives right in! She begins her investigation by interviewing various people ranging from player, gridiron girls, local politicians, and even the coaches themselves. I enjoyed the parts where she wondered about her own father in terms of what he might know and wondering if he was ever influenced by others in terms of outcomes of games.
I had high hopes for this book as I have loved the previous books which I have read by Eli Cranor. I missed the rawness and grittiness of his previous books. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book. I have a feeling that American Football fans might enjoy this book more than I did. I can't fault Eli Cranor's writing - it's top notch as always. Some of the football plays and lingo were lost on me. I did enjoy the connection that Rae had to the college football world. She knows the game inside and out which helped her gain the trust of those with whom she spoke. I did find myself wanting more of her background and wanted some scenes with her father.
Even though this book didn't completely win me over, I did enjoy the investigative work. I found this book to be thought provoking and found myself wondering how often pay offs and thrown games take place in sports.
While I didn't love this book as much as I have enjoyed his previous books, I still enjoyed this one. As with his previous books, this book does tackle some tough subjects such a competition, racism, power, poverty, and coercion. It has a good mystery, and the narrator of the audiobook did a fine job.
*A Witches words buddy read with Brenda and Dorie. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Mississippi Blue 42.
Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
August 7, 2025
Mood Confession Time:
This audiobook was chosen for me by the Witches Words reading group. We loved Eli Cranor’s earlier book, so when this one popped up on NetGalley, we cranked the volume and hit play faster than a Friday night kickoff.
What Lit My Mood:
I’m a sucker for a storyline soaked in corruption, and when you add a small town built on a college football empire well my ears perked up. This one's all about blood, money, and the deep roots of power.
Newly-minted FBI agent Rae Johnson has football in her blood, her dad’s a legendary coach. She is there to investigate sketchy money moving in a football-obsessed Mississippi town. But when a player is flung off a roof with a gym bag full of cash, Rae digs deeper than the end zone.
Where My Mood Flickered:
Cranor’s quarterback roots show here and he knows the sport, and it sometimes overshadows the suspense. Rae's interviews with players, coaches, fans, and sleazy politicians were solid, but the grit I loved in his earlier work wasn’t there.
Audiobook Vibes:
The narrator does a great job and I enjoyed his voice. It’s one of those audiobooks that makes chores fly by but maybe wouldn’t have cast the same spell on the page.
Witchy Mood Meter Rating:
Moody Mismatch – I was intrigued, but the energy felt foggy and the spell never fully took hold.
Verdict:
Worth a stir in the cauldron if you're craving sports drama with secrets on the sidelines.
Not quite a touchdown, but the southern shadows and sharp heroine make it worth conjuring.
A Witches Words read with Debra and Dorie!
I achieved a copy of the audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley
This audiobook was chosen for me by the Witches Words reading group. We loved Eli Cranor’s earlier book, so when this one popped up on NetGalley, we cranked the volume and hit play faster than a Friday night kickoff.
What Lit My Mood:
I’m a sucker for a storyline soaked in corruption, and when you add a small town built on a college football empire well my ears perked up. This one's all about blood, money, and the deep roots of power.
Newly-minted FBI agent Rae Johnson has football in her blood, her dad’s a legendary coach. She is there to investigate sketchy money moving in a football-obsessed Mississippi town. But when a player is flung off a roof with a gym bag full of cash, Rae digs deeper than the end zone.
Where My Mood Flickered:
Cranor’s quarterback roots show here and he knows the sport, and it sometimes overshadows the suspense. Rae's interviews with players, coaches, fans, and sleazy politicians were solid, but the grit I loved in his earlier work wasn’t there.
Audiobook Vibes:
The narrator does a great job and I enjoyed his voice. It’s one of those audiobooks that makes chores fly by but maybe wouldn’t have cast the same spell on the page.
Witchy Mood Meter Rating:
Moody Mismatch – I was intrigued, but the energy felt foggy and the spell never fully took hold.
Verdict:
Worth a stir in the cauldron if you're craving sports drama with secrets on the sidelines.
Not quite a touchdown, but the southern shadows and sharp heroine make it worth conjuring.
A Witches Words read with Debra and Dorie!
I achieved a copy of the audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley
August 7, 2025
The world of college football is the subject of this book. The author is a former player so he obviously knows a lot about the game, but you don’t have to be a football fan to read this book. The focus is not on the game itself, but on the sleazy world of boosters, gamblers, coaches and politicians who manipulate the players to their own advantage. The investigation of corruption morphs into something else when a quarterback winds up dead. The blurb describes the book as “a heart-pounding noir thriller”. That is not at all accurate. I found the book entertaining, but it is not a noir thriller.
This book is the start of a series about new FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson. I think that may be a mistake, because I much preferred her middle aged partner Frank. Rae seemed a little naive about college football - supposedly her area of expertise since her father is a college coach. Maybe just read a couple of newspaper articles about how ugly, unfair and corrupt the system is. Her behavior as an agent also seemed out of kilter. A suspect claims that he’s not a bag man, he just helps out the players. So then it’s perfectly ok to sleep with him. And then on your very first case it’s fine to go rogue and violate a direct order from your boss. Neither of those actions helped out in the crime solving department.
In addition to Frank, I liked Moses, the newly promoted quarterback who wants to be a veterinarian. The bad guys included a cartoonish politician (unfortunately, his cartoonish behavior seemed pretty accurate), a Jesus freak coach, and a man pimping out his daughter for the cause. Dan John Miller dud a good job narrating the audiobook. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
This book is the start of a series about new FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson. I think that may be a mistake, because I much preferred her middle aged partner Frank. Rae seemed a little naive about college football - supposedly her area of expertise since her father is a college coach. Maybe just read a couple of newspaper articles about how ugly, unfair and corrupt the system is. Her behavior as an agent also seemed out of kilter. A suspect claims that he’s not a bag man, he just helps out the players. So then it’s perfectly ok to sleep with him. And then on your very first case it’s fine to go rogue and violate a direct order from your boss. Neither of those actions helped out in the crime solving department.
