Sudden Death

Sudden Death is a murder mystery set in the world of football. More than a whodunit, the novel spans roughly thirty years from 1966 to 1997 in the life of one couple, who grew up half the world apart. Kendall Harris, a brilliant law student from Georgia, and Duke Astin, a star quarterback from Hawaii, meet at UCLA, fall in love, and marry soon after graduation. Kendall practices law and Duke plays for a decade in the NFL, then becomes a college coach. Juggling two careers and moving from state to state puts pressure on their relationship. But through the joys and stresses of life, they stay loyal to one another. Things take a troubling turn when Coach Astin is hired by a football powerhouse in the South. Immediately, an influential group unhappy Duke was hired begins to undermine everything he tries to accomplish. The coach and his wife both receive death threats as they work to keep focus on their careers and activities in the community. But when the murder occurs, the story becomes a search for joy and goodness in life, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit over unspeakable odds. Written by a woman who has spent her entire life married to a football player and coach, Sudden Death also explores serious themes of sports gambling, alcoholism, and spousal abuse within the varied cast of characters.