Carl Deuker Collection (4-Book Boxed Set)

For the first time ever, comes a paperback boxed set containing Gym Candy, Payback Time, Night Hoops, and Runner, four books from award-winning sportswriter Carl Deuker.

From award-winning sportswriter Carl Deuker, comes this paperback boxed set of Gym Candy, Payback Time, Night Hoops, and Runner, four riveting, action-packed sportsbooks all together now for the first time.

In Gym Candy, self-acceptance, peer pressure, and a heart-wrenching story about high school football take center field as running back Mick Johnson struggles for success under the always glaring-and often unforgiving-stadium lights, even if it costs him everything.

In Payback Time, a thrilling mystery lurks beneath the backdrop of high school football and the criminal underworld as high school journalist Mitch True uncovers the secret past of the football team's new cornerback.

In Night Hoops, loyalty, friendship, and family are tested when an unlikely friendship forms between two boys who seem to have nothing in common but basketball.

In Runner, a high school runner finds himself at the center of a sinister conspiracy when he takes up a gig picking up strange packages on a daily route and delivering them to a mysterious man at the marina.

This collection delivers four acclaimed novels that combine gripping sports action with the tough choices teens face:

• High-Stakes Choices: Each novel puts a teen athlete at a crossroads where one decision could change everything—from a journalist uncovering a crime to a runner caught in a conspiracy.
• The Dark Side of Sports: In Gym Candy, running back Mick Johnson discovers that the pressure to succeed can lead down a dangerous path, forcing him to question the true cost of victory.
• Gripping Suspense: These aren’t just game stories. Carl Deuker weaves thrilling mysteries into the action, making each book an edge-of-your-seat page-turner.
• Authentic Action: Written by an award-winning sportswriter, the on-field football, basketball, and running scenes are intense, realistic, and will keep sports fans hooked until the final whistle.