Synopsis "Soulburn (in English)"
No one knows what lies beneath the surface of another human being: what they desire, what questionable things they have done, and what they are willing to do to get what they want. We take comfort in knowing, or at least hoping, that the skeletons we keep in the closet will never see the light of day. We live on a thin edge, balancing fantasy against reality, always wary of letting the monster inside of us out of the cage, or worse yet, that we may come across someone who already has. It is the thin veil of control that we all exist behind, and our four main characters are about to face the consequences of lifting that veil. Roofy Reiner is a Russian ex-wrestler fighting his inner demon, quite literally. Losing control of his body to evil inhibitions and forced out of wrestling for crippling an opponent, his life has dwindled to a pale shadow of its former self. Spending his days lifting weights and being emotionally whipped by a self-indulging tyrant for a wife, Roofy longs to leave and start over, but he no longer has the mental fortitude to see the plans through. A phone call and a teenage girl are about to change all of that, sending him down a road that will have Roofy rediscovering himself and facing his worst fears. Saddled with news of a fatal health issue, that he believes is actually demonic possession, and framed for murder, the Russian leaves town with Constance, his youthful neighbor. Longing to escape the boring routines of her dull existence and a mother too self-engaged to be tolerated, the girl invites herself on a journey that will have life-altering ramifications. None of that matters to Constance, though, who is smitten with the ex-wrestler; all she needs to do is continue to control his decisions. She has learned all too quickly that her innocent beauty and cunning words will accomplish that goal. Unbeknownst to either, a serial killer is following them. Bent on revenge and blaming Roofy for the transformation that has left him a blood dealing night-stalker, Ambrose has left a trail of grizzly carnage in his wake. Dressing women up as superheroines and disposing of their lives in horrifically unique ways, the crazed, vampire-like murderer is determined to kill everyone the Russian ex-wrestler cares for, culminating in the demise of Roofy himself. Hot on the case of the crimes is Richmond P.D. Detective Laura Stenks. Torn between her duties as a law enforcement officer and her twisted desires to sexually reenact the murders being investigated, Laura races to catch up to the unsuspecting travelers before it's too late. The only thing more important than saving them is keeping control of her own haunted, abusive past, and perhaps, her lust for the Russian's physical pleasures. It is an erotic dance on the edge that she cannot resist. The only thing in the way is a teenage girl. The four of them, destinies entangled, will collide in the heart of sin city, but will their secrets - their frailties - make them stronger or destroy them all? It all comes down to control...and the lack of it. Frailty is a character driven novel at heart, but it's roots are all science fiction. If you like your sci-fi chock full of sarcastic demons, vampires, erotica, and jaw-dropping revelations, then this is the story for you.
