After her daughter's tragic death, Laurel Peterson jumped in front of a truck, but her attempt at suicide failed. She was left on the side of the road with broken legs and a broken soul. The truck driver stopped to help. Hank Blevins, a veteran of savage fighting in Afghanistan, looked into her eyes and oddly found someone he could understand. Laurel's husband, Jack Peterson, a well know business man from Charleston's high society, had refused to accept mental illness in his family, and would not allow her to seek medical attention for her depression. Prior to her suicide, the dilemma drove her to alcohol, divorce, and a life on the street. Her future appeared hopeless with nowhere to go and no one to care. Due to the untenable rift with her abusive husband, few options were available. But while Laurel recovered from her injuries, Hank is compelled to visit her in the hospital. They build a relationship of mutual support by sharing the tragic stories of their flawed lives. With the developing friendship, Hank offers Laurel a place to live until she finds a better alternative. Hank had served two years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and now works for a moving company as a condition of his parole. The company's manager, Bubba Jaborski, and Hank's parole officer, conspire to force paroled convicts to deliver drugs or return to jail. The violent and threatening activities of his boss and co-workers put Hank in dire straits as he struggles to live a good life. When Hank finally reveals to Laurel that he had spent time in prison, she leaves and returns to a nightmarish existence with her husband in their South of Broad home. Driven by the belief that her existence diminished his reputation and position in society, Jack taunts and threatens her. The abuse and lack of proper medication push Laurel back to depression, alcohol, and finally a psychotic episode that almost kills her. She calls Hank and gets a lawyer to help with a divorce. Jack and his long time business partner have a failing commercial development. To avoid bankruptcy they join forces with Hank's boss, Bubba, to launder drug money as an investment to save their business. This perilous arrangement leads to big problems with an international crime syndicate and a dangerous confrontation for Hank. With all of these troubles, Hank struggles to be a good citizen, and to become Laurel's savior, but needs a champion of his own to survive the complex minefield at work. How will these two survive the odds? Will love find a way? Author, Bob Spearman's dramatic thriller, Hard Road, provides a story with plenty of action while putting a spotlight on mental illness and domestic abuse as common conditions eroding the fabric of our society. The setting is Charleston, South Carolina. Also read, Turf and Surf, a fun thriller about lifeguards and bumbling crooks on the Carolina beaches.