Alta's curse
(Book)

Inspired by the life of a notorious West Georgia moonshiner, Sam Alta Dryden. Ready to end his criminal lifestyle after many years in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, Alta heads home with the best of intentions. His new success becomes legendary: he regains the trust of his dying wife Shelby, sells off his moonshine empire, launches a major home building company, and is elected mayor of Tallapoosa. Yet he is haunted by the advice of Doc Dorothy, his prison psychologist: "Alta, yours is the curse of genius. You want to be the smartest man in the room and that makes you a sucker for every crooked deal that comes your way." Fully aware of Alta's flaws, his old moonshining buddies seek to lure him into an illegal gas-tapping deal. Can Alta resist the deal? Can he break the curse, or will it break him?