Chinese Handcuffs

Dillon is living with the painful memory of his brother’s suicide — and the role he played in it.

To keep his mind and body occupied, he trains intensely for the Ironman triathlon. But outside of practice, his life seems to be falling apart.

Writing unmailed letters to Preston in a private journal, he struggles to process the bitter guilt he cannot share with his father. Pushing through fifty-mile bike rides and freezing roadwork gives his body an outlet, but the memories refuse to stay buried.

At Chief Joseph High School, he works as the girls’ basketball team trainer, clashing with a vice-principal who demands obedience he cannot give. Facing an administration that expects him to fail, he fights to keep his explosive temper from boiling over.

Then Dillon finds a confidante in Jennifer, a star high school basketball player who’s hiding her own set of destructive secrets. Together, they must find the courage to confront their demons — before it’s too late.

• Sports Fiction: Jennifer commands every inch of the basketball court with relentless physical grit, channelling her inner pain into fierce defense and championship-level play.
• Emotional Abuse: Behind Jennifer’s athletic honors lies a nightmare orchestrated by her stepfather, an untouchable attorney who uses chilling threats against her younger sister Dawn to keep her silent.
• Found Family: Dillon leans on Stacy Ryder, his brother’s former girlfriend, who is raising an infant son while trying to rebuild her own shattered life.
• Mental Health: When the pressure pushes Jennifer to the brink atop an icy park water tower, Dillon puts his own body on the line to prove that neither of them has to carry their grief alone.
• Also by This Author: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Deadline and Whale Talk.