When the story of the doping scandal first came to light, there was probably little surprise that one of the main countries that seemed to be implicated was Russia and that the dossier that had been compiled against them wasn't just rumours but it was brought about by two of their own, one from within the system and one on the outside trying to do the right thing. David Walsh has mastered the art of writing about whistleblowing in sport to perfection and added in a brilliant love story that captivates the audience with the good guy trying his hardest to turn his true love over to his side of thinking, albeit despite her reluctance and her acceptance that this is just the way it is in Russia.

The main subject matter of the book revolves around the systematic doping that occurred in Russian and how it was deemed to be just a normal thing to do. It shows and highlights the flaws in sport in that despite WADA being in full view, they were not allowed to intervene within domestic matters almost rendering them impotent.  Its fascinating to read about how the Russians went about the doping and how they cultivated it within their system and how it works in that there is a hierarchy with those at the top protected but those languishing sent like lambs to the slaughter to ensure that the Russian agencies were able to mask the systematic doping that was undertaken. Again, the book focuses on some fascinating relationships. Whilst the main relationship between Vitaly and Yuliya is explored at depth and how their relationship grew to become one of love and respect, their are plenty of other relationships explored that are brilliantly brought together by the author throughout the book.

That of Yuliya with her coaches and their distrust of Vitaly in the background, the relationship between Vitaly and the two guys at WADA who, whilst they couldn't officially intervene, were able to direct the scandal to those that could make a difference. Towards the back end of the book, the relationship between Yuliya and her rival Mariya Savinova is also a brilliant read, knowing their friendship was to be short-lived. Their are reasons why David Walsh has won multiple awards for his books and here is another that has hit the mark with both a fascinating insight into one of the biggest scandals ever to hit the sport but also highlighting the bravery of two people in a system that was normal but having the guts to stand up for what is right, knowing it would change their lives forever.

A brilliant book for any sports fan to get their teeth into, I suspect its going to win prizes again, so get yourself reading this brilliant read today!