In addition to Frank, I liked Moses, the newly promoted quarterback who wants to be a veterinarian. The bad guys included a cartoonish politician (unfortunately, his cartoonish behavior seemed pretty accurate), a Jesus freak coach, and a man pimping out his daughter for the cause. Dan John Miller dud a good job narrating the audiobook. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
February 26, 2025
This book was a thriller that had heart- peocedural, satire, and lots of action! Eli Cranor knows football and he knows how to write! These characters and this story of the NCAA behind the curtain will stay with me
August 14, 2025
I’m not a football person - I read this because I love Eli Cranor’s writing. I’m still not a football person though, I’m not even going to pretend.
The story isn’t so much about football (I mean, it is) as much as the corruption in college football and all the turning wheels surrounding it. There were parts where he nearly lost me (football). There were a lot of POVs, I’d love to narrow those down to explore more of the characters individually - Moses, his grandma (lol) and Harry Christmas.
The story isn’t so much about football (I mean, it is) as much as the corruption in college football and all the turning wheels surrounding it. There were parts where he nearly lost me (football). There were a lot of POVs, I’d love to narrow those down to explore more of the characters individually - Moses, his grandma (lol) and Harry Christmas.
August 13, 2025
A good read but more polished and less gritty than some of his others. Will continue to read this author, with my favorite still being Ozark Dogs.
July 30, 2025
ARC read
If the coach’s daughter from Remember the Titans grew up and became a Federal Agent, this could be her story.
Honestly, I struggled with this one. I wanted so badly to love it, but I should didn’t. It kept my attention, helped pass the time, but I never could get invested in the characters. Although the narrator did an excellent job, I struggled with the female protagonist being voiced by a man. I’m thinking maybe someone steeped in football might enjoy this a little more, but I couldn’t get past the cliche phrases passed off as unique sayings and stereotypical representations of the South (of which I am a proud member and do not resemble the depiction).
It was not bad, I just didn’t love it. I am thankful to have been chosen to review the book for NetGalley.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Even mosquitos know there’s power in the blood.”
“Life in the Waffle House could wear a woman down.”
If the coach’s daughter from Remember the Titans grew up and became a Federal Agent, this could be her story.
Honestly, I struggled with this one. I wanted so badly to love it, but I should didn’t. It kept my attention, helped pass the time, but I never could get invested in the characters. Although the narrator did an excellent job, I struggled with the female protagonist being voiced by a man. I’m thinking maybe someone steeped in football might enjoy this a little more, but I couldn’t get past the cliche phrases passed off as unique sayings and stereotypical representations of the South (of which I am a proud member and do not resemble the depiction).
It was not bad, I just didn’t love it. I am thankful to have been chosen to review the book for NetGalley.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Even mosquitos know there’s power in the blood.”
“Life in the Waffle House could wear a woman down.”
August 18, 2025
The book wants to use the crime thriller genre to discuss the seamy world surrounding college football. It is very unsatisfying on both levels. The thriller isn't particularly interesting, and the football gets more unbelievable as it goes along.
September 5, 2025
I wanted to love this book. OZARK DOGS was terrific, and BROILER was even better. Sadly this one just left me sort of flat. Too much philosophizing, not enough crime, with cartoonish villains and, ultimately, low stakes.
January 8, 2026
Mississippi, collegejefu, NIL ja FBI. Kiinnostavia ainesosia, mutta pidin tätä ikävä kyllä monella tavalla ja tasolla pökerryttävän kehnona.
June 11, 2025
Eli Cranor never ever disappoints and this one was really great. Enjoyed every page. He threw a perfect spiral with Mississippi Blue 42.
October 25, 2025
It’s an okay book — the premise had potential, but it didn’t quite land for me. Around the midway point I had to call an audible and quick-skim to the goal line.
August 30, 2025
Eli Cranor came on like a storm with his debut novel, Don't Know Tough. He stepped up his game with Ozark Dogs and then had a massive fumble with Broiler.
Mississippi Blue 42 is a positive step forward. While the narrative voice is not as original as that of either of the first two books, Cranor has created an engaging story.
Set in the competitive world of SEC football, Cranor tells a story of corruption in an elite program (the fictional University of Central Mississippi, in the just as fictional town of Compson.
This is the longest book Cranor has published, and it drags a bit around the halfway point.
The characters are solid but similar to Luke Jackson in Broiler, Cranor does not care for Harry Christmas. And just like he did with Jackson, Cranor tells you why he does not like Christmas, as opposed to showing you what makes them unlikable.
All in all it was a good read.
Mississippi Blue 42 is a positive step forward. While the narrative voice is not as original as that of either of the first two books, Cranor has created an engaging story.
Set in the competitive world of SEC football, Cranor tells a story of corruption in an elite program (the fictional University of Central Mississippi, in the just as fictional town of Compson.
This is the longest book Cranor has published, and it drags a bit around the halfway point.
The characters are solid but similar to Luke Jackson in Broiler, Cranor does not care for Harry Christmas. And just like he did with Jackson, Cranor tells you why he does not like Christmas, as opposed to showing you what makes them unlikable.
All in all it was a good read.
