Because of His Heart
by Stephen A Marvin

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Because of His Heart is literary fiction, a psychological drama with intimately-drawn characters and unforeseen trials. A happy marriage is challenged after an incidence of hurtful intimacy and a failure of communication. As Erica Seames and Charles Portland struggle to reconcile and recover their lives, a trusted counselor is in their midst---who kills for love. Erica is losing her identity and purpose. How could she have been so wrong about her husband? Charles is shocked by this personal tragedy, but as a reporter who knows his beat, he is determined to understand. "I am not a bad man, I am not." He had acted foolishly, even meanly, but as he considers his joyful marriage of eight years, he discovers that there is something vital he is missing. As Erica flees New York for her childhood home, Toronto, an anonymous blog is her creation and refuge. She is never alone. Yet when Charles discovers Erica's online diary, he no longer recognizes his wife or himself in her anguished assertions. To whom can he turn? In this chilling psychological drama, abuse, infidelity, psychological manipulation and calculated malice draw a group of near-strangers together to save Erica---in pursuit of elusive justice.

www.stephenamarvin.com

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"A taut, beautifully written psychological thriller about desire, deceit, and the fragile limits of understanding." – The Prairies Book Review

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Stephen A Marvin is a Canadian-American author, violinist, and craftsman. The son of a writer and a librarian, he spent thirty-five years performing, recording, and touring the world with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto―one of the world's foremost period instrument ensembles―while quietly developing the literary fiction that would become his most significant creative work. Because of His Heart, his debut novel, is the product of nearly a decade of writing and revision. Drawing on his deep immersion in music, language, and human psychology, Marvin has crafted a novel about the cost of silence―what happens when two intelligent people stop being able to speak honestly to each other, and what rushes in to fill the space that silence creates. The novel has received fine professional reviews from eight literary outlets, was named to Shelf Media's Top 100 Notable Books of 2025, and was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Canadian Book Club Awards. His second novel, Francis - an adventure set in Northern Kenya - is complete. Stephen lives in Toronto with his wife of twenty years, two grown children, a brown tabby cat, and a fuzzy terrier.

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Stephen A Marvin

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