The Reflectory

A husband and wife, mourning the loss of their child...

A revered genius, murdered inside his own creation...

A centuries-old invention, with the key to ultimate enlightenment.

Step onto the grounds of a secluded estate... and fall into the extraordinary. After the death of his son in a car wreck two years ago, Alex Fitzgerald is overcome by a condition known as synesthesia. His thoughts transform into abstract paintings; layered, textured, and visual. Life, tenuous and fleeting life, becomes earthy and sweet like cinnamon. The condition subsides but is replaced by something even more abstract.

Kate, his dear wife, having also just lost her mother, must cope with the two devastating deaths while trying to stay in love with a gifted, yet troubled husband. So when the couple receives an invitation to stay at a secluded estate near Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, it's a marriage-saving offer they can't refuse. But from the moment they arrive, the romantic tranquility of the grounds is an illusion. A bizarre man running through the woods tells Alex, "The Reflectory is not finished, it's never finished, it needs someone," while warning him about a "Tin Man."

AT ITS OPENING ARE THE REVELATIONS YOU HAVE SOUGHT

An antique boat with a most unusual design hangs on chains in the boathouse at the ready; a conspicuous door that seemingly opens to a stone wall is locked tight.

AT ITS CORE, ENLIGHTENMENT

Enigmatic notes in Latin and a guestbook entry left by the murdered owner hint of a secret creation made by Isaac Newton.

AT ITS END, DELIVERANCE

Part romantic suspense, part thriller, The Reflectory is about the texture of ideas, the contour of thoughts, the color of emotion. It's about finding the one thing missing in life ... without knowing you were looking for it.

"The Reflectory opens the door to a refreshingly new way of looking at the human intellect."
-Dennis Herschbach, author of Convergence at Two Harbors.

Geared toward readers interested in any of the following keywords: romantic suspense, lighthouses, shipwrecks, big storms, strong female characters, secluded estates, secret messages, supernatural suspense, hidden entrances, antique boats, cliffs, Isaac Newton, synesthesia, psychological thriller, architecture, and the meaning of life.

Dan Cashman was born and raised in South St. Paul, Minnesota and attended college at Saint Cloud State University. He studied abroad in England at Alnwick Castle (film location for Harry Potter movies) and backpacked extensively throughout Europe and Russia. In the years since, his travels and adventures include his wife and two kids. These experiences shape his writing more than anything else. Of all the places he’s been, his home-base vacation spot has always been Lake Superior. From the shipwrecks and lighthouses to the big Nor’easter storms and amazing scenery, the area is an ideal setting for a story. The Reflectory, Cashman’s first novel, takes place in the shadows of Split Rock Lighthouse.