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Too Far
“Real-life news reports of out-of-control hazing by high school sports teams give Lupica’s tale a ripped-from-the-headlines thrill.”—Publishers Weekly South Shore High School’s nationally recognized basketball team is in the midst of a winning season when its team manager is murdered—and aspiring sportswriter, senior Sam Perry, begins to hear stories of hazing that went over the line. As the ranks close against him, he turns to fallen-from-grace city newsman Ben Mitchell for help. And the two will discover just how far a town will go to get a state championship. “Brisk writing and bristling with suspense. Too Far is too smart to figure out. (You won’t.) It’s terrific.”—Patricia Cornwell “Surprising, dark...stunning…filled with twisting plot, crackling dialogue and unforgettable characters.”—*Harlan Coben “It’s simple, you can write or you can’t. Lupica can. And Too Far proves it again.”—Robert B. Parker
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
15 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lupica
111 books1,219 followersMichael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 25, 2011
I would have to say that this book was just an average read.
May 13, 2010
Most of New York Daily News columnist and ESPN commentator Lupica's work, fiction (Red Zone, etc.) and nonfiction (Summer of '98, etc.), is grounded in the world of sports.
This thriller/mystery tells of a high school basketball team whose winning season is threatened by the murder of its manager, Bobby Ferraro, and allegations of sadistic initiation rites. Former sportswriter and television commentator Ben Mitchell has quit the business and retired to self-imposed exile in South Fork, his Long Island hometown, after one of his columns exposed a coach's lies about his war record, which led to the coach's suicide. Ben spends his days reading newspapers, watching television and endlessly rehashing his responsibility for the coach's death. When novice sportswriter Sam Perry, a high school senior, shows up with what looks like a sensational story, Ben finds his old reporting juices flowing again. Soon the two of them are crashing around town investigating Ferraro's murder, angering the citizens of South Fork, who want nothing to interfere with their team's climb to the state championship.
Real-life news reports of out-of-control hazing by high school sports teams give Lupica's tale a ripped-from-the-headlines thrill, but the slow pace and predictable plot may tire readers not fascinated by the sports angle.
Famed journalist Ben Mitchell has "retired" to his eastern Long Island hometown of South Fork, having exposed L.A. Dodger manager Tom Robards for lying about serving as a marine in Vietnam. Humiliated, Robards has committed suicide. And now Mitchell only wants to be left alone.
However, he can't avoid a scandal unfolding before his eyes: South Fork High School might have the best basketball team in the nation, but team manager Bobby Ferraro is dead, and Drew Hudson, a player on the team, has been brutally assaulted but won't say who did it. Was it the athletically gifted but troubled DeShawn "Show" Watkins, who has just transferred from the South Bronx to South Fork? His brother, Antoine, a cop gone bad? Or coach Ken Glass, who will do almost anything to safeguard the upcoming season?
Or Detective Commander Hank Bender, whose son could pull a scholarship from a South Fork championship? Sam Perry, a Ben Mitchell wanna-be who's been bird-dogging the story for the local paper, has now come to Mitchell for help. As a mystery novelist, Lupica is a great sportswriter. This is a fairly predictable story, but with dialogue that has some snap and a sports setting that's credible. And count on Lupica's fine reputation to create demand.
This thriller/mystery tells of a high school basketball team whose winning season is threatened by the murder of its manager, Bobby Ferraro, and allegations of sadistic initiation rites. Former sportswriter and television commentator Ben Mitchell has quit the business and retired to self-imposed exile in South Fork, his Long Island hometown, after one of his columns exposed a coach's lies about his war record, which led to the coach's suicide. Ben spends his days reading newspapers, watching television and endlessly rehashing his responsibility for the coach's death. When novice sportswriter Sam Perry, a high school senior, shows up with what looks like a sensational story, Ben finds his old reporting juices flowing again. Soon the two of them are crashing around town investigating Ferraro's murder, angering the citizens of South Fork, who want nothing to interfere with their team's climb to the state championship.
