The Handyman: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Who is the father of Brennas daughter

When Brenna Riley and Dennis Griffin meet on the Stanford rowing team, they are immediately and inexorably drawn to each other. Their attraction leads to an ill-fated hookup. For Brenna, thats the end of the relationship. But for Dennis, its the beginning of an obsession.

What follows is a nearly forty-year preoccupation for Dennis. Everything about Brenna, from her relationships to the strands of hair in her brush, is at the center of his thoughts. But as his efforts to win her over escalate and fail, Dennis focuses his attention on what hes come to think of as the next best thing: her daughter, Sadie.

A haunting, thrilling story about what happens when strong attractions are ignored, The Handyman follows Dennis and Brenna through marriages, addictions, and even an untimely death.

Reviews

Propelled by the art of rowing and the complex timing of a love triangle, this is an unusual tale. Deering compels us to question if the lover ever was a lover, and then she brings him onto the family property. The Handyman is a complex web well-suited to our times.

Kathryn Trueblood, Take Daily As Needed

The Handymanis an excellent novel. I couldnt quit reading it. Deerings adroitness with character development made them seem like friends to me, and I wanted to know what my new friends were going to do. Deerings knowledge of rowing propels the story along and adds an interesting new element.

Bud Cooper, screenwriter, director, producer

The Handymanis a compelling story of obsession and loss. The storys cast of characters is beautifully flawed and at the same time endearingly familiar. This is one of those books thats hard to put down and creates an urgency in the readers mind to return to the story to resolve questions and mysteries.

Sharon Y. Cobb, author ofFalse Confessions of a True Hollywood Screenwriter

Author Bio

Maura K. Deering studied creative writing at the University of Washington. She worked as a writer and communications director at the University of California, Davis, and practiced law for fifteen years. After retiring from her practice in 2019, she returned to writing. She has published essays in the Seattle Weekly and Bird Watchers Digest, and articles in ParentMap, UC Davis Magazine, and the King County Bar Bulletin. Located in Seatlle, Deering currently writes educational, healthcare, and technology web content for Red Ventures.