Transcript Staff Writer

"the dominant hand The Unauthorized Story of Jim Jacobs and the Cult that Saved the World" is a fiction novel by Charles Martin and Will Weinke that revolves around the Norman music scene.

"An end-of-the-world cult forms around a charismatic, troubled rock musician who leads his followers deep into the woods east of Norman. A mysterious series of events leaves 250 dead and 4,238 people missing with no official explanation emerging from months of investigation," Martin writes.

"the dominant hand" tells the story of Jim Jacobs and his doomsday cult as they are pulled into the cult's downward spiral.

Martin's debut novel was published by Shadow Conspiracy Publications. His first book signing is 6:30 p.m. Friday at Guestroom Records, 125 E. Main St.

Residents of Norman would enjoy reading the book for the name recognition. The record store owner wants a sandwich from Bison Witches. Characters check out the music at The Deli. There is some action at Bricktown and on The Paseo Arts District in Oklahoma City.

But the real action takes place in the woods east of Norman, where a few years ago, Ira was nearly beaten to death and has been in a coma since. Willie Wonka, a writer with "Timbre" entertainment magazine, is trying to do what the police haven't been able to do, find the ones responsible for beating Ira and what is really going on at Jacobs' compound. Jacobs wants Wonka to write his story.

The language is a bit raw in places and there's some sexual content but I found the "the dominant hand" hard to put down.