Real-life news reports of out-of-control hazing by high school sports teams give Lupica's tale a ripped-from-the-headlines thrill, but the slow pace and predictable plot may tire readers not fascinated by the sports angle.
Famed journalist Ben Mitchell has "retired" to his eastern Long Island hometown of South Fork, having exposed L.A. Dodger manager Tom Robards for lying about serving as a marine in Vietnam. Humiliated, Robards has committed suicide. And now Mitchell only wants to be left alone.
However, he can't avoid a scandal unfolding before his eyes: South Fork High School might have the best basketball team in the nation, but team manager Bobby Ferraro is dead, and Drew Hudson, a player on the team, has been brutally assaulted but won't say who did it. Was it the athletically gifted but troubled DeShawn "Show" Watkins, who has just transferred from the South Bronx to South Fork? His brother, Antoine, a cop gone bad? Or coach Ken Glass, who will do almost anything to safeguard the upcoming season?
Or Detective Commander Hank Bender, whose son could pull a scholarship from a South Fork championship? Sam Perry, a Ben Mitchell wanna-be who's been bird-dogging the story for the local paper, has now come to Mitchell for help. As a mystery novelist, Lupica is a great sportswriter. This is a fairly predictable story, but with dialogue that has some snap and a sports setting that's credible. And count on Lupica's fine reputation to create demand.
June 17, 2013
This stand-alone novel from Mike Lupica deviates from his norm in that it is not intended for children - it is an adult mystery (3/5 stars). Ben Mitchell is a former big time newsman/sportswriter living in his hometown on Long Island after one of his stories caused him to rethink his career and leave the press. Ben is approached by high school reporter Sam Perry with information that could develop into a major story about hazing gone very wrong, and resulting in the death of the team manager.
This is a good mystery with plenty of false leads and plot twists to keep the reader's interest till the very last page. Like Lupica's YA books, the characters are believable (and highly invested in sports), and the action engaging. Being intended for adults, this book does have a romantic sub-plot, but it is tasteful and not distracting from the primary story.
This is the type of book that makes me wish Lupica would write more adult oriented stories.
This is a good mystery with plenty of false leads and plot twists to keep the reader's interest till the very last page. Like Lupica's YA books, the characters are believable (and highly invested in sports), and the action engaging. Being intended for adults, this book does have a romantic sub-plot, but it is tasteful and not distracting from the primary story.
This is the type of book that makes me wish Lupica would write more adult oriented stories.
June 5, 2011
I didn't really know what to expect going into this, having never read any of Lupica's work, only seeing him on TV. His main character, Ben Mitchell, is an amazing badass, crusading for all the old newspaper writers that feel they're being pushed aside and forgotten by the digital age.
Based around basketball but not too "sportsy", it was a fast-paced read that kept me reading on my lunch breaks and at night longer than I normally would. Definitely will look for more by Lupica in the future.
Based around basketball but not too "sportsy", it was a fast-paced read that kept me reading on my lunch breaks and at night longer than I normally would. Definitely will look for more by Lupica in the future.
January 14, 2014
I have just read the book “Too Far” by Mike Lupica. This book is based off of the events that happened to a excellent basketball team in South Fork, New York. But the events that send this book on the grand journey happened in connecticut where there team manager went missing just as the trip ended. Two days later he was found dead, To the two main characters Ben Mitchell and Sam Perry thought there was more to just the manager ending up dying they thought there was more to the story, And they were right.
How Sam Perry who came up to star reporter Ben Mitchell thought there was something else to the story started off by this one conversation made by basketball player Eric Daneko and Sam Perry on the way back from a party “Eric, out of nowhere, started going on about those two f****** f****** and what they’d done at camp. Want to know why i got so shitfaced tonight? You want to know? On account of , I started thinking about it all over again. Camp, dude.” “What camp said sam”..... It was just supposed to be one of those stupid initiation deals, dude, not turn into a scene from f****** Oz the prison Show “yeah”
That’s when Sam Perry and Ben Mitchell after hearing that decided to find out what really happened over in connecticut. They knew along the way that they were going to get pushed away ignored. For you knew that the basketball team wanted to forget about it, and how deep did they have to go to find all of the truth. Well it may cost them their lives in the end. But you'll have to read to find out.
