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To Pay Paul
An Eco-Thriller 17 Million Years in the Making
Seamus Quinlan is a geophysicist with a problem neighbor that also happens to be his employer-the Manhattan Project's once top-secret Hanford Nuclear Site, currently the largest radioactive waste cleanup project anywhere on the planet.
After Seamus's father succumbs to the cancer that killed the rest of his family, Seamus attempts to make something of the family's barren acreage, while overseeing ground stability assessments for the Department of Energy in a region whose past was riddled by basalt lava flows, catastrophic floods, and seismic hijinks. Anomalies around the Quinlan farmhouse lead to a collapsing graveyard, sending Seamus on a subterranean quest during which he learns more about his family's roots, decides to blow the whistle on a coming environmental catastrophe, and, not incidentally, falls in love with his colleague, Cody Getz. An improbable doomsday scenario ushered into the frightening realm of the plausible, To Pay Paul is a tale of how individuals survive when longstanding environmental debts finally come due.
Seamus Quinlan is a geophysicist with a problem neighbor that also happens to be his employer-the Manhattan Project's once top-secret Hanford Nuclear Site, currently the largest radioactive waste cleanup project anywhere on the planet.
After Seamus's father succumbs to the cancer that killed the rest of his family, Seamus attempts to make something of the family's barren acreage, while overseeing ground stability assessments for the Department of Energy in a region whose past was riddled by basalt lava flows, catastrophic floods, and seismic hijinks. Anomalies around the Quinlan farmhouse lead to a collapsing graveyard, sending Seamus on a subterranean quest during which he learns more about his family's roots, decides to blow the whistle on a coming environmental catastrophe, and, not incidentally, falls in love with his colleague, Cody Getz. An improbable doomsday scenario ushered into the frightening realm of the plausible, To Pay Paul is a tale of how individuals survive when longstanding environmental debts finally come due.
274 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2022
About the author
Michael Scott Curnes
7 booksMichael Scott Curnes is an award-winning Canadian author. He lives with his husband, Bernard in Victoria, British Columbia. Born in Coeur d'Alene and raised in Idaho and Montana, Curnes attended the universities of Idaho and New Mexico. In 1994 Curnes moved to Vancouver Island and became a fully fledged Canadian Citizen on Valentine's Day, 2000. He has written eleven novels, six of which have been published.
His sixth novel, Simpleman (published August 15, 2015 by Down Wind Press) is a fictional memoir encompassing a period of time in rural, wild west America from 1946-2025 when men were men . . . and sheep and homosexuals were rightly nervous.
Published Novels: Simpleman, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-998844-03-3; To Pay Paul, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-7772988-5-2; Wicked Ninnish, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-7772988-0-7; Coping with Ash, 2017 ISBN: 10-1629014605; For the Love of Mother, ISBN: 978-1-7772988-2-1; VAL, ISBN: 1-885487-19-3.
Anthologies: Living Artfully, Reflections from the Far West Coast, ISBN: 10-1926780140 Contributing Writer to this anthology. Writing the West Coast: In Love With Place, ISBN: 10-1-55380-055-9 Contributing Writer to this anthology
Newspapers, Magazines The Globe and Mail, Feature Columnist, June 25, 1996, “Facts and Arguments” The Sound Magazine, Feature Writer 1998-2001UpBeat!, Feature WriterVictoria Times Columnist, Feature Columnist August 10, 2003
His sixth novel, Simpleman (published August 15, 2015 by Down Wind Press) is a fictional memoir encompassing a period of time in rural, wild west America from 1946-2025 when men were men . . . and sheep and homosexuals were rightly nervous.
Published Novels: Simpleman, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-998844-03-3; To Pay Paul, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-7772988-5-2; Wicked Ninnish, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-7772988-0-7; Coping with Ash, 2017 ISBN: 10-1629014605; For the Love of Mother, ISBN: 978-1-7772988-2-1; VAL, ISBN: 1-885487-19-3.
Anthologies: Living Artfully, Reflections from the Far West Coast, ISBN: 10-1926780140 Contributing Writer to this anthology. Writing the West Coast: In Love With Place, ISBN: 10-1-55380-055-9 Contributing Writer to this anthology
Newspapers, Magazines The Globe and Mail, Feature Columnist, June 25, 1996, “Facts and Arguments” The Sound Magazine, Feature Writer 1998-2001UpBeat!, Feature WriterVictoria Times Columnist, Feature Columnist August 10, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 9, 2022
I received a review copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but by the 4th chapter I was hooked. The characters and relationships are interesting. I also enjoyed learning so much about geology. Definitely a book I recommend.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but by the 4th chapter I was hooked. The characters and relationships are interesting. I also enjoyed learning so much about geology. Definitely a book I recommend.
