Runners' Blood

Rating:
Summary: Creative idea, poorly written
Review: Fischer clearly wrote Runners Blood with the experience of an athlete and the insight of a scientist. His detailed knowledge of the workings of modern biomedical research and university politics shines through. But his writing is poor. To call his characters two-dimensional would be to give them too much depth. One character even repeats entire portions of conversation. I suggest this book only to readers with a specific interest in sports physiology.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating concept - poor character & plot development
Review: I saw an ad for this book at the Marine Corps Marathon expo and thought that I had to have it, seeing as I'm a marathoner, and a molecular biologist. Unfortunately that was my most exciting remembrance of this book. I found most of the characters to be fairly shallow, and the plot a bit unbeleivable... It brought back memories of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery novels that I read in middle school, but with a bit more technical information.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating concept - poor character & plot development
Review: I saw an ad for this book at the Marine Corps Marathon expo and thought that I had to have it, seeing as I'm a marathoner, and a molecular biologist. Unfortunately that was my most exciting remembrance of this book. I found most of the characters to be fairly shallow, and the plot a bit unbeleivable... It brought back memories of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery novels that I read in middle school, but with a bit more technical information.

Rating:
Summary: A terrific medical mystery set among international sports
Review: Sean Rourke is an Irish distance runner and a favorite for winning the Sydney competition. When he is beaten in a road race by a middle-aged man a series of events occur which culminate in the theft of a scientific discovery, murder, and the descent into a tainted world of international intrigue and athletic competition. There is a new performance enhancing drug apparently responsible for Chinese runners with East German coaches. Who is behind it -- and is Sean's lovely teammate Susie involved? Runner's Blood is a terrific medical mystery set within the world of international sports.