Shelton senior Quinn Muccio has published a novel. The Freemason Cipher (Palmetto Publishing) follows the exploits of history and religious studies college student Bryan Stringer as he accidentally solves a cipher revolving around Freemasonry, Catholicism and U.S history that eventually leads to the uprising of the antichrist, Armageddon and the dominion and destruction of all mankind. 

“The fictional thriller is a mixture of a Dan Brown novel mixed with “Left Behind” and “National Treasure,” he says.

Quinn found inspiration in his great-great-grandfather, Howard Prince, who was a high ranking 33-degree Freemason in the Scottish Rite. Quinn, who has been a student at Shelton since sixth grade, has dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. He worked on the book for nine months and is now writing a sequel. Before that, he wrote screenplays, including a spinoff of “MacGyver.” His favorite classes are college writing and engineering. He also runs cross country. In the future, he’d like to write novels full-time and is considering attending the University of Arkansas.

Quinn, a Plano resident, almost died as a baby of an intestinal disease. He was flown to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where 12 specialty doctors treated him for brain bleeds and holes in the intestines. Doctors told his parents that he would be paralyzed on the right side of his body and would likely not survive. “I've had to fight my whole entire life to get somewhere,” he says. “I want to do everything to the best of my ability.”

You can order the novel here.