Author Brad Charles had always dreamed of opening his own restaurant. In the fall of 2005, he made that dream come true and opened Curly's Fine Dining in southern Utah. In Nightmare in Utah, Charles shares his experiences of planning for and operating this restaurant named after his stepfather. But for Charles, the dream soon turned into a nightmare. In this memoir, he narrates the ups and downs and pitfalls of business ownership against the backdrop of his personal life. He discusses the many issues he encountered in trying to run a profitable restaurant, and he also describes the host of challenges life presented including his wife Sharon's cancer diagnosis and subsequent death, his relationship with her children, and dealings with the FBI. While sharing details of the rough patches of Charles' experiences, Nightmare in Utah offers insights into his life as he presents commentary on issues affecting businesses and personal rights and offers solutions to help improve society.