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A Death in the Family

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Mark Pifher is a 1974 graduate of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) with a major in English/Education and a minor in Comparative Literature.  After teaching at the secondary level, he obtained a law degree from UW and for over forty years worked as an attorney and utility manager in the water and natural resources arena.  Now retired, he has returned to his original love of literature.  He hopes to continue writing works of fiction as he travels the world with his wife, Wendy.
About
Story

A Death in the Family

Tom O’Brien, a journalist, has lost his wife, Laura, to cancer.  Katie, his college aged daughter, and Katie’s older brother, Brian, no longer have a mother.  In an attempt to mend a strained family relationship, father and daughter agree to jointly write a journal, the content of which will focus on their investigation into the brutal murder of a local political operative.
Their efforts will trigger a chain of tragic events, some planned, others seemingly fortuitous.  They will uncover a pattern of sexual harassment and assaults in a Congressional office which will lead, in one way or another, to the deaths of Brian’s fiancé, the convicted murderer, the father of Katie’s best friend, and a United States Senator.  Each of these deaths, beginning with the passing of Laura O’Brien, will expose hidden secrets and personal vulnerabilities that will require father and daughter to recognize the existence of an inextinguishable familial light before they can escape a period of profound darkness.
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Reviews

AWARDED 
READERS' FAVORITE 
5-STAR SEAL
(Highest Rating)

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“…author Mark Pifher artfully blends the elements of crime, mystery, and drama into engaging literary entertainment….Pifher’s entry into this genre is truly admirable. Ultimately, A Death in the Family proves a well-crafted, audience engaging story, that delivers complex family dynamics amidst unexpected tragedy and mayhem.”  - Pacific Book Review

"...an affecing story, emotionally unflinching and unsentimental with no false notes.  A moving family drama seamlessly combined with a captivating tale of murder." - Kirkus Reviews 
“The author skillfully depicts the irony of deferred dreams...Readers in search of wandering in pursuit of depth...will enjoy this book." - The U.S. Review of Books 
“…A very immersive and engrossing work of fiction….” – 5 Stars Readers’ Favorite
“A fantastic mystery that will make you lose yourself in its pages….the pace was perfect and the action was relentless….A Death In The Family was perfect.”
– 5 Stars Readers’ Favorite
“The pivotal event in this story…is a scene worthy of a front page….A Death In The Family is one of a kind….there is no disappointment in a story where the psychological suspense sets the bar high.”
– 5 Stars Readers’ Favorite
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