The Winner Maker

The effect of high school, relationships, status, reputation, expectations, and regrets all come to a head in this murder mystery. Being designated as a “Winner” by veteran English teacher (see Robin Williams in “Dead Poets’ Society”) Mr. Fiske is so important to the eighteen-year olds, and the label propels and/or haunts them as they age. When Fiske turns up missing along with one of his students, Winners are re-united to find their mentor. The plot progresses very well as Winners become suspects, relationships are examined, and a high school death is shown to be related to present-day. circumstances.

This novel was a thrill to read. Mystery, murder, relationships... Thanks to the author and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Highly Recommend! I love a novels based on a school setting and this book did not disappoint. The Winner Maker is a complex story as well as a mystery filled with great characters and twisty plot lines. At the start of the novel we are introduced to a group of late 20's movers and shakers that are all part of a magical high school clique called "The Winners." The Winners are chosen and coached privately by a now septuagenarian English teacher named Mr Fiske who is famous for doing his own thing and bucking the school system. The Winners are groomed and well supported to be professionally successful and Mr. Fiske goes to extraordinarily lengths to ensure that they are successful.
Mr. Fiske is missing at the start of the novel and the race to find him and a young student who he may or may not be involved with interrupts all of the Winners' professional and personal lives. A great mystery with believable and likable characters, Enjoy the ride!

The Winner Maker is a wonderful mystery. This novel was thrilling to read, as it contains murder and mystery, and it is a complex story with an interesting plot and very believable and likable characters. I was hooked on it from the very beginning. It is about movers and shakers at this high school that are all part of a clique called "The Winners." The Winners are chosen, coached and groomed to be successful by teacher, Mr Fiske. Mr. Fiske and a young student are missing and the race to find them is underway. A great read. I will recommend this book to my friends. I will be looking for more from this author.

Over five decades, 74 year old teacher, Bob Fiske, has chosen, cultivated, and encouraged exceptional students that he designated "Winners". Bob goes missing and shortly afterwards a 16 year old girl he has been mentoring, goes missing, too. A group of four of his Winners from ten years ago, come together to find Bob and hopefully, to defend his reputation and job, when rumors hint that he may have had an illicit relationship with the girl.

Among these four former Winners, along with the school mate who brought them together to brainstorm what has happened to Bob, secrets abound, all the way back to their high school days. I found it strange that such busy, powerful business people (especially married couple Doug and Steph and their former classmate Eric) could drop everything to go look for Bob and the missing girl, since they had barely a clue as to where they might be or what happened to them. But as I got farther in the book, it becomes clear that each person has their own reasons for finding Bob and being motivated to be a part of the search.

This book is full of scheming, lies, betrayals, and much more and it's hard to see how the "good guys", if in fact there are any, will survive to tell their side of the story. It seemed slow going at first but by the 30% mark, I couldn't put the book down and stayed up way too late to read it to the end.

Thank you to Jeff Bond and NetGalley, for this ARC.

Compelling thriller, reminiscent of Harlan Coben. A beloved teacher goes missing along with a student. When a band of former students bands together to solve this mystery, all is not as it seems.

The Story of a group of overachievers who had been groomed by their high school teacher to become very successful in live. Even after graduation he supports this group in many different ways but not everybody is what they seem to be.
10 years after graduation this group gets back together because their beloved teacher has disappeared and they are ready to move heaven and earth to find him.
This book has a bit of everything. Typical high school atmosphere. Corporate politics. The influence a teacher can have on a student and how the students can be manipulated. Does the teacher really has the best interest at hand for his students or is their accomplishments to higher his own self worth.
The breakdown of a students self-esteem when she find a note with disappointment next to her name. Why was she a disappointment to her teacher. I loved the ending where the student finds her own strength to follow her own path. And no do go flipping to the end to see what happens because you will miss all the little twist and turns in the story. This is a great Psychological thriller.

