Mordred Staak

Bending Sinister Mordred Staak

Does a man comfortably entrenched in the dull rhythms of American suburban life have the grit to face down trained murderers while contending with rugged Kentucky mountain terrain? You see, Charles Ward has lost his way. While he has roots in the eastern Kentucky mountains, he's a happily-soft suburbanite. His world unravels when death and divorce incite a chain reaction of calamities that exposes his weakness. Rather than rise to his challenges, he flees in a last-ditch effort to find security and meaning. Charlie doesn't know it, but his mountain roots offer more than he expects and ruthlessly sucks him into a conflict composed of coal, lumber, infidelity, and betrayal. He discovers he's the linchpin in a struggle of powerful enemies and allies who reveal their interests in land and resources, smiling to his face while plotting his death. Charlie is forced to fight back when his grandson is thrown into the mix. An unseen ally goads him into reluctantly learning the skill of sniping with an elite, military-grade rifle. When the remaining shreds of Charlie's family dangles on the brink of assassination, he is forced to define his values and forge meaningful relationships. Amidst the conflict arises a twist of nature with mind-bending ferocity. Charles Ward is about to learn what a desperate man will do. Can he become whole again?