The Final Whistle

Samantha Rodan never imagined her first murder case could change the world of football. A multi-faceted crime novel, following a junior detective's investigation as she fends off pressure from above, 'The Final Whistle' examines homophobia in football, & the impact it has on players hiding their identity from fans & teammates.

---

Samantha Rodan never imagined her first murder case could change the world of football.

 

When Samantha is called to the scene of a suspicious death, she is disheartened to find the victim to be Joseph Marsden, a male escort and key witness to his boss, Marcos Vincenzo’s, criminal activities. With Joseph dead, his boss remains free. For Samantha, it’s the best motive for murder.



Photos released in the newspaper after result in an unexpected lead. On the night of his murder Joseph had been in an altercation with Alex Smith, a professional footballer and long-time friend of Samantha’s brother. She discovers that not only was Joseph known to Alex, they had secretly been in a relationship for 6 months. Alex is gay and hiding his sexuality for fear of losing his career.



With this new lead, Samantha’s boss is keen to pursue Alex, forbidding her to pursue Marcos and focus on putting pressure on Alex. The evidence increasingly points to Alex, and pressure for a quick resolution builds... But Samantha believes there is more to the story. Can she find the truth before it's too late?