Bob Fiske is a Teacher in his 70's who over the years has adopted,supported and nurtured his best and brightest students as his proteges,shades of Dead Poet's Society and even The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie for older readers. The story begins when he apparently has disappeared with one of his latest batch of "Winners", a young girl. Four of his previous Winners get together to try to find him and the girl out of concern for their mentor.
From what appears to be a simple case of an infatuated young girl running away with her much older Teacher the plot thickens and takes all kinds of surprising directions. Without giving any spoilers the past plays a big part in events and the searching "Winners" find themselves being dragged into life changing,,and potentially life-threatening situations as fairly pedestrian build up escalates seemingly out of control.
I loved the book,at first it seemed slow and there appeared to be too much focus on the lives of the various characters and very little action. As things hotted up however it becomes apparent that the main character's private lives have a massive bearing on the story. The book reminded me very much of the work of Chris Brookmyre with it's extreme violence laced with some darkly comic moments and fairly ordinary people finding themselves in dire situations.
Not perfect and it dragged in places and as a British reader I struggled with a lot of the American references,for example names thrown about in dialogue that I assumed were supposed to be funny or make a point but I had no idea who the people named were.
Great story though and a pleasant surprise to be reading what appears to be a fairly routine thriller only to have the author throw a massive curve-ball and be pleasantly surprised as all is definitely not what it appears to be and routine it definitely isn't.

LOVED it. Anyone who has experienced high school should be able to relate to this story. It has all the trappings I remember, but the intrigue of a disappearance of a teacher. The writing is solid and the characters are individuals in personality and the way they go through life. This is more than a reunion of past bright students, it is a journal of sorts that documents the impact teachers can have on their students, some great, others, not so good. This is a definite holiday gift for my family members.

The Winner Maker is a debut novel that I picked up on a whim from the Read Now shelf at Net Galley. I liked the sounds of the unique premise and was in the mood for a non police procedural mystery.

The story revolves around a group of young adults and their rather controversial high school mentor. The main characters (Eric, Steph, and Doug) are all Winners, deemed so by said teacher as people who would be highly successful in life. Several Winners are brought together ten years after graduation to help find their old advisor who has suddenly disappeared along with a 16-year-old girl.

For me, the first quarter of the book was a bit slow in setting up the story. After that point, I was sucked in for the remainder of the tale. I have one warning for potential readers—one must be able to suspend belief to enjoy the book. I found the believability factor to be compromised on several occasions, but after acknowledging that fact, I was able to carry on without issue and enjoy the ride.

This book covers a lot. We have scenes of corporate dealings, IT businesses, high school counselor’s offices, high school parties, happy domesticity, unrequited love, and people on the run. I just have to mention that there is a particularly gross scene that will most certainly ignite your sense of smell to new heights, and not in a good way! I’d truly like to see the expression on Mr. Bond’s face when he wrote that little vignette.

The story reveals some of the possible relationships that can develop between secondary school teachers and their students. We see the influence these mentors can wield, the reverence they command, and how easily young people can be manipulated--and not always for good causes. We are also shown that you can never totally know anyone, and sadly, that trust is a very risky thing to depend on. I really enjoyed seeing the growth of one character in particular—how this person learned from all that happened and was able to make some tough choices in order to adjust to significant life changes—actions of a true Winner.

If you are looking for something a little different with interesting characters, and you are capable of suspending belief at times, you will enjoy The Winner Maker. I did and will look forward to seeing what Mr. Bond comes up with next.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Jeff Bond for an advanced review copy of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Now, let me figure this one out: There is suspense and speed, excellent ingredients of a real thriller - without much police involved. The characters are feasible, no clichés, individuals. Alas after the first half of the book, things get complicated. The story twists and turns, and eventually you start asking yourself whether what you read makes sense. It is difficult to give examples without spoiling the novel, thus I will limit myself to stating that I am not really convinced of some of the protagonists, including the main casts - Eric and Doug. I also wonder what the title is meant to insinuate, given that the winner maker does not play a vital part. Or does he?
The plot: A group of ex-students gather ten years after having left college and discover that neither the past nor the present is what it seems to be.
Nothing profound, but a nice and kind of entertaining read.
Thank you, Net Galley, for having made the e-book available to me.

The Winner Maker is a uniquely blended, cross-genre tale of the good and bad of over-achieving and the price paid to become a "winner." 

The book opens with a very dramatic scene with students gathered around their awe-inspiring honors English teacher atop the Chrysler Building in Chicago. As the high achieving students are preparing for their individual presentation, one student shocks the crowd by dangling below the glass floor by a giant magnet. However, the magnets do not hold and as the student plunges to his death, a white banner emerges proclaiming, "Live Big," the teacher's motto for his private group of "Winners." Six months later, the book continues with the disappearance of this septuagenarian teacher and coach, Bob Fiske. Four of his former students, all "winners," gather to help locate their beloved teacher. As they pursue clues to his disappearance, they must also confront secrets each holds dear, as well as the underlying tension from their own high school experience under the tutelage of Fiske. Eric, a program developer aka the "geek," Lydia who has overcome her shyness to succeed and whose sister died on the night of their prom; Doug, the quarterback, all-star, who is now a hedge fund broker and his wife, Stephanie, perhaps the most loyal follower of Fiske who is now a successful marketing guru. Each must deal with the past in order to solve Fiske's disappearance, but at what cost to each of them personally and professionally?

