Break the Glass

Break the Glass by Olivia Swindler
12/5/23; 299 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Break the Glass by Olivia Swindler is a highly recommended novel about four women and a small town rocked by a college athletics scandal.

When Sal Higgins is fired from his job as athletic director at Renton University after a news article accuses him of bribery and money laundering, chaos erupts across the campus. The plot focuses on four different women who are inextricably tied in some way to the scandal or the athletic department. They are now all concerned about their careers as an investigation begins.

 

Nora is now the interim athletic director, a position she has worked toward for years. She is also the wife of the English department’s dean, so she is being closely scrutinized. Lauren, the wife of Sal, is shocked and disgraced. Sal blames her for not cleaning up his mess and leaves. Anne's first day as a student intern in the athletics department is the day Sal is fired. Needless to say, her start in the department is one of pure chaos. Finally, Alexis is an English professor who is panicking because she taught many of the student athletes and is seeing the assistant football coach. Now she is being called in for an interview when an NCAA investigation begins.

Break the Glass is a fast moving, well-written exploration of the investigation. Anyone who has ever lived in a college town will quickly understand the emotions swirling around this scandal. Chapters alternate between the different points-of-view of the four women. This is a plot-driven novel, so extensive character development is lacking, but there is certainly enough to garner sympathy and understanding for the characters and their situations. There is enough action and intrigued to hold the interest of most readers, including those who aren't huge sports fans. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley.