A state, love, and lore. An obsession pulls a scientist into a world not of her making. Like the tide she chases, she is drawn to depths past her imagination. Sandy is a Boothbay girl born and raised, a Mainer through and through. A mystery haunts her, lures her, and she finds herself amid people and predicaments far beyond the way life should be. The Tide of Deception is a love story, spy story, and science who-done-it. In Steve J. Hantzis' sophomore book, The Tide of Deception: Mystery on the Coast of Maine , the reader travels from small-town coastal Maine, to Russia and Korea, and all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Mixing mystery, history, oceanography, and romance into one book, The Tide of Deception follows the story of Sandy as her chance meeting with Brian leads her into a world far beyond that of a simple budding relationship, once she meets Brian's well-connected family. Enticed by the opportunity to view highly classified research regarding a local tide anomaly that piques both her personal and professional interests, Sandy finds herself suddenly submerged into an international game of chess that reaches far beyond the familiar shores of Boothbay. More than a mystery, The Tide of Deception is a book about both international espionage as well as the human desire for both knowledge and connection-and how these desires drive our choices in life and relationships with one another. Inspired by real events and narratively driven by the miraculous nature of the world, The Tide of Deception is the perfect summer read for mystery and nature lovers alike. -- Riley Coffman, Fordham University Steve authored his first book in 2017, Rails of War, published by the University of Nebraska Press. His second book, The Tide of Deception: Mystery on the Coast of Maine is set for release May 10, 2025, by Alinet, LLC.A retired international union representative turned author; Steve worked for more than thirty years in the American labor movement at the highest levels of union administration finishing his career at the International Association of Machinists headquarters. Childhood on a forty-acre farm in Central Indiana gave Steve a love for nature. He attended Indiana University, where he studied political science and later taught in IU's Division of Labor Studies. His degree in Labor Studies is from Antioch University. Steve's working career has spanned far and wide. Before entering the American Labor Movement as professional staff in 1984, he worked as a railroad freight brakeman-conductor. Steve and his wife, Kathleen, enjoy traveling, especially to their families in Greece and Ireland. They relax at their pleasant home in Maine. Hobbies include tennis, boating, fishing, and home projects. Steve also enjoys writing.