BREAK THE GLASS

A college administrator gets her dream promotion but finds herself embroiled in scandal, mystery, and sexism when she takes the position.

One morning, Nora Bennet gets a call from her boss, Sal Higgins, who’s just been fired from his job as athletic director at sports-crazy Renton University—the result of a news article accusing him of bribing professors to inflate grades of student athletes. Sal congratulates Nora, telling her she will take over the position he’s vacating. As thrilled as Nora is, she never anticipated the difficulties that would come with replacing a man as beloved, and also as shady, as Sal. A barrage of belligerent phone calls from angry donors ensues, and Nora begins to realize that Sal wasn’t the only Renton employee playing dirty. Amid rumors and suspicion, not to mention an ongoing NCAA investigation, Nora must continue running the school’s athletics while tolerating constant doubt about her abilities. As a woman in sports, she’s had to work twice as hard as the men around her, but as things at Renton grow increasingly complicated, she wonders if this time, her best won’t be good enough. The book follows Nora as well as three other women who are pulled into the scandal: Alexis, a professor who’s taught many of the athletes at issue; Anne, a student intern in the athletics department; and Lauren, Sal’s wife, all trying to navigate the complexities of the chaos Sal has left in his wake. This is a fast-paced, plot-driven novel, and the action doesn’t lag for a moment. The story deftly portrays how quickly friendships, reputations, and careers can be undone. At times, the narrative moves so quickly that actions feel as if they're coming from left field, and the setting could have been fleshed out. Even so, the realistic dialogue, unexpected twists, and energetic cast of characters will keep readers turning pages.

A quick-witted exploration of the underbelly of college sports.