January 30, 2026
If you like sports, especially football, you'll enjoy this book! It follows Rae, a newly-minted FBI agent on her first case. She grew up as the daughter of a college football coach and knows the game inside and out. Her assignment is to get to the bottom of illegal payments to players in a college football town in Mississippi. The book has a truly Southern feel - the positive and the negative - and it makes effective use of the vernacular of the South and football alike. The author's writing style suits me - it's not overly bogged down in description, but even with its efficiency, it still lets us get to know the characters quite well. The story flows at a great pace. I really enjoyed the journey that the characters were on, and I look forward to more adventures with Rae.
January 19, 2026
The topic of criminal activity within college football was the best part of this book, as it brings a different take to the genre for me. Alas, Rae suffers from an "I'm not like other girls" complex, which makes the entire thing feel a tad contrived, since she's the main character. The reading experience was little too sleepy for me, and the ending was too open ended for what I'd like in this type of book (3.5 stars).
Lastly, thank you to Soho Press for sending this as a part of a giveaway!
Lastly, thank you to Soho Press for sending this as a part of a giveaway!
September 25, 2025
Mississippi Blue 42 was a peek into the dark underworld of college sports. Rae is a rookie FBI agent in her first case. The naive daughter of a championship winning coach, Rae knows football but little about what goes on behind the scenes to put those teams on the field. This is pre-NIL days and the characters range from fan boy “bag men” all the way into the halls of Congress.
This was a good story and I admit I lost some nuance as I was listening as I drove and I’m a bad listener anyway. But I enjoyed the story. 3.5⭐️ rounded up because it’s football season and I am a fan!
This was a good story and I admit I lost some nuance as I was listening as I drove and I’m a bad listener anyway. But I enjoyed the story. 3.5⭐️ rounded up because it’s football season and I am a fan!
August 28, 2025
Mixed feelings on this one. On the positive side, it’s super well-researched and honestly the perfect read to get me excited for college football starting back up. The characters were hit or miss. Some just came off a little annoying and the main villain was extremely racist, which I hated, but I also get that the author was probably trying to reflect certain realities. Still, the book leaned a little too hard into painting Mississippians as nothing but ignorant, which isn’t fair to everyone there. The ending also felt a bit rushed, but overall, I did enjoy the read.
August 27, 2025
Pretty solid first 75%, the ending kind of lost me though. I think this would make a good miniseries however.
Read
January 6, 2026Likeeee 3.75 - author killed this! I usually dont like a book that splits POVs as much as this one but the plot line was quite good and interesting
July 28, 2025
This was just okay for me. I am not the target audience, so that is ok.
I am a sucker for anything sort of police procedural. So, new FBI agent on her first case? Check. Start of a new series? Double check. I like sports. Admittedly, football is not my favorite, but I thought I knew the game. This is where it went a bit wrong, lol. It went too far into football a few times early on.
So, in addition to being a bit over my head because I only know basics, the whole crime/conspiracy didn't draw me in.
Moses is the best thing in the book. I like Frank, too.
Dan John Miller narrates the audiobook.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am a sucker for anything sort of police procedural. So, new FBI agent on her first case? Check. Start of a new series? Double check. I like sports. Admittedly, football is not my favorite, but I thought I knew the game. This is where it went a bit wrong, lol. It went too far into football a few times early on.
So, in addition to being a bit over my head because I only know basics, the whole crime/conspiracy didn't draw me in.
Moses is the best thing in the book. I like Frank, too.
Dan John Miller narrates the audiobook.
I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2026
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
---
WHAT'S MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 ABOUT?
Rae Johnson is the only daughter of a legendary college football coach and spent most of her life working to be one, too. But at a certain point, she hit the wall of misogyny (with her own father as a spokesman for the wall) and had to find a new career path. Naturally (?), she chose the FBI. We all see the overlap, right?
Anyway, she's fresh out of the Academy and is assigned to her first case. She's been sent to help investigate some financial crime surrounding the University of Central Mississippi's football program. She knows she got the assignment due to her father, which grates her pride. But, she's not going to back down from the challenge. Her partner in the investigation has been there for months and hasn't gotten very far, but he's determined to uncover the problems that he knows are there.
The veteran agent is just getting her acclimated to the investigation when the team's quarterback
THE FIGHT FOR THE SOULD OF MOSES MCCLOUD
This book, in many ways, seems to be a fight over the soul of the backup quarterback thrust into a leadership position—will he succumb to the culture of bagmen and fame, or will he risk his potential windfall and give Rae the information she needs?
I really like Moses from the beginning—sure, he's got all the maturity of a college freshman (read: not as smart as he thinks he is, too easily distracted/led along by good-looking women), but there's something about him you can't help but like. I really think the battle for his soul angle isn't that filled with suspense—it's just the adults around him that fail to understand what he's saying and what kind of guy he is all along.
But that actually makes the whole thing more entertaining for everyone who isn't Moses.
WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT THIS AS A SERIES DEBUT?
According to the press kit for this book:
Which sounds promising—especially the "world of sports" part. Not because I'm a big sports guy, but I had a hard time imagining Rae looking into some other kinds of crime because Cranor baked the sports-mindset so deeply into her. You put her in an art crime, or a counterfeit money situation? I just don't see it working as well (but I was ready to try). Rae hunting down a crew of bank robbers would be interesting to see, I just don't know if she gets into their heads. But even if you move her to professional sports—even something other than football, she's got the right mindset, the right background to really give a series legs.
Rae reminds me of Ellie Hatcher, Renée Ballard, and Eve Ronin. She's got ambition, she's willing to cut corners (maybe too many), she's determined to make it in a man's world—and she lets all of that lead her into some blunders as she learns her way. The question is: will she learn from them? The other women did—I trust she will, too. But making those mistakes is fodder for good fiction along the way.
