UNKNOWN

Jacob Fallon, a failed author, plans to win back his family, but then he's ensnared in a deadly, Faustian pact.

• FINALIST: Feathered Quill Book Awards - 2025 - Adult Fiction

Jacob looks to drown his sorrows at the neighborhood bar, where he's compelled by the insidious proposition of a sinister figure who approaches him. For a life-changing sum, he must locate four designated strangers and make the case for their lives. He has two weeks.

So begins a race against time to save the lives of four unwitting souls, including that of his son, who means more to him than life itself. To succeed, he must confront his greatest frailties and unearth the darkest of secrets. Along the way, after stripping everything else away, he discovers what truly authors our very lives.

EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a literary suspense tale tinged with snippets of magical realism, in a harrowing journey where one man seeks to truly learn how to live, when all he has come to live for appears lost.

"Daryl Rothman's Gospel... is unique. I've never read a book with this plot, and it's a refreshing addition to the suspense genre. Rothman's ability to weave a deeply personal and universally relatable story makes this novel stand out." Readers' Favorite Book Reviews

From childhood I kindled three dreams: to one day become a father, a writer, and a baseball player.

Two of three ain't bad. (I shall neither confirm nor deny holding out deluded hope for the third.) Most of what I write is fiction, but not all. I write the occasional article and guest post, and conduct some interviews. I'm an English major, have a masters in social work, and have been a nonprofit leader for many years. I am crazy for sports and animals, am helplessly in love with the written word, and am eternally grateful for my family, who make me luckier than I could ever deserve.