Marla Connors, recently married to head basketball coach Neal Connors, travels with her husband to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the State University Coyote team is playing in the NCAA Finals. Marla has not been accepted by the Co-Yotes, that loyal bunch of fans who follows the university team, partly because she is almost twenty years younger than Coach Connors and a divorcée, but also because the fans are afraid she will distract her husband from his duties as head coach. They see her as someone who married Coach Connors just for his money. Only Gale, the older wife of assistant coach Stu Simmons, goes out of her way to be a friend to Marla. The Coyote team is plagued with problems from the very beginning of the season, and when they finally manage to reach the NCAA Finals, it's even worse. Their center is caught using drugs, Athletics Director Charlie Morgan, who is also in Albuquerque for the games, makes a pass at Marla in her hotel room, and Coach Connors comes down with the flu. No one believes that State can win the big game. With so much happening, Marla can't shake the feeling that something evil is taking over her life. She tries to convince herself that it is emotional anxiety left over from the abuse she experienced during her first marriage to Dr. Martin Andrews and that the stress from the tournament has brought it once again to the surface. She soon learns, however, that the evil is real and it threatens not only everything she loves, but her very life. Illegal drugs, illicit affairs, murder, and scandal that shakes the entire university system are woven inextricably into Marla’s life until eventually she comes face to face with her real tormentor. It is only then that she realizes the full depth of her love for her husband--and his love for her.

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Reviews:

The Coach's Wife combines the thrill of an unforgettable Division One college basketball final with university politics, steamy sex and murder. Amidst page after page of the heart-pounding novel,Barbara Casey portrays vivid scenes of the North Carolina landscape. A mystery not to be missed. Mark Jacoby, Author, Path to Arequipa and as a Reviewer in Amazon.com. Rated it a 5.0 out of 5 stars Twists, turns, and heart-stopping fast-break excitement! No, it's not college basketball's national championship game, but instead "The Coach's Wife." Barbara's unique insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of college athletics combined with her extraordinary talents as a writer makes this book a must-read! Enjoy. Mark McKay CNN Sports I just finished The Coach's Wife, and it was great! I really felt like I knew the characters by the end. And I believe all great fiction is character driven. The scene where Marla is describing the trip to the island to her friend, Gale, (actually taking her there in her mind) while she lay beside her in bed, dying, is one of the most powerful scenes I have ever read...beautiful. Thanks for the great read! John Monaco, MD Critical Care Pediatrician Author , Slim and Fit Kids and Moondance to Eternity The Coach's Wife is “Brilliant and heart-pounding!” Simon Coe Author, Justice Comes On Friday The Coach's Wife is "Outstanding!" Howard Fried Publisher, Woodfield Publishing Aviator, Author, Basketball Fan, and Avid Reader of Popular Fiction A slam dunk! A NCAA basketball game is the thrilling opener of The Coach's Wife but the behind the scenes jockeying for power is even more of a trip. Coach Neal Connors leads his underdog team to a coveted national championship, but his glorious moment is soon shattered. Connors and his young wife, Marla, face charges of malfeasance and a ruinous murder trial. The resolution of this taut suspense thriller plays out as fast as any action you'll see in the gym. Sara L. Williams "mysteryfreak", Reviewer in Amazon.com. Rated it a 5.0 out of 5 stars Barbara Casey has done it again! In a mystery filled with twists and turns, Ms. Casey brings to life the NCAA Basketball Championship against a backdrop of university scandal and romance. This is a one-sitting book, I was unable to put it down! Like her previous novel, "Shyla's Initiative" the suspense in "The Coach's Wife" is topped off with a great ending... “Sports Fan”, Reviewer in Amazon.com. Rated it a 5.0 out of 5 stars

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