The Change Paradox (The Catalyst Series)

Detective Katheryn Sanders has spent years trying to solve her brother’s murder after witnessing him gunned down in a Chicago alley by a man who vanished without a trace.

She never got answers, never got closure.
And she never stopped looking.

Now, a new case surfaces evidence that shouldn’t exist, details that don’t align, records that contradict themselves, and three strangers who seem bound by a shared past no one can explain.

As Sanders digs deeper, the lines between past and present begin to blur.

The case isn’t just reopening old wounds—it’s dragging her back to the night that shattered her life.

And the closer she gets to the truth, the more it feels like something is waiting for her there.

To uncover what really happened, Sanders must confront the impossible… and the part of herself that never moved on.

Because some wounds refuse to heal.

Steven W. Strackbein is a Wisconsinbasedauthor and the founder ofSisyphus Triumphant Publishing.He began writing speculative fictionwhile serving in the military, drawingon a background in psychology andmental health counseling to explorethe complexities of humanbehavior under pressure.His work often examines moralinjury, fractured identity, and theways individuals adapt when systemsfail. It blends grounded realism with speculative elements, focusingon the tension between choice, consequence, and survival.He is a member of the Wisconsin Writers Association and hasattended their Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat.He also participates in a local conferences and writing group, wheremany of his ideas are first tested.Steven lives in Wisconsin with his wife, Tanya, and their dogs. Whennot writing, he enjoys cooking and traveling.