Final Round - Hardcover

Bernhardt, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345449622 ISBN 13: 9780345449627

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2002

Synopsis

In the glamorous world of professional golf, one match is synonymous with excellence, tradition, and prestige. The Masters is played on the sweeping fairways of Georgia’s exclusive Augusta National Golf Club, drawing its annual pilgrimage of Lear-jetting international superstars, the spotlight of the media, and throngs of fans. But this year, the tournament has attracted something else. A killer is coming to play a deadly game of his own.

For Connor Cross and John McCree, two pros who share a long friendship and a passion for golf, the April competition is a chance to catch up on old times, joke around, make some ill-advised bets, and generally calm each other’s nerves before the play turns serious. But while John has always been able to get a grip on his game by tee time, Connor has never quite figured out how to throw the switch and focus. Then a killer strikes–and for the reigning bad boy of the PGA tour, everything changes in a hurry.

The victim’s wife begs Connor to try to find a murderer who threatens not only to kill again, but to destroy the Masters. And as Connor is drawn into the intrigue, a most remarkable phenomenon occurs. This maverick player shoots a sizzling round of golf. Suddenly, Connor is conquering a vicious slice, cleaning up his short game, and even listening to his caddie as he uncovers some jaw-dropping personal secrets of his fellow pros.

But as Connor–in the company of an alluring female cop–unravels a mystery of murder and uncovers the mystery of his inner game of golf, he also faces the greatest hazard of all. For with one round left to play, and the body count rising while his scores drop, Connor Cross is the next in line to die.

A gripping thriller set against the elite world of pro golf–the way it looks when the cameras aren’t turned on–Final Round is the ultimate novel for anyone who has ever suspected that while golf may be the greatest game ever invented, playing it well can be murder.

About this title

About the Author

William Bernhardt is the author of fourteen books, including Primary Justice, Perfect Justice, Double Jeopardy, Naked Justice–which led Library Journal to dub the author “master of the courtroom drama”–Silent Justice, and Murder One. He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction and in 2000 he was presented the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award “in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large.” A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Kirsten, and their children, Harry, Alice, and Ralph.

Reviews

Conner Cross, golf pro/first-time sleuth, is a Peck's bad boy whose antics are threatening to get him kicked out of the Masters tournament at Georgia's snooty Augusta National Golf Club in this entertaining if implausible whodunit from veteran Bernhardt (Primary Justice; Murder One; etc.). Cross can't seem to take anything seriously, not even his own game, which is suffering grievously. But when his best friend is found murdered and he's suspected of the crime, Cross takes it very seriously indeed, especially after he learns that the murder weapon was his own nine-iron. He soon teams up with red-haired Lt. Nikki O'Brien of the Augusta P.D., who would rather arrest him than accept his assistance. In the pair's running duel of words, the chemistry Conner and Nikki generate consistently delights. You don't have to be a golfer to appreciate the anecdotes about actual events at past Masters that introduce each section. Bernhardt may resort to a B-movie ending with the real killer trying to evade capture by seizing the heroine around the neck (you just know that sucker's not going to make it out the door), but he's clearly having fun with the genre cliches and so will the reader. Agent, Robert Gottlieb. (Apr. 1) Forecast: Media and bookstore appearances tied into the Masters tournament scheduled for April 8-14 will add yardage to this one.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Bernhardt (Murder One) is known for his courtroom dramas, but he clearly knows his golf, too. His abrasive hero, Conner Cross, long on promise and short on seriousness, barely makes the cut to compete in the notoriously stuffy Augusta National tournament. His boyhood friend John, a superior golfer, has helped him get this far, so when he finds John's body in a sand trap, he takes it personally especially since Conner's nine iron was the murder weapon, making him the prime suspect. Knowing more about the players than the attractive detective does, he's better able to follow the clues. It's also put-up or shut-up time for him as a golfer. To honor John, who always wanted one of them to win the National, Conner, for the first time ever, follows his long-suffering caddy's advice and plays to win. Lots of authentic golf detail here and a story that grabs you; recommended for public libraries. Marylaine Block, Librarian Without Walls, Davenport, IA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Imagine an author trying to write a legal thriller with no idea what happens in a courtroom. Inconceivable? Well, here we have a mystery set during the Masters Golf Tournament written by an author who knows nothing about golf. Bernhardt, the author of several best-selling legal thrillers, was lured into leaving the courtroom when literary agent Robert Gottlieb suggested a mystery set at the Masters. (Note to Bob: You forgot to ask Bernhardt if he knew the difference between a driver and a nine-iron.) It would take pages to detail all the golf-related howlers in this surrealistically bad novel, but here's a taste: water hazards on golf courses are never called "water traps"; there are no pot bunkers at Augusta National; you don't tee off with a nine-iron on a 450-yard hole, even if it is your "favorite club"; pros don't "lay up" on a par-three hole; Masters competitors don't need to wait for the official scores to be "posted" in the clubhouse to know who won; and on and on and on. Howlers aside, the plot (bad-boy pro grows up, finds his game, solves murders) is ludicrous; the cops are almost as unrealistic as the golfers; and the dialogue is constipated with lame backstory. Hype (the novel's publication is timed to this year's Masters) and Bernhardt's past successes may generate some initial demand for this fiasco, but buy cautiously. Golfers will be insulted, and Bernhardt's fans will be waiting in vain for a courtroom scene. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Day Before . . .

Monday

“It’s Silly Putty,” Conner Cross said with an air of finality that defied anyone to disagree with him. “I’m certain of it.”   “It is not,” John McCree replied. He’d been defying Conner since they were kids and had no trouble doing it again. “It’s a specially treated ball of monofilaments, packed and compressed for maximum durability and flexibility.”

“Monofilaments! Give me a break. It’s Silly Putty.”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m not. This is a subject on which I have a certain expertise.”

“You can’t even spell expertise.”

“I’m telling you, it’s Silly Putty. I was reading a magazine article about this just last week.”

“I find that highly unlikely, unless maybe it was mentioned as some playmate’s pet peeve.”

Conner raised his hands to his mouth and shouted. “Fitz!”

An older man sporting a shoeshine-boy cap and toting a large bag of clubs strolled toward the two men at the first tee. “You called, Master?”

Conner Cross smiled. “Look, Fitz, we need you to settle an argument.”

“Caddies don’t settle arguments.” Fitz, ever the dapper dresser, was attired in a Lacoste golf shirt, a Lyle & Scott cashmere sweater, and Italian gabardine light wool slacks—quite a contrast to Conner himself, who sported a bright floral Hawaiian shirt, yellow bicycle shorts, and a tattered Panama straw hat. “We counsel. We strategize. We tote. But we don’t settle arguments.”

“Be a sport.”

Fitz folded his arms across his chest. “No,” Fitz said emphatically. His full name was Daniel Fitzpatrick, but he’d been caddying forever, and everyone had long ago reduced his name to the single syllable.

“C’mon. For me?”

“Definitely not.”

“What, are you afraid you’ll be fined by the caddies’ union? Look—if you’ll just settle this dispute, I promise I won’t make fun of that silly yellow sweater.”

“What a charmer.”

“Puh-leeze?” Conner wheedled.

Fitz twisted his craggy, weathered face. “I caddied for Gary Player for six years and he never once asked me to settle an argument.”

“Then you’re overdue. Here’s the thing: what do you think they put inside golf balls—Silly Putty, or super-compressed monofilaments?”

Fitz rolled his eyes. “I assume you stand in the Silly Putty camp.”

“I shouldn’t say. It might prejudice your decision.”

“For your information, you dimwits, they put rubber inside golf balls. That’s all it is. Rubber.”

Conner Cross and John McCree looked at each another. “Rubber?”

“That’s right,” Fitz said emphatically. “Plain ordinary rubber.”

Conner and John continued staring.

“He says it’s rubber,” Conner said.

“I heard that,” John replied.

Conner’s eyes crinkled. “Nah. Can’t be.”

“Definitely not,” John agreed. “No way.”

“Can’t be,” Conner said, making a clicking noise with his tongue. “Doesn’t make sense.”

“Agreed,” John said. “If golf balls had rubber inside, they’d bounce all the way down the fairway. Or in Conner’s case, the rough.” The two golfers exchanged a look.

Fitz threw up his hands in despair. “I don’t know why I even bother talking to you two reprobates!” He marched past them toward the first tee. “C’mon. If you don’t get your practice round started, you’ll lose your tee time. And if you don’t log enough practice hours, they’ll toss you out of the tournament.”

It was possible, Conner groused, as he followed his caddie to the tee. Anything was possible at the Masters. This annual event, hosted by the Augusta National Golf Club, was one of the most prestigious, if not the most prestigious, of the tournaments on the tour. But it was also a pain in the butt. The Masters was full of rules, regulations, and hoity-toity guidelines of decorum, all of which drove Conner crazy.

During his three years on the tour, Conner had developed a reputation as the PGA’s bad boy. According to the press, he was the “gonzo golfer” who delighted in flouting convention. This had made him the hero of some—but not the PGA authorities and officials, and definitely not the top dogs at the Augusta National Country Club. Safely ensconced in the deep South, the Club—which still only accepted male members—was determined to maintain the high standards of a more genteel era. It made Conner want to barf.

John nudged him in the side. “Smell that?”

Conner inhaled deeply. “Cheeseburgers?”

John looked at him pitiably. “Honeysuckle.”

Conner sniffed again. John was right, of course. The sweet scent of honeysuckle permeated the course. Much as the Masters tournament got under his skin, Conner grudgingly had to admit that the Augusta National course was magnificent, particularly when the tournament was held each year in April—often culminating on Easter Sunday. He gazed out at the flowering crabapples, the graceful dogwoods, and the blazing streaks of azalea, all set against a magnificent green expanse of turf and trees. It was a spectacular view.

“Not much like back home, huh?” John said, grinning.

Conner silently agreed. He and John had grown up together in the wheatfields and tall-grass prairies of western Oklahoma. They were inseparable throughout junior high and high school. They did everything together—bombed the same classes, got bombed on the same six-packs, and, of course, played golf. Back then, golf had held a special allure for Conner, who’d grown up with his father on a not-very-prosperous farm near the small town of Watonga. Its scruffy nine-hole course was an enchanted oasis in the midst of the red dirt and yellow plains that surrounded it. He and John both fell in love with the sport there.

After high school, John went off to college in California, while Conner stayed near home and went to OU. After college, John made the PGA tour. Conner didn’t—but John did everything imaginable to get him in, including loaning him money and arranging private golf instruction from Harvey Penick and other golf giants. Ultimately, Conner won his PGA card. John lived in Georgia now and was a member of the Augusta National Golf Club—whereas Conner probably couldn’t gain membership with a recommendation from Robert E. Lee. John was in nearly all respects the antithesis of Conner, but Conner liked him anyway. Fact was, even though Conner hated to admit it, he pretty much owed John for everything good in his life.

Today was Monday; Conner had flown into Georgia last night. The actual tournament would not begin until Thursday, with a par three mini-tournament on Wednesday. Between now and then, he needed to get in as much practice as possible.

Conner winked at his caddie. “Shall we get started?”

Fitz stared at him, appalled. “You mean, you want to play golf now?”

“Isn’t that what I normally do on golf courses?”

“Matter of opinion, I suppose.” His eyebrows knitted. “You can’t play golf dressed like that.”

“And why not?” Conner asked. “All my private parts are properly covered, aren’t they?”

Fitz’s lips tightened. “Conner, when are you going to get it through your thick skull that being on the PGA tour is a big deal? You should dress in a dignified manner. Not like some . . . Polynesian hobo.”

“I like this outfit,” Conner said, touching the brim of his battered Panama hat. “I think it has panache. I think it says, ‘Here’s a man who’s at peace with himself.’ ”

“I think it says, ‘Here’s a man who’s about to be thrown off the tour.’ ”

“Don’t be absurd.”

“I’m not! You know the PGA has strict rules on decorum and appearance. They don’t even allow pros on the tour to have facial hair, for Pete’s sake. And this club has even more rules than the PGA. You can’t dress like a bum.”

“I’ll dress any damn way I want to.”

“And you can’t swear, either. That’s an automatic $250 fine.”

“Enough chatter,” Conner said, turning away. “I’m ready to hit the ball.”

Fitz pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, as if suffering from a severe migraine. “Great. Just great. Try to remember what I told you, okay? Stance. Swing. You’re putting too much weight on your left foot. And you’re not bringing your backswing high enough.”

“Stop being such a mother hen.”

“Jack Nicklaus paid me big bucks to be a mother hen!”

“Then go cluck in his coop for a while. You’re making me crazy.”

“You were born crazy.”

Laughing, Conner poked the tee into the ground and removed a club from his bag.

Fitz grabbed his hand. “What do you think you’re doing now?”

“I’m getting a golf club. I know that must seem strange, but the ball goes farther than if I just blow on it.”

“You took out a wood. You can’t use a wood on this hole.”

“I can and I will.”

“The tee ma...

Edition details

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0345449622
• ISBN 13: 9780345449627
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256