Perish: Murder in Wicker Park — Tom Steele

At forty-one years of age, University of Chicago Associate Professor Robert Bradford finds himself trapped in a world not of his own making. Manipulated into pursuing an academic career by a domineering mother, emasculated by the financial success of his wife, and pressured by the university to publish, his discontent grows. Seeking answers for the perplexities in his life, Bradford reexamines his existence and engages in an extramarital affair, pushing himself further and further away from his UC colleagues and his Wicker Park family. Unable to connect with his creative core and believing he is powerless to break away from his past, Professor Bradford compromises his principles in order to fulfill the demands of publish or perish. In the end, the reckless compromise costs him his life, and sends his wife and his student lover on a common mission to uncover the mystery of who killed Professor Robert Bradford. About the Author: Tom Steele is a retired high school teacher. During his career in education, Tom's teaching abilities were recognized with the following honors: the PTA Educator of the Year Award, the Western Illinois Master Teacher Award, the Illinois Board of Education's Award of Excellence, the Channel One Teacher Award, a USA Today Teacher Team Award, the American Councils Excellence in Teaching Award, the U.S. State Department Russian-American Art Exchange Award, and four Western Illinois University's Most Inspirational Teacher Awards. Tom served as a Staff Sergeant in Cu Chi, Vietnam. He is the recipient of two Army Commendation Medals and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He resides in Illinois with his wife, Linda. Tom is the author of Muddy Water: Romance and Murder in Henry County.