I do wonder what characters from this book will recur. One strong candidate is Rae's friend who failed a drug test and got booted from the FBI Academy. She had a strong presence early on in the book, but she just vanished later on. Which makes sense for reasons of this book's plot, but not if you're establishing a series character. Beyond her, I'm pretty curious.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42?
There are more "bad guys" in this book than in most its size—and I'm really unable to come up with a drop of sympathy or empathy for any of them. I wasn't prepared for that. I'm used to Cranor helping me see the humanity of his characters. Not that I don't see humanity here—all I see is the worst of it. Yes, there are some who are less-worse than others, and there are a few that you can easily call The Worst. Right up to the last revelation (which Rae really should've seen coming), the worst of America is on display. If you pull up a classic D&D Alignment Chart, you have a couple of Lawful Evil characters, many Neutral Evil characters, and a couple on the extreme end of Chaotic Evil, too. Worse, you have a Lawful Evil who pretends to be Lawful Good—and someone who is convinced he's Lawful Good, but is really a deluded and easily manipulated True Neutral.
Sorry, that's not helpful at all, but once I started thinking along those lines, I couldn't stop. Hopefully, someone out there appreciates it.
The hypocrite bothers me more than they should (because it's so obvious). The easily manipulated head coach really makes me miss the misguided integrity of the coach from Cranor's Don't Know Tough.
And honestly, not much better can be said of most of Rae's allies through this. But they're trying. I'm pretty sure they are, anyway. I found them entertaining anyway, and didn't spend a moment hoping they'd find their comeuppance.
This established a strong world and at least one character that we can follow—I'm very curious to see how this experience shapes Rae's career (at least the early days of it, obviously) and how she sees herself. But more importantly, this was an entertaining, gripping, roller-coaster of a ride. The series stuff can work itself out—right now, all I want to focus on is Mississippi Blue 42, and it's a great ride.
You gotta check it out if you're a Cranor reader (and probably already have). If the Venn Diagram of your interests includes college sports and Crime Fiction, you'll enjoy this item from the overlap set. Actually, you'll probably enjoy it if you don't care about college sports at all, just Crime Fiction. Personally, most of what I know about college sports comes from I Am Charlotte Simmons—and Cranor tells the same story (essentially) about the industry it does, but in a more concise and focused way.
Okay, I'm rambling. Go get this thing, you'll be glad.
---
So much depended on a ball stitched together from thirty-two panels of waterproofed leather. The fans came to see what the players did with that ball: the blazing touchdown runs, the high-flying, bone-crunching hits. And the players played for peanuts. That was the only way any enterprise could achieve the sort of profit margins enjoyed by universities with nationally ranked teams. The trick, though, was convincing the rest of the country that college football was not a business, but instead a game, a contest played on the field of higher education, which also served the Chiefs well when it came time to file their taxes.
Because the University of Central Mississippi was an educational organization, it enjoyed a 501(c)(3) status, which meant nearly every dollar the institution made was exempt from federal income tax. It was the same exception granted to churches...
Yes, Mississippi was in the Bible Belt, but the real holy day, the day when every true Southerner bowed at the altar, was game day. And in just a few more hours, the congregation would gather inside their recently renovated, five-hundred-million-dollar cathedral.
WHAT'S MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 ABOUT?
Rae Johnson is the only daughter of a legendary college football coach and spent most of her life working to be one, too. But at a certain point, she hit the wall of misogyny (with her own father as a spokesman for the wall) and had to find a new career path. Naturally (?), she chose the FBI. We all see the overlap, right?
Anyway, she's fresh out of the Academy and is assigned to her first case. She's been sent to help investigate some financial crime surrounding the University of Central Mississippi's football program. She knows she got the assignment due to her father, which grates her pride. But, she's not going to back down from the challenge. Her partner in the investigation has been there for months and hasn't gotten very far, but he's determined to uncover the problems that he knows are there.
The veteran agent is just getting her acclimated to the investigation when the team's quarterback
THE FIGHT FOR THE SOULD OF MOSES MCCLOUD
Moses stared at him, still not sure what to make of Cerge’s story, but thinking it felt right somehow, the wildness of his tale in tune with the flashy locker room: the nude white boys, the ping-pong table, the barber chairs. This wasn’t real life. It was all a dream, a four-year fantasy the players paid for with their lives. Even if they did make it to the League, even if they got paid, they still paid for it. And it wasn't just their knees or shoulders, not even their brains. It went deeper than that. Once their playing days were over, they would be booted out of Eden, resigned to the stands to watch as the next crop of finely tuned athletes took their place. As extravagant as a Saturday spent tailgating in the Glades was, it did not compare to the roar of the crowd. Only gladiators know true glory.
This book, in many ways, seems to be a fight over the soul of the backup quarterback thrust into a leadership position—will he succumb to the culture of bagmen and fame, or will he risk his potential windfall and give Rae the information she needs?
I really like Moses from the beginning—sure, he's got all the maturity of a college freshman (read: not as smart as he thinks he is, too easily distracted/led along by good-looking women), but there's something about him you can't help but like. I really think the battle for his soul angle isn't that filled with suspense—it's just the adults around him that fail to understand what he's saying and what kind of guy he is all along.
But that actually makes the whole thing more entertaining for everyone who isn't Moses.
WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT THIS AS A SERIES DEBUT?
According to the press kit for this book:
Mississippi Blue 42 is the first in what is planned to be an ongoing series starring FBI Agent Rae Johnson as she and a cast of recurring characters explore crime in the world of sports.
Which sounds promising—especially the "world of sports" part. Not because I'm a big sports guy, but I had a hard time imagining Rae looking into some other kinds of crime because Cranor baked the sports-mindset so deeply into her. You put her in an art crime, or a counterfeit money situation? I just don't see it working as well (but I was ready to try). Rae hunting down a crew of bank robbers would be interesting to see, I just don't know if she gets into their heads. But even if you move her to professional sports—even something other than football, she's got the right mindset, the right background to really give a series legs.
