Nick Vance is a world-class runner whose Olympic dreams were simply shattered by his wife's suicide. Years later, Nick is working as a sports writer in a job with no future when he discovers Stanley "Bullet" Gardner, a high school runner with boundless raw talent. Nick becomes the young man's coach. But when his adolescent protege unexpectedly fails a drug test, Nick sets out to restore his runner's eligibility for the Olympic Games. Helped along by a Senator, a sports lawyer, and a psychic teenager, Nick uncovers a shocking conspiracy having to do with the new science of genetic manipulation that has implications far beyond the sports arena! Gene enhancement is a very real possibility in the relatively short term future, and with the sports industry's problems with steroids and other chemical enhancements, can gene therapy based enhancements be far behind? In The Champion Maker, Kevin Joseph has created a genuine thriller whose basic concept could well be tomorrow's headlines. Highly recommended reading, especially for sports enthusiasts!
