A Confluence of Strangers

In a quiet, unassuming town, three strangers find their lives intertwined by an event that seems anything but ordinary- an unsettling murder that casts a long shadow over the community. As the story unfolds, each of these three unique individuals takes their turn sharing their journey of discovering the others. What begins as a dark mystery soon reveals itself to be a tale of unexpected connections, a hidden love story, and the unraveling of one person’ s deeply unusual past. At the heart of A Confluence of Strangers is an unlikely bond between Alex, an enigmatic older man with a mysterious past; Anna, a cafe owner seeking refuge after a high-pressure career in government; and Leon, a thoughtful university professor with a passion for literature. As their shared love for good food, meaningful conversation, and a thrilling mystery pulls them together, they find that their differences are the very thing that unites them in a story of redemption and discovery. This poignant novel celebrates the transformative power of friendship and love, offering a powerful reminder that even in the face of life’ s darkest questions, connection and compassion can light the way.

Author Biography

Fullbright scholar and emeritus professor of English at Willamette University, Michael Strelow is the author of The Greening of Ben Brown, a finalist for the Ken Kesey Novel Prize, Henry: A Novel of Beer and Love in the West, Some Assembly Required. nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in science fiction, and The Moby-Dick Blues. He has also published several middle grade books, poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction in many literary magazines such as Orchid Magazine, Oregon Quarterly, Sou’ wester, CutBank, Northwest Review, Kansas Quarterly, Mid-west Poetry Review, Poetry Midwest, Bellingham Review, Willow Springs, and others.