Rae reminds me of Ellie Hatcher, Renée Ballard, and Eve Ronin. She's got ambition, she's willing to cut corners (maybe too many), she's determined to make it in a man's world—and she lets all of that lead her into some blunders as she learns her way. The question is: will she learn from them? The other women did—I trust she will, too. But making those mistakes is fodder for good fiction along the way.
I do wonder what characters from this book will recur. One strong candidate is Rae's friend who failed a drug test and got booted from the FBI Academy. She had a strong presence early on in the book, but she just vanished later on. Which makes sense for reasons of this book's plot, but not if you're establishing a series character. Beyond her, I'm pretty curious.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42?
This was about the players and the game they'd been forced to play. The contest that took place on the field was nothing compared to the battle that went down in Waffle Houses, seedy motel rooms, used car lots, and a laundry list of other skeevy locales. That’s where boys like Moses McCloud had been fighting for so long nobody even saw them as boys anymore. These were young men whose talents had been exploited to pay their coaches’ multimillion-dollar contracts, secure billion-dollar TV deals, and provide highly visible recruiting for their respective universities. College football wasn't a game at all; it was a business, a completely self-sufficient economy powered by young, mostly Black athletes.
There are more "bad guys" in this book than in most its size—and I'm really unable to come up with a drop of sympathy or empathy for any of them. I wasn't prepared for that. I'm used to Cranor helping me see the humanity of his characters. Not that I don't see humanity here—all I see is the worst of it. Yes, there are some who are less-worse than others, and there are a few that you can easily call The Worst. Right up to the last revelation (which Rae really should've seen coming), the worst of America is on display. If you pull up a classic D&D Alignment Chart, you have a couple of Lawful Evil characters, many Neutral Evil characters, and a couple on the extreme end of Chaotic Evil, too. Worse, you have a Lawful Evil who pretends to be Lawful Good—and someone who is convinced he's Lawful Good, but is really a deluded and easily manipulated True Neutral.
Sorry, that's not helpful at all, but once I started thinking along those lines, I couldn't stop. Hopefully, someone out there appreciates it.
The hypocrite bothers me more than they should (because it's so obvious). The easily manipulated head coach really makes me miss the misguided integrity of the coach from Cranor's Don't Know Tough.
And honestly, not much better can be said of most of Rae's allies through this. But they're trying. I'm pretty sure they are, anyway. I found them entertaining anyway, and didn't spend a moment hoping they'd find their comeuppance.
This established a strong world and at least one character that we can follow—I'm very curious to see how this experience shapes Rae's career (at least the early days of it, obviously) and how she sees herself. But more importantly, this was an entertaining, gripping, roller-coaster of a ride. The series stuff can work itself out—right now, all I want to focus on is Mississippi Blue 42, and it's a great ride.
You gotta check it out if you're a Cranor reader (and probably already have). If the Venn Diagram of your interests includes college sports and Crime Fiction, you'll enjoy this item from the overlap set. Actually, you'll probably enjoy it if you don't care about college sports at all, just Crime Fiction. Personally, most of what I know about college sports comes from I Am Charlotte Simmons—and Cranor tells the same story (essentially) about the industry it does, but in a more concise and focused way.
Okay, I'm rambling. Go get this thing, you'll be glad.
August 18, 2025
Kind of slow. Not the great mystery everyone made it out to be.
June 22, 2025
Eli Cranor is back at it again with another football influenced crime/mystery novel. Blue 42 dives into bagmen and paying players well before the modern NIL era. Cranor tackles money, political power, and racism through the lens of corrupt college football in the deep South. The main character "Rae" is a well developed character from her background to early professional stages. The supporting cast is equally expanded to create an understanding of motives. There are plenty of twists, turns, and moral dilemmas to keep the reader engaged. While Blue 42 is football themed, it is centered around white collar crime. Cranor makes the story enjoyable for football fanatics and crime/mystery readers alike. I would like to see more books/series about Rae and Chuck blitzing white collar crime. I enjoyed their working dynamic. I have read four titles from Eli Carnor and he continues to prove himself as a well crafted southern noir writer. Thank you to Netgalley and Recorded Books for the early access.
August 16, 2025
Successful authors never experience writer’s block as long as they follow the old mantra to ‘write what you know.’ This is indeed the case with award-winning writer Eli Cranor and his latest work, MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42.
Cranor is a former college and professional quarterback and still lends his aid and arm as needed to Arkansas Tech’s football team, where he serves as Writer In Residence. This novel is set during the 2013-14 season, which was a significantly different time in college football than what we have today. He asks readers to close their eyes and return to the ‘glory days’ of college football, prior to the College Football Playoff, the transfer portal, or the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). What happens when a multimillion-dollar coach has to lead a team of unpaid players? That is the question at the heart of this insightful tale.
Having grown up in New York City, it is difficult to understand the way College Football is adored in the South with almost religious zeal. That is indeed the case with UCM, located in Compson, Mississippi, where the faith and support in the university football team seems to fuel the entire area. Special Agent Rae Johnson along with her partner Frank Ranchino have been sent to Compson to observe the workings of the UCM football program from a white-collar perspective. Little did they know at the onset of the case what a nest of hornets they were going to stir up.
