Guiding Daniel

Guiding Daniel details the meteoric rise and ultimate self-destruction of an American icon. It is at heart a murder mystery, but it is also an examination of America's somewhat dark obsession with celebrity. In a culture where fame is accepted as a pronouncement rather than achievment, celebrities provide the reality through which adoring fans live a virtual life. Ultimately, disgrace and downfall are themes that familiarize celebrities in a relatable way. We see that they too, are as flawed and human as the rest of us.




Danny Cagle is a gifted poet and musician whose star is on the rise. When his wife Laura goes missing he must balance a burgeoning career, the care of his one-year old son and a search for answers to Laura's disappearance. Predictably, as his fame increases, so does his drug usage, leading him into the kind of self-destruction that so emphatically defines an American icon.




Guiding Daniel is a story of creative success, revenge, and a fall from grace. It defines graphically Dostoevsky's contention that: "As long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and so painfully as to find someone to worship."




Guiding Daniel has all the elements to engage the reader. It has a believable plot progression that provides clues, twists and a culprit whose motives evolve over the course of the story, and finally, a conclusive resolution.