New political thriller from Robb Grindstaff

 

Bones of Dead Man’s Bluff
Robb Grindstaff
Evolved Publishing, August 2024
Fiction, 260 pp
$5.99 ebook, $16.99 print

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About the Book
Even the most powerful men can't prevent dark secrets of the past from washing ashore.

Worth Sullivan is the celebrity pastor of the globally renowned Harvest Fields megachurch. Kirk Madison is an esteemed former US Army general and popular US senator. Both men came from humble beginnings in the Ozarks, but today are highly successful beacons of hope and leadership in a nation torn apart by political and social divisions. Then Kirk announces he's running for president.

Decades earlier, Worth and Kirk witnessed the death of a young girl and agreed to never speak of it. While Kirk seems to have made his peace, Worth still dreams of the dead girl every night. The deep forensics of presidential campaigns makes it likely this indiscretion will soon come to light—taking down Kirk's campaign, destroying Worth's life, and possibly pushing the nation into full-blown civil war. Can Worth set things right, or will the dead girl seek justice on her own?
 
 
My Review
Two men locked in a death spiral of counterpoint ambition must face up to their past to find and accept forgiveness.
 
A reluctant “America’s Pastor,” Worth has never wanted to be in a position to endorse political candidates. He’s already got enough on his plate feeding the souls of thousands in his surprising international mega-ministry. The secret he’s kept for his entire adult life eats away at his soul, and he’s sure of facing hell. His “good friend,” the counterpart in a triad of tragedy, has carefully nurtured his public military and subsequent political career to the point he has a good chance at serving in the world’s highest governmental office. For Kirk, the cherry on top is getting more than the “support” of the most influential faith-based person in America. But Worth isn’t playing that game and in fact is desperate to keep Kirk and their terrible, haunting ghosts from destroying their families and themselves.
 
Kirk can’t outrun himself, however, and winning an election competes with staying alive. Worth’s spiritual battles within himself and with his cohorts often drive the story. Grindstaff delves deeply into matters of faith with intriguing intentionality, not preachiness.
 
Grindstaff has written a political thriller for the present audience, where a bombshell is always waiting to go off in our national reality. Bones of Dead Man’s Bluff is a dual message of examining the truths that divide us and forgiveness, the frailties of humanity, and our need to be honest and overcome our lesser nature. Readers of political thrillers with a side of faith-based food for thought will enjoy this story, told in a nonlinear timeframe from two perspectives and a twist from the past.
 
 
About the Author
In addition to a career as a journalist, newspaper editor, publisher and media executive, Robb Grindstaff has written fiction most of his life. The newspaper biz has taken him from Phoenix, Arizona, to small towns in North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin, from seven years in Washington, D.C., to five years in Asia. Born and raised a small-town kid, he’s as comfortable in Tokyo or Tuna, Texas. The variety of places he’s lived serve as settings for the characters who invade his head. His novels are best classified as contemporary southern lit. Evolved Publishing has also released June Bug Gothic: Tales from the South, a collection of eighteen of Robb's short stories, including the award-winning horror "Desert Rain."

​Robb currently resides the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks region of Missouri, where he writes, edits, and coaches writers full-time.