Rae was already well versed in the college football game having been the daughter of a national championship winning coach. Her assignment with the White-Collar Crime division coming out of Quantico was to investigate possible NCAA fraud. It would just be the tip of the iceberg as things would turn murderous and deadly quickly. The quarterback for UCM, a team in discussion for the national championship match-up, was Matt Talley. We have the opportunity to walk in his shoes during the end of a big win against a rival team that was highlighted by the fact that one of his heroes, Brett Favre, was standing on the sideline with the opposing squad. After winning the game on a trick play, Favre shook hands with Talley and said: ‘reminds me of my favorite play: Mississippi Blue 42’.
This was ominous as the trick would be on Talley who took a deadly dive off the top of a tavern called the Buffalo Nickel, falling to his death and landing upon a bag filled with money. Witnessing this were Rae and Frank who had been tailing Talley, and they could not believe that the starting quarterback of perhaps the nations best college football program was now dead. What will follow with their investigation is a whirlwind of individuals from corrupt coaches, dirty politicians, bagmen who saw that players were paid to perform well or throw games as needed, as well as a myriad of other nefarious vultures that fed off of the success this college football business provided.
Rae knows that something downright evil was at hand, especially when she noted that the new quarterback for UCM lived in the area known as the Crossroads, the same place where musician Robert Johnson allegedly made his deal with the devil. MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 is a dream for fans of college football with a love and intricate knowledge of that game. It is a far departure from Cranor’s previous work, like BROILER, which was pure classic crime-noir. However, it was nice to take a ride with an author who has the inside scoop on this subject and was able to bring it to life for us with this fictional work.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Cranor is a former college and professional quarterback and still lends his aid and arm as needed to Arkansas Tech’s football team, where he serves as Writer In Residence. This novel is set during the 2013-14 season, which was a significantly different time in college football than what we have today. He asks readers to close their eyes and return to the ‘glory days’ of college football, prior to the College Football Playoff, the transfer portal, or the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). What happens when a multimillion-dollar coach has to lead a team of unpaid players? That is the question at the heart of this insightful tale.
Having grown up in New York City, it is difficult to understand the way College Football is adored in the South with almost religious zeal. That is indeed the case with UCM, located in Compson, Mississippi, where the faith and support in the university football team seems to fuel the entire area. Special Agent Rae Johnson along with her partner Frank Ranchino have been sent to Compson to observe the workings of the UCM football program from a white-collar perspective. Little did they know at the onset of the case what a nest of hornets they were going to stir up.
Rae was already well versed in the college football game having been the daughter of a national championship winning coach. Her assignment with the White-Collar Crime division coming out of Quantico was to investigate possible NCAA fraud. It would just be the tip of the iceberg as things would turn murderous and deadly quickly. The quarterback for UCM, a team in discussion for the national championship match-up, was Matt Talley. We have the opportunity to walk in his shoes during the end of a big win against a rival team that was highlighted by the fact that one of his heroes, Brett Favre, was standing on the sideline with the opposing squad. After winning the game on a trick play, Favre shook hands with Talley and said: ‘reminds me of my favorite play: Mississippi Blue 42’.
This was ominous as the trick would be on Talley who took a deadly dive off the top of a tavern called the Buffalo Nickel, falling to his death and landing upon a bag filled with money. Witnessing this were Rae and Frank who had been tailing Talley, and they could not believe that the starting quarterback of perhaps the nations best college football program was now dead. What will follow with their investigation is a whirlwind of individuals from corrupt coaches, dirty politicians, bagmen who saw that players were paid to perform well or throw games as needed, as well as a myriad of other nefarious vultures that fed off of the success this college football business provided.
Rae knows that something downright evil was at hand, especially when she noted that the new quarterback for UCM lived in the area known as the Crossroads, the same place where musician Robert Johnson allegedly made his deal with the devil. MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 is a dream for fans of college football with a love and intricate knowledge of that game. It is a far departure from Cranor’s previous work, like BROILER, which was pure classic crime-noir. However, it was nice to take a ride with an author who has the inside scoop on this subject and was able to bring it to life for us with this fictional work.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
August 17, 2025
Successful authors never experience writer’s block as long as they follow the old mantra to “write what you know.” That certainly applies to Eli Cranor and his latest work, MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42, which is the start of an entertaining new series.
Cranor is a former college and professional quarterback who still lends his aid and arm as needed to Arkansas Tech’s football team, where he serves as Writer in Residence. This novel is set during the 2013-14 season, which was a significantly different time in college football than what we have today. He asks readers to close their eyes and return to the “glory days” of the sport, prior to the playoff system, the transfer portal, or the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). What happens when a multimillion-dollar coach has to lead a team of unpaid players? That is the question at the heart of this insightful tale.
Having grown up in New York City, it is difficult to understand the way college football is adored in the South with almost religious zeal. That is indeed the case with UCM, which is located in Compson, Mississippi, where the faith and support in the university’s football team seem to fuel the entire area. Special Agent Rae Johnson and her partner, Frank Ranchino, have been sent to Compson to observe the workings of the UCM football program from a white-collar perspective. Little do they know the hornets’ nest they are going to stir up.
As the daughter of a national-championship-winning coach, Rae already is well-versed in the college football game. Her assignment with the white-collar crime division coming out of Quantico is to investigate possible NCAA fraud. It will be just the tip of the iceberg as things turn murderous and deadly quickly. The quarterback for UCM is Matt Talley, and we have the opportunity to walk in his shoes during the end of a huge victory against a rival team. It turns out that one of his heroes, Brett Favre, is standing on the sidelines with the opposing squad. After winning the game on a trick play, Favre shakes hands with Matt and says it “reminds me of my favorite play: Mississippi Blue 42.”
This is ominous as the trick would be on Matt, who takes a dive off the top of a college bar, falling to his death and landing on a bag filled with money. Witnessing this horrific incident are Rae and Frank, who had been tailing Matt, and they can’t believe that the starting quarterback of perhaps the nation’s best college football program is dead. What will follow with their investigation is a whirlwind of individuals --- corrupt coaches, dirty politicians, and bagmen who make sure that players are paid to perform well or throw games as needed, as well as a myriad of other nefarious vultures who feed off the success that the college football business provides.
MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 is a dream for college football fans. It is a far departure from Cranor’s previous work, like BROILER, which is pure classic crime noir. However, it was nice to take a ride with an author who has the inside scoop on this subject and is able to bring it to life for us in this fascinating work of fiction.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Cranor is a former college and professional quarterback who still lends his aid and arm as needed to Arkansas Tech’s football team, where he serves as Writer in Residence. This novel is set during the 2013-14 season, which was a significantly different time in college football than what we have today. He asks readers to close their eyes and return to the “glory days” of the sport, prior to the playoff system, the transfer portal, or the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). What happens when a multimillion-dollar coach has to lead a team of unpaid players? That is the question at the heart of this insightful tale.
Having grown up in New York City, it is difficult to understand the way college football is adored in the South with almost religious zeal. That is indeed the case with UCM, which is located in Compson, Mississippi, where the faith and support in the university’s football team seem to fuel the entire area. Special Agent Rae Johnson and her partner, Frank Ranchino, have been sent to Compson to observe the workings of the UCM football program from a white-collar perspective. Little do they know the hornets’ nest they are going to stir up.
As the daughter of a national-championship-winning coach, Rae already is well-versed in the college football game. Her assignment with the white-collar crime division coming out of Quantico is to investigate possible NCAA fraud. It will be just the tip of the iceberg as things turn murderous and deadly quickly. The quarterback for UCM is Matt Talley, and we have the opportunity to walk in his shoes during the end of a huge victory against a rival team. It turns out that one of his heroes, Brett Favre, is standing on the sidelines with the opposing squad. After winning the game on a trick play, Favre shakes hands with Matt and says it “reminds me of my favorite play: Mississippi Blue 42.”
This is ominous as the trick would be on Matt, who takes a dive off the top of a college bar, falling to his death and landing on a bag filled with money. Witnessing this horrific incident are Rae and Frank, who had been tailing Matt, and they can’t believe that the starting quarterback of perhaps the nation’s best college football program is dead. What will follow with their investigation is a whirlwind of individuals --- corrupt coaches, dirty politicians, and bagmen who make sure that players are paid to perform well or throw games as needed, as well as a myriad of other nefarious vultures who feed off the success that the college football business provides.
MISSISSIPPI BLUE 42 is a dream for college football fans. It is a far departure from Cranor’s previous work, like BROILER, which is pure classic crime noir. However, it was nice to take a ride with an author who has the inside scoop on this subject and is able to bring it to life for us in this fascinating work of fiction.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
August 17, 2025
Eli Cranor has done it again. With "Mississippi Blue 42," he delivers a knockout punch that establishes him as the natural heir to the crown worn by crime fiction legends like Ace Atkins and James Ellroy. This isn't just a sequel to greatness, it's an evolution of it.
Where "Don't Know Tough" introduced us to Billy Lowe's raw, desperate hunger for survival in a world that chews up the vulnerable and spits them out, "Mississippi Blue 42" presents us with Moses McLoad, a character who embodies that same primal desperation but channels it through the corrupt machinery of college football. Both characters are survivors carved from the same Arkansas clay, but where Billy fought his demons in the shadows, Moses operates in the blazing lights of the stadium, making his moral compromises on a much grander stage.
Cranor's genius lies in his ability to create characters who aren't just products of their environment—they ARE the environment. Moses McLoad carries the same DNA as Billy Lowe: that bone-deep understanding that the system is rigged, but the willingness to play the game anyway because it's the only game in town. Both are trapped by circumstances beyond their control, yet both possess an almost feral intelligence that makes them dangerous and sympathetic in equal measure.
The author's background as a former quarterback infuses every page with authentic detail, but it's his Edgar Award-winning prose that elevates this from sports fiction to literary crime at its finest. Like Ellroy, Cranor understands that corruption isn't just individual, it's institutional. Like Atkins, he knows that the South's sins run deeper than surface prejudices.
"Mississippi Blue 42" proves that Cranor isn't just building a career, he's building a universe. One where broken people make broken choices in a broken system, and somehow, through his masterful storytelling, we find truth in the wreckage.
Where "Don't Know Tough" introduced us to Billy Lowe's raw, desperate hunger for survival in a world that chews up the vulnerable and spits them out, "Mississippi Blue 42" presents us with Moses McLoad, a character who embodies that same primal desperation but channels it through the corrupt machinery of college football. Both characters are survivors carved from the same Arkansas clay, but where Billy fought his demons in the shadows, Moses operates in the blazing lights of the stadium, making his moral compromises on a much grander stage.
Cranor's genius lies in his ability to create characters who aren't just products of their environment—they ARE the environment. Moses McLoad carries the same DNA as Billy Lowe: that bone-deep understanding that the system is rigged, but the willingness to play the game anyway because it's the only game in town. Both are trapped by circumstances beyond their control, yet both possess an almost feral intelligence that makes them dangerous and sympathetic in equal measure.
The author's background as a former quarterback infuses every page with authentic detail, but it's his Edgar Award-winning prose that elevates this from sports fiction to literary crime at its finest. Like Ellroy, Cranor understands that corruption isn't just individual, it's institutional. Like Atkins, he knows that the South's sins run deeper than surface prejudices.
"Mississippi Blue 42" proves that Cranor isn't just building a career, he's building a universe. One where broken people make broken choices in a broken system, and somehow, through his masterful storytelling, we find truth in the wreckage.
