John E Sheehan

B'ville John E Sheehan

Dooley Blake has just turned 40. He is facing an identity crisis and his conscience is plagued with guilt. Five years earlier, he left B'ville after feeling emasculated by a humiliating divorce that stripped him of his property and parental rights. He rode his Harley west to San Francisco, California to accept a job as a mandolin player with a bluegrass band. In order to keep up his child support payments, Dooley is forced to leave music and take on work as a bounty hunter and then as a private investigator chasing down witnesses. After one of these witnesses is brutally murdered, Dooley is blamed and forced to leave San Francisco. Returning home, Dooley receives a cool reception from his mother, Flora Blake, a shrewd, hardworking business woman with a strong religious faith. Dooley learns from his mother that his teenage son, Andy, had a fistfight with his stepfather, Lance Butler, who accused the boy of making advances. Dooley learns soon afterward that his son is gay. Dooley's homecoming becomes more contentious after he uncovers some shocking secrets about his father's past life and how they intertwine with small town racism and bigotry. During a confrontation with his son, Dooley discovers that Andy has prodigious talent as a musician. Dooley manages to find some common ground with Andy through their shared love of playing music. They set out on a father/son odyssey to New York City so Andy can have his shot at a competition to win a music school scholarship. During their journey, Dooley makes important discoveries about his son, his father and himself that lead to a life changing set of experiences. About the cover: The cover illustration is a bird's eye view of B'ville as envisioned and rendered in acrylic on canvas by the author, John Sheehan.