Daniel Island author explores the mind of a sociopath in new thriller
Most Wednesday nights at the Daniel Island Library are quiet – except in the back room, where writers are casually talking about sociopaths, oil fields, and the mechanics of psychological manipulation as if it’s just another step in character development.
That’s where Daniel Island author Steve Hadden has been refining his latest work, “The Mentor’s Daughter,” a psychological thriller released April 28 that asks an unsettling question: what happens when the person you need most might be the most dangerous one in the room?
Hadden didn’t arrive at the idea gently. It came, he says, from a real-world source that stuck.
“The novel was inspired by the book, “Sociopath,” by Patric Gagne. It’s a memoir by a sociopath who later became a PhD in clinical psychology. It knocked around in my head for a year while I finished my last book, “The Secret That Killed You,” then it took shape when I combined it with characters based on my oilfield experiences in Oklahoma.”
In simpler terms, as Hadden puts it, “It’s 'Landman' meets Freida McFadden.”
The result is a dark psychological thriller set in Tulsa’s most polished circles, where wealth, charm, and danger often overlap. At the center is Eli Scott, a haunted oilman, and a therapist pulled into an uneasy alliance with people who may or may not be telling the truth as they try to save the man who once saved him.
But the tension, Hadden says, isn’t just about plot. It’s about proximity.
“After researching the premise, I discovered that we encounter sociopathy far more frequently than we know,” Hadden said. “One in 25 people in the United States have sociopathic traits. I wondered what someone would do if they absolutely had to rely on one. How would they know? What could they do to sort the lies from the truth? What are the dangers of dealing with them in that situation?”
Those questions sit underneath the novel like a pulse: quiet, persistent, and unsettling.
Still, Hadden says the goal isn’t just psychological unease. “I hope readers find the characters memorable, feeling their pain and their joy, as they face life’s challenges and are forced to learn something about themselves and the world around them.”
A former oilman turned full-time author, Hadden draws on his industry background and interest in psychology in his fiction. He’spublished several books but says his process has become increasingly character-driven over time.
“I outline quite a bit but allow the characters and their stories to take me where they want to go. As I’ve written more, the characters drive the plot even more.”
A key part of that evolution, he says, has come through the Daniel Island Writers Group, which meets weekly at the library and functions less like a workshop and more like a creative ecosystem.
“It’s exposed me to more genres and great writing, including novels, short stories, poetry, and live streaming stories. The craft of writing has many facets, and we see many of them in the group. We build on each other’s insights. It’s also great to be with other writers, getting and giving support, and finding your tribe, so to speak.”
That sense of community has shaped not just his craft but the way his stories take shape on the page.
Readers can find “The Mentor’s Daughter” on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.