Inheritance

by Steven E. Wedel

Lynette Cook knows about abuse. She learned it from her father and, later, had the lessons reinforced by the boyfriend she thought was her savior. Free at last from her own tormentors, Lynette now lives with her teenage daughter Kari in a small town in Oklahoma. Then one day she comes home from the grocery store to find her daughter’s boyfriend and his two buddies raping Kari. Blinded by rage, Lynette shoots one of the boys and locks the other two in her storm cellar.


Lynette surprises herself at the ease in which she disposes of the body during a record rainy season and smoothly lies to investigating police. But in the days that follow, Lynette must face the fact that her torture of the two captive boys is as cruel as the treatment she received at the hands of her father and ex-husband.
Meanwhile, the date rape drug has worn off and Kari is wondering why her boyfriend won’t return her calls. She has unfocused memories of partying with him and his friends and, although she can’t pinpoint why, she blames her mom for whatever happened next that is keeping them apart.


As Kari’s memory sharpens, Lynette’s unrelenting rage against men drives her to an ever darker state of mind until finally Kari learns the grisly truth. In a final showdown between mother, daughter, and boyfriend, a choice has to be made.


Who will inherit the title of victim?

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2014

About the author

I’ve been writing stories since I was a teenager dreaming of fame and fortune in the literary world. While I’m still waiting on the fortune part, I’ve published over 50 books, mostly in horror, but also in literary fiction, thrillers, Westerns, young adult, and children’s genres—sometimes under other names.

My writing tends to explore the darker sides of life, often blending the supernatural with raw human emotion. If you like slow-burn psychological horror with depth, you’ll probably find something on my shelf worth reading.

In my other lives, I’ve worked as a machinist, journalist, corporate writer, public relations guy, and English teacher. I have a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Oklahoma, and a background in journalism, too. I'm a lifelong Oklahoman, currently living in the central part of the state with a couple of dogs, a cat, and too many books.

When I'm not writing, I'm probably kayaking, camping, or spending time with my kids and grandkids.

Feel free to reach out—I enjoy connecting with readers.