1975 was shaping up to be Joe Holland's year. Everything was clicking into place. In the first few months he'd passed his driving test, completed his electrical apprenticeship and was approaching his twenty first birthday, when he'd gain access to his deceased grandfather's inheritance money. Apart from his toxic relationship with his stepfather, life was good. But in May, a family skeleton came rattling out of the cupboard where it had been hidden for decades. Joe was to learn that every tree, including a family tree, was only as strong (or weak) as it's roots. And his was about to come toppling down. Once over the initial shock, his search for answers, and resolution, would take him from the leafy suburbs of Hertfordshire to the mean streets of New York City, and a date with destiny.

Steve Johnson lives in South West Hertfordshire with his son, Robert, and saluki/lurcher rescue, Purdy. His wife, Maggie, who encouraged him to write, passed away suddenly in 2023. His debut novel, The Hidden Road Home, was completed but not published before her death and is dedicated to her memory. In 2025, his second book, Soul Objective, a 1970's family drama, was released.