THE RIVALRY

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, intrepid teen sports reporters, are once again teamed up with Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns on a big nationally televised game (Change-up: Mystery at the World Series, 2009, etc.). The football rivalry between West Point and Annapolis is longstanding, and the traditions associated with it, as well as the differences between the military academy programs and regular universities, add much-needed color, as the plot's pace is decidedly slow. Told in chapters that alternate between prior events and the day of the game, the mystery comes slowly into focus. President Obama is attending, and one of the main characters is the head of the Secret Service, providing distraction from the real evildoers. Feinstein continues to use real famous people as characters and provides walk-on roles for golfer Phil Mickelson, reporter Bob Woodward and many others in addition to the president. Fun for those who like the focus on the background of sports rather than the actual game, this is a serviceable entry in the series. (Mystery. 10-14)