Admittedly, I quite nearly stopped reading this book after the first few chapters; not because it wasn't well written but, rather, because I detested the characters intensely. I haven't had such a visceral reaction to all of the main characters of a book in a really long time, however, these "winners" made me want to slap each of them! I persevered, though, and realized that the point of the first part of the book was to elicit exactly those emotions. They all were overachievers, a little too perfect, a lot too driven. I found no humanity in them whatsoever. As the book progressed, I gradually realized that for some of the characters, that perfection was a shell masquerading their insecurities, you know, just like in real life. ;) Each had something they were hiding and how they individually dealt with their secrets and their past made the book far more than a generic thriller. Instead, the "thriller" aspect to the story took a bit of a backseat to the these character's lives and emotional turmoil. 

There were two things that kept me from giving this a perfect rating. First, while I found the characters to be beyond convincing, some of their actions were not. One had to suspend belief just a little to assume that a high school kid could get away with what Jesse did in the opening sequence. There are other examples, but that one was a little over-the-top. Secondly, I still - days later - am not entirely sure that I liked the ending. It was abrupt, extremely fitting, but a little too abrupt. Either it was the perfect ending or ... well, I'm just not sure. You read it and tell me what you think! 

Whether you like suspense, thrillers or a really good drama, The Winner Maker will hit all of those buttons and more. It is a fast paced read and parts of it will have you on the edge of your seat wanting more! 

Today is publication day for The Winner Maker; you can find it at Amazon. Thank you to #Netgalley and #JeffBond for my copy.

NOTE: My review will publish at Amazon, on my blog, all social media outlets and Goodreads on Dec 1, 2018. I will update with links on that date. Thank you!

This novel got off to a confusing start for me with a prologue. Around thirty pages in, however, I caught the prologue's connection to the plot and the novel took off. I like the idea of amateur people trying to solve a mystery. I like how the back story was woven into the current mystery as various characters remembered past events. I like how the truth is revealed layer by layer. We readers find out people are not who they appeared to be right along with the characters. And there is plenty of suspense, much of it coming from not knowing who the villain is and who can be trusted. There were many twists and turns that kept me engaged to the end.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who love a complex mystery that is well crafted, has well developed characters, and plenty of suspense. You'll be intrigued by the characters, surprised by the revelations, and captured by the suspense filled plot.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The Winner Maker is a fast-paced hunt to find a missing teacher and one of his students, but the story is wrapped inside the high school memories and present-day lives of Bob Fiske’s “Winners.” The job of youth, some say, is to become educated, but Fiske envisions a more grandiose future for his elite, hand-picked cadre of students. He exhorts them to “Live Big!”

“Education should not be the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — William Butler Yeats

Four former Winners get a letter delivered by the low-tech method of a FedEx Express overnight delivery. The recipients include Stephanie Reese (née Mills) and her husband, Doug. Steph is in advertising, and Doug’s a finance guy, “swapping dollars for rupees at seven a.m.” The contents make Steph Reece’s heart lurch, and “Steph Reece was no fainter.” After deciding to wait until after breakfast to talk with Doug, Steph is flooded with memories of high school, a decade ago.

Those bright, towering emotions. Pride. Elation. Teeth-grinding sorrow. Episodes that lived on forever: a tearful conversation at prom, a might’ve-been on the shores of Lake Michigan, that first summer with a car when you felt adult and in control of events … even if you weren’t. Not even close.

Even accounting for teen drama, Steph’s memories sound par for the course. Fiske, however, was the difference maker for her and the others. His passion to struggle for righteous causes helped the entire student body, like “Title IX-style gender equity and mandatory campus nutrition,” as well as him personally funding Latin classes that were on the chopping block. But it was Fiske’s credo with his Winners—both during high school and continuing into college and beyond—that set him apart from high school mentors that are important for a time and then fade into memory. Steph’s mother refused to send her to Stanford, saying her five kids should all “receive identical state-school educations,” but Fiske overruled her and paid for Steph’s first two years at Stanford.

