Dead Men's Tales

Ben Strickland is a disgruntled factory worker whose life is going down the tubes before his eyes. He dreams of becoming a successful writer, but when fortune finally smiles upon him, it comes at a cost. The secret of his success? Murder.Dead Men#xE2;#xAC;"s Tales is a 92,000 word novel, the story of Ben Strickland#xE2;#xAC;"s transformation from a lowly machine operator to a critically acclaimed writer. Simultaneously, it is the story of his transformation from a surly blue collar worker to a deranged sociopath. One day, when Ben#xE2;#xAC;"s frustrations at the factory where he works finally boil over and he snaps on a co-worker, he is forced into therapy at his employer#xE2;#xAC;"s insistence. There, he is prescribed a relatively new mood-altering drug. This drug, combined with painkillers and his typical over-indulgence of alcohol, causes Ben to have hallucinations-- namely, his dog, Bruno, begins speaking to him and suggesting that he commit murder. In a blackout, Ben does just this and to his surprise, the next day he is offered a deal on his first book. He recognizes the pattern, kills again and another of his books is published. He follows this formula for success as he spirals into madness. Detective Dave Hellman is assigned to the case and seeks to put a stop to the quickly-expanding list of missing people in Montrose, Indiana, becoming Ben#xE2;#xAC;"s nemesis. As Hellman puts together the pieces of the puzzle and begins to suspect Ben of the murders, Ben sets his sights on the detective and his girlfriend, Penny, leading to a fiery climax.