August 4, 2022
“To Pay Paul” is a nuanced and complex snippet in time of Seamus Quinlan’s life. Set primarily on the Quinlan farm, the story runs readers through the gauntlet of emotions as Seamus loses his last living relative. In the process of burying his father, he makes new friends, becomes closer to those he already knows, and discovers himself and his voice in the process.
Hanford Nuclear Site, housed within the state of Washington, has a dark legacy. From its role in creating the bombs used to end the United States’ involvement in WWII, to the decades of contamination and nuclear testing that poisoned the residents of the town, author Michael Scott Curnes uses the page to not only bring to light the atrocities of Hanford that occurred in real life, but weaves an impassioned tale of discovering one’s self, in a literal hole. “To Pay Paul” does not shy away from hard conversations, LGBTQ+ themes, and underrepresented matters. Curnes creates a nuanced character in Seamus Quinlan, disguised within a simplistic upbringing, full of heartbreak.
The Quinlan family has always been fraught with death. Being downwind from the nuclear plant, with generations of family having called themselves Hanford employees, cancer is always on Seamus’ mind. With a career in analyzing rocks and soils as a member of the Hanford geophysicist team, Seamus is relied upon for cleaning up any spills, handling collapses caused by the recent earthquakes, and theorizing future geological events. In this role, Seamus partners closely with the local dams to ensure the toxicity of Hanford’s waste are not disrupted by dam failures. It is through these partnerships Seamus befriends Cody. Cody is just a voice on the phone Seamus encounters frequently through work, but with a wife of his own succumbing to cancer, Cody is no stranger to death and heartbreak. Propelling their friendship to new heights, Cody stops by to check on Seamus after the loss of his father and offers to help him lower the casket into the hole, albeit his motives may have been more than meets the eye, this simple gesture results in the unfolding of an extraordinary read, full of Seamus’ knowledge, Cody’s compassion, and mother nature’s unfolding.
Curnes has crafted a truly remarkable and distinguishable read. Laced with bits of truth and waves of sadness and hope, “To Pay Paul” stems from humans’ inability to stop robbing Peter, told amidst a beautiful background.
Hanford Nuclear Site, housed within the state of Washington, has a dark legacy. From its role in creating the bombs used to end the United States’ involvement in WWII, to the decades of contamination and nuclear testing that poisoned the residents of the town, author Michael Scott Curnes uses the page to not only bring to light the atrocities of Hanford that occurred in real life, but weaves an impassioned tale of discovering one’s self, in a literal hole. “To Pay Paul” does not shy away from hard conversations, LGBTQ+ themes, and underrepresented matters. Curnes creates a nuanced character in Seamus Quinlan, disguised within a simplistic upbringing, full of heartbreak.
The Quinlan family has always been fraught with death. Being downwind from the nuclear plant, with generations of family having called themselves Hanford employees, cancer is always on Seamus’ mind. With a career in analyzing rocks and soils as a member of the Hanford geophysicist team, Seamus is relied upon for cleaning up any spills, handling collapses caused by the recent earthquakes, and theorizing future geological events. In this role, Seamus partners closely with the local dams to ensure the toxicity of Hanford’s waste are not disrupted by dam failures. It is through these partnerships Seamus befriends Cody. Cody is just a voice on the phone Seamus encounters frequently through work, but with a wife of his own succumbing to cancer, Cody is no stranger to death and heartbreak. Propelling their friendship to new heights, Cody stops by to check on Seamus after the loss of his father and offers to help him lower the casket into the hole, albeit his motives may have been more than meets the eye, this simple gesture results in the unfolding of an extraordinary read, full of Seamus’ knowledge, Cody’s compassion, and mother nature’s unfolding.
Curnes has crafted a truly remarkable and distinguishable read. Laced with bits of truth and waves of sadness and hope, “To Pay Paul” stems from humans’ inability to stop robbing Peter, told amidst a beautiful background.
August 6, 2022
“To Pay Paul” is a nuanced and complex snippet in time of Seamus Quinlan’s life. Set primarily on the Quinlan farm, the story runs readers through the gauntlet of emotions as Seamus loses his last living relative. In the process of burying his father, he makes new friends, becomes closer to those he already knows, and discovers himself and his voice in the process.
Hanford Nuclear Site, housed within the state of Washington, has a dark legacy. From its role in creating the bombs used to end the United States’ involvement in WWII, to the decades of contamination and nuclear testing that poisoned the residents of the town, author Michael Scott Curnes uses the page to not only bring to light the atrocities of Hanford that occurred in real life, but weaves an impassioned tale of discovering one’s self, in a literal hole. “To Pay Paul” does not shy away from hard conversations, LGBTQ+ themes, and underrepresented matters. Curnes creates a nuanced character in Seamus Quinlan, disguised within a simplistic upbringing, full of heartbreak.
