It was a plot device more suited for a daytime soap opera than a major novel. I'm surprised that Winegardner didn't introduce us to Tom's evil twin. It wouldn't have surprised me.
There's an old and sometimes unfair saying, "those who can't do teach". Well, we know that Winegardner is a writing instructor at Florida State University, and in his case I'm afraid it's true. This man would be a total failure outside of the world of academia.