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The Handyman

A Novel

Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Who is the father of Brenna’s daughter?

When Brenna Riley and Dennis Griffin meet on the Stanford rowing team, they are immediately and inexorably drawn to each other. Their attraction leads to an ill-fated hookup. For Brenna, that’s the end of the relationship. But for Dennis, it’s the beginning of an obsession.

What follows is a nearly forty-year preoccupation for Dennis. Everything about Brenna, from her relationships to the strands of hair in her brush, is at the center of his thoughts. But as his efforts to win her over escalate and fail, Dennis focuses his attention on what he’s come to think of as the next best thing: her daughter, Sadie.

A haunting, thrilling story about what happens when strong attractions are ignored, The Handyman follows Dennis and Brenna through marriages, addictions, and even an untimely death.

About The Author

Maura K. Deering studied creative writing at the University of Washington. She worked as a writer and communications director at the University of California, Davis, and practiced law for fifteen years. After retiring from her practice in 2019, she returned to writing. She has published essays in the Seattle Weekly and Bird Watcher’s Digest, and articles in ParentMap, UC Davis Magazine, and the King County Bar Bulletin. Located in Seatlle, Deering currently writes educational, healthcare, and technology web content for Red Ventures.

Product Details

  • Publisher: She Writes Press (September 26, 2023)
  • Length: 280 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781647425081

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Raves and Reviews

“. . . Deering’s command of the creepiness will keep readers engrossed. A claustrophobic, tense tale of destructive desire.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Propelled by the art of rowing and the complex timing of a love triangle, this is an unusual tale. Deering compels us to question if the lover ever was a lover, and then she brings him onto the family property. The Handyman is a complex web well-suited to our times.”
—Kathryn Trueblood, Take Daily As Needed

The Handyman is an excellent novel. I couldn’t quit reading it. Deering’s adroitness with character development made them seem like friends to me, and I wanted to know what my new friends were going to do. Deering’s knowledge of rowing propels the story along and adds an interesting new element.”

―Bud Cooper, screenwriter, director, producer

The Handyman is a compelling story of obsession and loss. The story’s cast of characters is beautifully flawed and at the same time endearingly familiar. This is one of those books that’s hard to put down and creates an urgency in the reader’s mind to return to the story to resolve questions and mysteries.”

―Sharon Y. Cobb, author of False Confessions of a True Hollywood Screenwriter

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