The Quinlan family has always been fraught with death. Being downwind from the nuclear plant, with generations of family having called themselves Hanford employees, cancer is always on Seamus’ mind. With a career in analyzing rocks and soils as a member of the Hanford geophysicist team, Seamus is relied upon for cleaning up any spills, handling collapses caused by the recent earthquakes, and theorizing future geological events. In this role, Seamus partners closely with the local dams to ensure the toxicity of Hanford’s waste are not disrupted by dam failures. It is through these partnerships Seamus befriends Cody. Cody is just a voice on the phone Seamus encounters frequently through work, but with a wife of his own succumbing to cancer, Cody is no stranger to death and heartbreak. Propelling their friendship to new heights, Cody stops by to check on Seamus after the loss of his father and offers to help him lower the casket into the hole, albeit his motives may have been more than meets the eye, this simple gesture results in the unfolding of an extraordinary read, full of Seamus’ knowledge, Cody’s compassion, and mother nature’s unfolding.
Curnes has crafted a truly remarkable and distinguishable read. Laced with bits of truth and waves of sadness and hope, “To Pay Paul” stems from humans’ inability to stop robbing Peter, told amidst a beautiful background.
Hanford Nuclear Site, housed within the state of Washington, has a dark legacy. From its role in creating the bombs used to end the United States’ involvement in WWII, to the decades of contamination and nuclear testing that poisoned the residents of the town, author Michael Scott Curnes uses the page to not only bring to light the atrocities of Hanford that occurred in real life, but weaves an impassioned tale of discovering one’s self, in a literal hole. “To Pay Paul” does not shy away from hard conversations, LGBTQ+ themes, and underrepresented matters. Curnes creates a nuanced character in Seamus Quinlan, disguised within a simplistic upbringing, full of heartbreak.
The Quinlan family has always been fraught with death. Being downwind from the nuclear plant, with generations of family having called themselves Hanford employees, cancer is always on Seamus’ mind. With a career in analyzing rocks and soils as a member of the Hanford geophysicist team, Seamus is relied upon for cleaning up any spills, handling collapses caused by the recent earthquakes, and theorizing future geological events. In this role, Seamus partners closely with the local dams to ensure the toxicity of Hanford’s waste are not disrupted by dam failures. It is through these partnerships Seamus befriends Cody. Cody is just a voice on the phone Seamus encounters frequently through work, but with a wife of his own succumbing to cancer, Cody is no stranger to death and heartbreak. Propelling their friendship to new heights, Cody stops by to check on Seamus after the loss of his father and offers to help him lower the casket into the hole, albeit his motives may have been more than meets the eye, this simple gesture results in the unfolding of an extraordinary read, full of Seamus’ knowledge, Cody’s compassion, and mother nature’s unfolding.
Curnes has crafted a truly remarkable and distinguishable read. Laced with bits of truth and waves of sadness and hope, “To Pay Paul” stems from humans’ inability to stop robbing Peter, told amidst a beautiful background.
October 7, 2022
To Pay Paul by Michael Scott Curnes is another incredible novel by the talented writer. He makes the characters so three dimensional it is hard to believe its fiction. I love epic tale so much! So much is riding on one thing, bring in loss of loved ones, and romantic feelings-things are about to get shaken up fast. Suspense, action, and a dark cloud looms over every scene. Yet, there is this hope that things just might end up okay. The whole book is driven by the characters. Seamus is the luring addictive hero in this novel. He goes through more than most characters. His journey is an emotional one that reminds me of Nicholas Sparks. Yet, it is far more edgy and dramatic. There are themes that popped in that are not my typical forte yet, they did not hinder the writer's superb quality of writing. Michael Scott can write well. His characterization is amazing. I could feel what the characters were feeling. It's that good.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
September 8, 2022
It took me a little bit to get into this story but I think that was a little due to the fact that there is such an extensive backstory at the start. That information is necessary to the story though. It wasn't too long before I found that I couldn't stop reading and had to find out where things ended up.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
July 14, 2022
A Chilling Warning
Michael Scott Curnes has brilliantly combined the horrors of Hanford with a treatise on central/eastern Washington geology, a harrowing multi-day almost-fatal accident, and a touching and all-too-human love story. A must read!
Michael Scott Curnes has brilliantly combined the horrors of Hanford with a treatise on central/eastern Washington geology, a harrowing multi-day almost-fatal accident, and a touching and all-too-human love story. A must read!
September 21, 2022
It’s hard to know where the story is going, at first, but it’s a good read, with good character development. It isn’t the type of book I usually read, but I enjoyed it, and appreciated the reality of the possibilities.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews