Extra Credits

by Mike Lupica

Suspense

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Michael 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.

Reviews

[Mary Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got really lucky with this book. It's taut, thrilling, unexpected (I hate the review posted here because it gives everything away), interesting and at times really funny.

I was hanging out at the hospital with my dad. I had finished the only book I brought for the trip (short-sighted of me) and spent a bunch of money on a new one that turned out yucky. An author I thought I knew has started sexing up her books, which I never appreciate. Anyway, I picked this one up in the waiting room and left mine. Only problem is, my library doesn't carry this guy's books so I'm going to have to go looking for one.

It would be worth it to find one, even though I hate shopping.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Finley, wise-cracking investigative reporter for a minor Manhattan news channel, has time on his hands – his wife is in Africa on safari. He is drawn to find out the truth behind the apparent suicide of an attractive and affluent young woman in Washington Square. Why did she do it, was she encouraged or assisted, how did she get the gun? She had been a student at Washington Square University, Finley’s alma mater, and one of her friends has asked him to investigate. He sets out with Marty, his intrepid cameraman, and the young friend, to, well, investigate.
My favorite thing about this book is the vivid picture of lower Manhattan in the late 80’s – the clubs and restaurants, the music, the media, the pace. The characters and the dialogue are lively, but it’s the scene that makes the book for me.

[Racquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery was interesting, the characters clear. The girls all beautiful (gets boring to keep on reading how this one is beautiful and this one is beautiful). The protagonist likeable.

What I didn't like was the sort of "rambling" that goes on and on in the book. Movies I never saw, songs I never heard of, baseball scores (a LOT of baseball), all go on and on in long winded sentences and "cute" repartee which add nothing to the mystery. They just make you muddled unless you have an idea what the author is talking about. Like, ok, one reference to Casablanca is fine, but every page a different song/movie/baseball game/sports fan??

Funny to read a 1986 book... no cellphones obviously, the secretaries still using "typewriters".. that was the fun part!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Television reporter Peter Finley is about to take a break when Lea, a woman who attends his alma mater, the fictional Washington Square University, asks him to help look into the suicide of a friend. Nobody doubts Julie killed herself, but also nobody knows why. Lea is convinced Julie was not involved in drugs. Finley is warned several times to stay out of the case, which only convinces him that there is a case to investigate.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the pacing of the middle third, but the author (a former sportswriter), made a bunch of rooky mistakes:
The opening spent far too long establishing the geography (ok it's New York, it's City College, but I don't need to know the names of all the bars and restaurants you used to go to) and not nearly enough time establishing the lead characters (ok, they went to the local college where they drank and f*kd a lot (and they still drink and f*k a lot)).
And then when the plot has been moving along nicely, it's as if the author realizes that he has a lot more plot to get through and is running out of time (and room) so he shoehorns a bunch of stuff in towards the very end.
Oh well.
A pleasant enough read, but with lowered expectations.

[Frances Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, clever, great lines and story. I whipped through it and I really wish the author had written more of these.