Toxin

Jake Telemark, a junior US Senator, is ensnared in a plot he can scarcely believe, but one which targets him along with his friends and associates. Called upon to re-open a part of his life long hidden, Jake must confront his own past as he faces rising turmoil in the nation he loves and serves. The beautiful Isadore Hathaway beckons him, supports him, and directs him to pick up arms on behalf of himself, his country, and, in the end, their relationship.

Jake Telemarck is a junior senator from Wisconsin who enjoys his position as a moderate, common-sense legislator. His life is moving along nicely until he receives a phone call from Isadore Hathaway, the daughter of a famed but deceased US senator. Isadore arranges a clandestine meeting with Jake to tell him about a plot by a group of fanatical right-wing evangelicals (the Bookeepers) who plan to destroy US democracy and replace it with a theological oligarchy. She wants him to kill these men. Jake is taken aback at first and refuses to get involved. Isadore bolsters his motivation by telling him that he has been targeted by this group as a potential obstacle to their plan. In addition, he realizes that Isadore has discovered a part of his past that had long been buried. When in the military, he was part of a secret group of assassins. Jake refuses to get involved until parts of Isadore's scenario start to come true. Despite his vow to himself never to harm another person, he agrees to help Isadore stop these men. But the rebellion is deeper and more entrenched than he believed, and events conspire to put Isadore and Jake-as well as the US government--on the defensive. The outcome is far from certain in this fast-paced, first-person narrative.

Paul Martin Midden began writing fiction late in his career. He was drawn to the magic of creating new characters who appeared to have minds and lives of their own. Writing fiction provides an imaginative experience not available in many professions. Paul’s writing has been well-received. His first novel, Absolution (2007), was about a priest torn between his public vows and his personal needs and desires. It was followed by Toxin (2009), a political thriller, recently re-released, and in some ways was a precursor to his most recent book, Indivisible? In 2011, One Voice Too Many, was released. This psychological thriller plumbed the depths of a well-meaning but wounded man’s soul. Most recently, Indivisible? The Story of the Second American Civil War (2013) imagines an effort to break-up the United States. It builds on recent tensions in our political conversation. In this novel, divergent home-grown interest groups put aside their differences to attempt the unthinkable. Indivisible has been described as timely, raw, riveting, and realistic. Paul practiced clinical psychology for over thirty years. He received his MA and Ph.D. from St. Louis University. While in practice, he worked in multiple intensive settings, such as hospitals and residential care centers. In 1992, he founded an independent treatment center that provided broad-based treatment for many psychological and behavioral disorders. Paul’s work in recent years focused on the clinical needs of clergy, particularly Catholic priests and religious, who experienced distress or behavioral challenges. His non-fiction work includes New Creations, a book which describes treatment approaches for ordained clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. Paul recently founded Wittmann Blair, a publishing company which coordinates the publication of his work and oversees the quality of publication. Paul’s other interests include historic restoration, travel, fitness, and wine tasting. He and his wife Patricia renovated an 1895 Romanesque home designed by Theodore Link in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1995, and continue to enjoy urban living.