About the Author Charles Patton is a novelist and award-winning screenwriter whose fiction blends sharp observation, moral complexity, and strong storytelling. His character-driven mysteries and historical tales invite readers into hidden worlds-where motive matters and the truth rarely comes easy. In addition to his fiction, Charles has written bestselling books on Mastering Strategy, Thinking, and Extreme Leadership. He holds a math degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA in economics from the University of Chicago-but credits his real education to a lifetime of hard work and close observation. He lives in Orlando with his wife, close to their daughter and grandchildren. His son and grandsons are further north, in a less agreeable time zone. Find more of his work at charlespattonbooks.com.