August 11, 2025
This is a multiple POV book that follows all sides of white-collar crime tied to college football. We see the effects through the FBI agents, players, coach, bagmen and higher ups. This story falls during about two months of the investigation near the end of the football season.
First off, this story is about 50/50 crime and football. It also follows a lot of characters therefore you also have to appreciate the motivations of everyone involved. It also happens in Mississippi, so southern culture is another large aspect of this book and the character motivations. The blurb is highly accurate when it describes what to expect out of this book.
Things that one would think would happen but do not happen: 1) The incident of the star quarterback falling off the roof is a very small part of the story even though it is the cover. 2) I would say there isn't a great resolution to a lot of actions. Nothing really feels like it has consequences for people involved. Consquences are a big part of thillers so it feels like there should be actual ones. I would say this is more of a mental thriller, peoples consequense are in their head more than in action. 3) I don't feel like what is resolved is explained well. I have more questions than answers.
If you want a character driven crime filled football book, this is it. In real life, there aren't great conclusions so in that sense this books is accurate.
First off, this story is about 50/50 crime and football. It also follows a lot of characters therefore you also have to appreciate the motivations of everyone involved. It also happens in Mississippi, so southern culture is another large aspect of this book and the character motivations. The blurb is highly accurate when it describes what to expect out of this book.
Things that one would think would happen but do not happen: 1) The incident of the star quarterback falling off the roof is a very small part of the story even though it is the cover. 2) I would say there isn't a great resolution to a lot of actions. Nothing really feels like it has consequences for people involved. Consquences are a big part of thillers so it feels like there should be actual ones. I would say this is more of a mental thriller, peoples consequense are in their head more than in action. 3) I don't feel like what is resolved is explained well. I have more questions than answers.
If you want a character driven crime filled football book, this is it. In real life, there aren't great conclusions so in that sense this books is accurate.
July 27, 2025
Living in England I might not have totally understood what was going on or the terminology but I still enjoyed the book. There was a lot of character names and nicknames like gridiron girls and bagman, which at first I struggled to keep straight or understand but it didn't take long to get my head around everything and I was soon catch up in all the action. The story moved at a fast pace as Rae struggled to work her first case. The author created a cast of believable characters and then wrote a story that had you invested in what happened to them. Rae was a good main character but my favourite character was the young football player caught up in all the drama.
Special Agent Rae Johnson is assigned her first case as an FBI agent, based on her knowledge of growing up with a successful football coach. She is tasked with tracking down money being funded through the game. The case takes a deadly turn when the star quarterback takes a drive off the roof. Can Rae find a way to investigate the death and the money? She needs an informant or a way to get close to the man running the show before somebody else gets hurt.
I liked the narrator. He has a pleasant voice that was easy to listen too.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Special Agent Rae Johnson is assigned her first case as an FBI agent, based on her knowledge of growing up with a successful football coach. She is tasked with tracking down money being funded through the game. The case takes a deadly turn when the star quarterback takes a drive off the roof. Can Rae find a way to investigate the death and the money? She needs an informant or a way to get close to the man running the show before somebody else gets hurt.
I liked the narrator. He has a pleasant voice that was easy to listen too.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
August 13, 2025
It's been a very long time now since college sports became something more than just student activities. Big-time college football is an insanely huge business, and insanely expensive. The advent of NIL, that is, Name Image Likeness, is a mechanism intended to give players a share of the millions of TV dollars generated and passed on to the schools. But that is the definition of pro sports, and that didn't fit the "student-athlete" myth. The solution? Booster Clubs! Yes folks, if you say the money is "donated" to an organization not officially attached to a school, then that money can be passed on to the players, and no harm done. Each Division One school can have an annual fund of as much as $20,000,000 to spend on direct payments to players, and that is separate from the actual athletic budget. But wait, there's more! That money can and is used to entice players from other schools to transfer with no restriction, as well as to sign elite high school prospects. Anyway, this book is set back when the issue of NIL was first broached, when criminal cases over this were still possible, and here we have two FBI agents pursuing white-collar crime, which is entirely related to financial skullduggery concerning the local university's football team, though they don't know that at the start. This book has a very specific audience.
July 28, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for the early read of this story about a rookie FBI agent being thrown into the college football scene for an investigation on dirty money after growing up the daughter of a beloved coach. It was an enjoyable read, despite me having little interest in football.
I was drawn by this being the first in a series about FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson. The death of the quarterback came early on in the book, and it seemed pretty unrealistic that very little was done to memorialize him. When a beloved student athlete dies, especially in a small town, there would be a lot more fanfare. The smooth transition to the next QB was a bit off putting here, but I am glad it was Moses.
The most redeeming part of this story was Moses. What a great person. The portrayal of this character was probably my favorite part of the book. Frank was fun, too, and I hope to see him in future books.
The cliffhanger (will she/won't she) at the end about her dad gave me mixed feelings about agent Johnson. If she is that easily compromised, it doesn't seem like much of a promising start to a career.
I do recommend this story, especially for fans of football and crime/law enforcement books.
I was drawn by this being the first in a series about FBI Special Agent Rae Johnson. The death of the quarterback came early on in the book, and it seemed pretty unrealistic that very little was done to memorialize him. When a beloved student athlete dies, especially in a small town, there would be a lot more fanfare. The smooth transition to the next QB was a bit off putting here, but I am glad it was Moses.
The most redeeming part of this story was Moses. What a great person. The portrayal of this character was probably my favorite part of the book. Frank was fun, too, and I hope to see him in future books.
The cliffhanger (will she/won't she) at the end about her dad gave me mixed feelings about agent Johnson. If she is that easily compromised, it doesn't seem like much of a promising start to a career.
I do recommend this story, especially for fans of football and crime/law enforcement books.
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