The Maenad's God

Pete Morrow is an alienated FBI agent whose only escape from thecolleagues and society he despises is through reading literary classics. Whenhis boss sends him to warn away a drug dealer on an obscure army base, hediscovers a murder and becomes obsessed with Jade McClellan, a mysterious manwhose rock band just performed at the crime scene. Tough-guy Morrow has neverbeen in love before—but Jade is almost magical, an embodiment of myth andliterature who creates living fantasies that rapidly become the only thingMorrow values in his otherwise miserable life. But there's a problem. Morrow isinvestigating a mafia family that is investing in Jade's musical career. Beingopen about their relationship could get both of them killed. Morrow'sinvestigation annihilates his hard-boiled understanding of reality when helearns that Jade is an abandoned, mortal son of Dionysus, the god whose energyinforms hard rock. Jade's mafia support is being arranged by Dirty PennyStarmaker, a witch who started life in 5th century BCE Athens, where shereceived a divine mandate to promote brilliant musicians throughout history.Penny is warring with Hugh McCrae, a primeval, human-like "monster"who has currently incarnated himself as a congressional aide with an unhealthyinterest in Morrow's work. McCrae (rhymes with "decay") carries hisown divine mandate to promote cultural decline by eradicating creativity andart. This includes Jade, his music, and Morrow's newfound happiness. Aseamless blend of psychological thriller, dark satire, magical realism, LGBTQromantic suspense, and myth, The Maenad's God is the story of a spiritual warthat's been fought for thousands of years; the war between the ancient arts ofmusic, poetry, and love; and the equally ancient forces of artistic envy,oppressive law, and authoritarian religion.