Twisted Dreams

Twisted Dreams is both a mystery and a cautionary tale of human frailty. Lufthansa flight 336 is shot down by a missile near the border of Russia and Tataristan. All 485 souls on board are killed. Who shot it down and why? When the Airbus 380 wreckage rains down near the village of Azkir, no one on the ground dies - at first. Yet the impact is soon felt by many. Elam Borah, a struggling village violinist, finds and steals a priceless Giovanni Grato violin from the crash site, then becomes famous after reporter Anne Windsor films him playing "Ave Maria" amid the wreckage. Elam's sudden fame wins him a place in the National Symphony, but his success is built on pride and weakness, not skill. The crash intensifies political violence between Tataristan loyalists and Rusyn separatists, including riots, a failed train sabotage, and government/military cover-up efforts. Elam is pulled into an affair with the beautiful cellist Liora Nefferiva. He becomes involved with her radical aunt Latisha and the Rusyn militants she supports. His marriage to Mirim deteriorates. And still the central tragedy, the horrific crime, remains unexplained. This extraordinary novel explores human frailty, and the catastrophe that can result from twisted dreams.