Seventeen Inches is the first book of a series of Maxwell Lydic's life. Raised in a small town in North Western Pennsylvania, Maxwell Lydic encounters issues from his father and brother's activities during the early morning hours. Maxwell becomes obsessed with sexual fantasies and cannot overcome them through his growing up years. This ultimately affects his marriage and ends up in leaving his current marriage situation and ventures to find out why he cannot overcome his sexual fantasy obsessions. He soon discovers during the last year of his father and brothers life that another secret has surfaced. He continues to research after his father and only sibling passes away. The Saratoga Project takes him into finding the real secret of his life.