When it comes down to this book in whether you should or shouldn’t read it. From me personally reading this book I can tell you the flow of this book is spectacular. You can go about two hours reading this book and you won’t get bored because it just reads fast. The way this book goes on a rollercoaster ride, in the sense that they get to where their going but then a bump in the road comes and then another and you just keep reading to see if they are going to overcome that or just stop and give up. Those are the reasons that I gave this book a 5/5 and why I recommend anyone of all age levels to read this book because you will gain knowledge of how messed up things can be for just high school students, and even the golden childs.
How Sam Perry who came up to star reporter Ben Mitchell thought there was something else to the story started off by this one conversation made by basketball player Eric Daneko and Sam Perry on the way back from a party “Eric, out of nowhere, started going on about those two f****** f****** and what they’d done at camp. Want to know why i got so shitfaced tonight? You want to know? On account of , I started thinking about it all over again. Camp, dude.” “What camp said sam”..... It was just supposed to be one of those stupid initiation deals, dude, not turn into a scene from f****** Oz the prison Show “yeah”
That’s when Sam Perry and Ben Mitchell after hearing that decided to find out what really happened over in connecticut. They knew along the way that they were going to get pushed away ignored. For you knew that the basketball team wanted to forget about it, and how deep did they have to go to find all of the truth. Well it may cost them their lives in the end. But you'll have to read to find out.
When it comes down to this book in whether you should or shouldn’t read it. From me personally reading this book I can tell you the flow of this book is spectacular. You can go about two hours reading this book and you won’t get bored because it just reads fast. The way this book goes on a rollercoaster ride, in the sense that they get to where their going but then a bump in the road comes and then another and you just keep reading to see if they are going to overcome that or just stop and give up. Those are the reasons that I gave this book a 5/5 and why I recommend anyone of all age levels to read this book because you will gain knowledge of how messed up things can be for just high school students, and even the golden childs.
November 3, 2014
My book is called "Too Far" By Mike Lupica, this book isnt as bad as I thought it would be. I did enjoy the language, all the swearing made the book more interesting. The story focuses on this thriller/mystery of a highs school basketball team whose winning season is threatened by the murder of its manager, Bobby Ferraro. Im not quite done just yet, but so far this book is really good. Its definitely a book I would recommend
January 11, 2015
This was good read, though the subject matter might be a bit graphic for some of my Good Reads friends (Megin! Don't read this book!). I always enjoy a book that is centered around sports and I have enjoyed the other books of Mike Lupica's that I have read. I wasn't ever 100% sold on the toughness of the main character. That being said, I would likely read more books about this character. But I read the book in two days, so I must have liked it!
March 3, 2014
I really enjoyed how the book went deep into a high school basketball rape scandal. I don't necessarily enjoy the topic, and this book is definitely a challenge for me. I do enjoy basketball, and the story was so well written that I enjoyed it though. I recommend this book.
May 29, 2012
It was pretty good. More swearing than I like. Pretty suspenseful, can't believe this stuff actually goes on in sports.
December 4, 2012
It was a good book, I will definitely read more of Lupica's work:)
February 2, 2016
Well written highschool basketball mystery in eastern LI.
January 31, 2017
It was a good book.
November 4, 2017
Too many cliches
November 5, 2017
Enjoyed -good not great.
May 8, 2020
Too far is a very well written book. It takes you inside the mind of a former ESPN writer Ben Mitchell has him and Sam Perry investigate the death of basketball team manager Bobby Ferrano. This is a mystery book and if you like books that you can read and kind of follow along with you'll like this. Mike Lupica lets you kind of solve this by yourself throughout the story by introducing new characters that could have been the murderer.
December 10, 2021
⭐️4.9/5⭐️
TW: emotional & mental abuse/hazing
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Mike Lupica took the idea of suspense and gripped it with such force and released a magnificent novel with so much thought, pain, emotion, and strength! If all his books are this good, I’ll read them all! A++
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This book left me with so much thrill! Love, love, love!!!