It was the sort of extraordinary act he undertook for Winners. “Whatever you need, whenever you need it,” he’d pledge. “Anything to help achieve the life you’re meant for.”

No pressure, huh? Fiske’s promise to help his Winners achieve their dreams came with a demand: that they would “pledge in return to pursue success with reckless abandon.” It’s somewhat of a ticking time bomb; Fiske’s Winners never escape from the pledge. Which is why the four former Winners drop everything to find him—Steph, Doug, Lydia Brockert (a psychology professor at UChicago), and Eric Pinkersby (former HS nerd, now a West Coast tech guy with a high-flying career).

Steph breaks into Fiske’s apartment, hoping to find a clue as to his whereabouts. Like an eavesdropper never overhearing anything good, she finds herself listed in a file marked Disappointments.

The list had eighteen items, from the predictable (Clinton/Obama presidencies, #16; CTU collection bargaining, #11) to the mysterious (Tranquility, #7). When her eyes reached the last item on the list, number one, she lost her stomach.

Stephanie Mills.

The knowledge gnaws at her, but she sets it aside. Steph finds a clue in Fiske’s apartment that points them in the direction of UP—the Upper Peninsula, a designation known to anyone who grew up near Michigan. Adding to the urgency of their quest, not only is Fiske missing but so is one of his current female students. Unsurprisingly, rumors spring up of “inappropriate meetings” between Fiske and his student. It seems “the Great Man’s reputation is in shambles.”

The core question of The Winner Maker is whether Fiske is a “legendary mentor” or “an elitist whose time has passed.” Like it or not, Steph, Doug, Lydia, and Eric must revisit their past to solve the mystery of their teacher’s disappearance. A quote from L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between comes to mind, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” Jeff Bond’s The Winner Maker is a mystery and a quest that changes the trajectory of four lives forever.

The Winner Maker by Jeff Bond will keep you on the edge of your seat, long after you've finished reading. The author expertly builds the tension until you are mired in the mystery of who to trust and the thrill of trying to piece everything together. What really happened 10 years ago at Prom? While most people maintain a tenuous thread to their high school social events, the characters here are chained to that one fateful night. A night that refuses to let them go and turns all their lives upside down years later.

In The Winner Maker, nobody apparently knows the truth about anyone. Everyone is innocent, until they're not; until they betray you. Until you find out who they really are. The action doesn't stop for a second, and the story line tumbles deeper into confusion with each page. But don't despair, the writing style maintains a clear forward momentum and keeps total confusion at bay. What is left is a story that requires your full attention but is still entertaining and an absolute blast as each chapter reveals questions and answers and then even more questions. What a fabulous ride!

The characterization is spot on. The main characters and supporting characters are crafted with perfection, but I have to say that Eric is a favorite. He might not be the main protagonist, but he is dynamic in a techno-geek way that makes him both believable and endearing.

As Steph and Eric fight for their innocence and their lives, the truth painstakingly trickles out about what really went down 10 years ago and about the recent strange disappearance of the winner maker, Dr. Fiske, apparently with a teenage girl in tow. The things Steph and Eric endure as they unravel the tangled truth will leave you horrified and maybe even chuckling a little bit, but you will definitely remain riveted until the very end.

One last thought. We are all winners, until we're not. Being chosen as a winner by the illustrious Dr. Fiske does not necessarily mean you are, indeed, a winner. You may just be a selfish loser who doesn't think twice about resorting to betrayal, lies, and murder to maintain your dirty little secret. Read The Winner Maker to find out which one of those lucky "winners" that is. But remember, everyone is innocent, until they're not.

Jeff skillfully navigates each character through many subplots, as they inch toward solving the ultimate mystery. This story is indeed complex, and with the help of the narrator, you will not get lost in the many twists and turns.

The work is a brilliant, slow-burn mystery. With not a strand out of place, this winner of a story is woven tightly until the last page.

This was a delight to read. Twists in all the right places, keeps you guessing throughout. I would recommend to any mystery fans.

People have many names for the important people in their lives. Mentor, leader, and in this case winner maker. A teacher steps up to help and support high school students when they need it most, encouraging them to excel. Years later, the teacher is missing and the students rally to help find him. Also missing is another student, but it's unclear when the story starts how this student fits into the overall. As the story progresses, these young men and women must work together to find their teacher. Along the way they discover the truth is not always how you see things when you are young. Jeff Bond does an excellent job of capturing readers from the start and keeping the story compelling through the end. A definite must read for everyone.