NASHVILLE, Tenn.—In his debut novel, The Soul of the Matter, Bruce Buff weaves suspense and faith into a story so real readers may find it difficult to discern where fiction ends and reality begins. Buff takes readers on an exhilarating ride as they follow Dan Lawson, a former cyber-intelligence analyst who is involved in a plot so dangerous he may not survive.
No one is more surprised than Dan when he hears from his estranged friend Stephen Bishop. A renowned geneticist, Stephen claims to have discovered information that will reveal all the mysteries of life, including proof of God’s existence, all hidden within DNA. With both Dan and Stephen long ago having abandoned their religious upbringing, Dan wonders just what could have his old friend making such irrational claims. Maybe the illness of Stephen’s only child, Ava, or things he is finding in his research caused him to fall back on the religion of his youth. Even though he has deep-seated doubts about Stephen’s claims, Dan decides to help Stephen protect his findings. He will soon discover all that entails.
Upon Stephen’s suspicious death, Dan must get to the bottom of the work his friend was doing. With the help of Trish Alighieri, Ava’s pediatric oncologist, Dan hopes to find the answers he desperately needs. Danger lingers as Dan realizes that he and Trish aren’t the only ones interested in Stephen’s work. What kind of evil are they dealing with? Will Dan and Trish be able to find the answers in time?
The Soul of the Matter successfully mixes faith and science into a book that readers won’t soon forget. They will be fascinated by Buff’s combination of fiction with a storyline that could happen in our world today. Full of unexpected twists and turns, The Soul of the Matter will leave readers wondering how this fast-paced thriller marked by the compelling combination of science, suspense, redemption, and faith could possibly be Buff’s debut novel.
Bruce Buff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Business School with finance degrees and has worked as a management consultant and information technology executive. After more years than he’d like to acknowledge, he completed his first novel. In his spare time, he enjoys running, bicycling, and being outdoors, especially on Cape Cod and in the Hudson Valley. Bruce and his wife, Claire, are the lucky parents of five children and currently reside in Westchester, NY.