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I can’t give too much away, so read this for yourself!!!
TW: emotional & mental abuse/hazing
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-
Mike Lupica took the idea of suspense and gripped it with such force and released a magnificent novel with so much thought, pain, emotion, and strength! If all his books are this good, I’ll read them all! A++
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This book left me with so much thrill! Love, love, love!!!
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I can’t give too much away, so read this for yourself!!!
December 18, 2021
Even though it's not my type of books but it kept me interested in knowing what's going to happen next and i think it's because of the crime part. The sporty details bored me a lot.
I couldn't help but imagining Christian Slater playing Ben Mitchell if this book was a movie or a series
I couldn't help but imagining Christian Slater playing Ben Mitchell if this book was a movie or a series
January 19, 2023
Read in one sitting - could not put it down.
April 28, 2025
The content was a little adult, but kids do deal with this. I think Mike Lupica books have a place for the reluctant reader.
January 5, 2026
dont think this book passed the bechdel test
January 22, 2026
Not bad, but not great either, just alright. Lupica can't stop being condescending. A retired sports writer (forced to) goes back to his home town and gets involved into a highschool hazing/murder.
October 23, 2023
lupica does it again
Great book for sports fans or fans of crime novels. This is a very fast read keeping you going throughout. A must read!
Great book for sports fans or fans of crime novels. This is a very fast read keeping you going throughout. A must read!
November 7, 2013
Too Far by Mike Lupica is a sports mystery novel that kept me engaged throughout. Generally I lose my interest in sports novels, but Mike Lupica does a good job keeping the reader guessing about what is going to happen next. This novel is mystery about a murder taking place in the small town called South Fork, Connecticut. The basketball team manager Bobby Ferraro is found dead and another member on the team is assaulted. The town thinks it is just boys being boys, but a few people that don’t believe in coincidences think otherwise.
One of those people is the main character Ben Mitchell, he is a retired reporter. He goes through a character change throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel he really doesn’t know what he wants to do with the rest of his life and is depressed. At the end of the novel his spirit and love for writing is rejuvenated when he solves the mystery of the corrupted South fork High basketball team. In the beginning of the novel right after he learns about the story he feels like his life has purpose again “Pretending for a few minutes that he was still in the game” (17).
The author Mike Lupica does an excellent job in surprising the reader and keeping them in the dark on what is going to happen. The whole time I was reading I thought for sure all the evidence in the case was pointing towards one member of the team. Near the end of the novel there is a very unexpected plot twist that completely changes the way the evidence stacks up.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel, but it could have been better. I chose to read the novel because i enjoy reading sports novels. The problem was that the novel is mainly a mystery instead of directly focusing on sports. Another issue with the novel is that there is a good portion of the middle of the book that is monotonous. There wasn’t that much going on and I was close to giving up on the book. I am glad I did not because I actually enjoyed the end and the plot twist I did not expect.
One of those people is the main character Ben Mitchell, he is a retired reporter. He goes through a character change throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel he really doesn’t know what he wants to do with the rest of his life and is depressed. At the end of the novel his spirit and love for writing is rejuvenated when he solves the mystery of the corrupted South fork High basketball team. In the beginning of the novel right after he learns about the story he feels like his life has purpose again “Pretending for a few minutes that he was still in the game” (17).
The author Mike Lupica does an excellent job in surprising the reader and keeping them in the dark on what is going to happen. The whole time I was reading I thought for sure all the evidence in the case was pointing towards one member of the team. Near the end of the novel there is a very unexpected plot twist that completely changes the way the evidence stacks up.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel, but it could have been better. I chose to read the novel because i enjoy reading sports novels. The problem was that the novel is mainly a mystery instead of directly focusing on sports. Another issue with the novel is that there is a good portion of the middle of the book that is monotonous. There wasn’t that much going on and I was close to giving up on the book. I am glad I did not because I actually enjoyed the end and the plot twist I did not expect.
February 10, 2016
Ok book, characters and plot flowed pretty good. Recommend.
October 25, 2017
Just a bunch of info dumps. Boring. Gave up.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews