Backstrap

BACKSTRAP

A Deaffroad Novel

A murder trial is supposed to bring answers.

Instead, it becomes the beginning of a nightmare.

As a high-profile homicide case unfolds in Knoxville, Tennessee, veteran detective Chuck Gunnar expects the courtroom battle to be the final chapter in a brutal crime. But when bodies begin appearing in increasingly disturbing circumstances, it becomes clear that the murder on trial is only a small piece of something far larger.

What begins as a criminal investigation quickly spirals into a race against a hidden organization operating in the shadows of East Tennessee. Bound by ancient symbolism, religious obsession, and a willingness to kill without hesitation, the group leaves a trail of ritualistic violence stretching from city streets to the remote wilderness of the Cumberland Plateau.

As victims disappear and the body count rises, Gunnar and his allies are forced into a desperate pursuit that leads deep into the rugged forests, caves, and river gorges of the Big South Fork. There they uncover a secret network driven by ideology, sacrifice, and a chilling vision of human awakening.

Caught between law and faith, reason and fanaticism, the investigators must confront an enemy that has spent years hiding in plain sight. Every clue reveals another layer of deception. Every answer raises darker questions. And with time running out, the hunt becomes a fight not only to stop a killer, but to prevent a carefully orchestrated catastrophe.

Set against the backdrop of East Tennessee's mountains, rivers, and small towns, Backstrap combines the tension of a courtroom thriller with the relentless pace of a serial-killer investigation. Rich in regional atmosphere and driven by unforgettable characters, it is a story of loyalty, sacrifice, justice, and the dangerous power of belief.

Written by veteran trial attorney and novelist Kit Rodgers, Backstrap delivers a gripping blend of crime fiction, psychological suspense, and Southern noir that will appeal to readers of The Silence of the Lambs, Mystic River, and The Lincoln Lawyer.