Retired Kentucky Wesleyan professor Mike Fagan has long used the quieter winter months to dive into major writing projects. This year, he returns to the fictional city of Winston, Tennessee — the backdrop of his first novel — to explore pressing contemporary issues in his latest work, “Murders on Fraternity Row.”
Drawing from the national discourse on mass shootings and the rise in anti-Semitism, Fagan crafted a narrative centered around a manhunt reminiscent of the real-life chase for Daniel Cavalcante in rural Pennsylvania.
“I thought a similar chase through the wilderness would make for interesting reading,” he said.
Fagan enlisted the expertise of a retired police officer and a retired reporter to fine-tune and review his drafts. He said his wife Beverly, a retired English teacher and an avid reader, also helped strengthen the novel.
As a psychologist, Fagan conducted research with veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, some of them suffering from PTSD. He also facilitated group therapy sessions with people experiencing a variety of psychological problems.
“These work-related experiences enabled me to realistically tell that part of the story,” he said.
The novel is available online at Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. Fagan is also donating a copy to the Daviess County Public Library.
As for what’s next, Fagan remains open to inspiration for future projects, stating, “I will continue to write, although I am currently considering what the next big topic will be.”
