"The Final Play" by David Baldacci

An audio book. A novella.

US college footballer Swift has broken a record set by Ruggles decades before. Ruggles disappeared down the players' tunnel and was never seen again. A wig and gown had been found down there. Swift's clever science friend North is curious and investigates. They find the dead body of Linda Daltray in her wig shop. They track down Vilacheck, a player who had been somewhere down the tunnel at the time. He owns a bar - how did he get the money for it? Molly, North's friend, arranges a meeting with Gloria, 75 y.o. widow of the college benefactor. She admits to having an affair with Ruggles. She says he didn't like football that much.

North tells the police where to dig to find the body. He accuses his father of involvement with Ruggles' death. His father's girlfriend of the time was Linda's mother - who subsequently bought a shop. She lured Ruggles down the tunnel. His father says that when he confronted Ruggles, Ruggles said he wanted to sneak away and give up football. His father shoots Swift (a flesh wound, but bad enough to limit his sport career) then kills himself.

4 years later, having got a PhD at MIT, North returns. Swift and Molly marry.

No.

Other reviews

• Kartik Narayanan (I have so many issues with it concerning the characters, the plot, the setting — basically everything. ... inserting words like quantum, time shift etc do not elevate the book ... The main character cannot be awesome suddenly just by imagining he is a photon undergoing quantum tunnelling. ... the only saving grace is that it is short.)