Dark of Night

by Barbara Nickless

Overview

A recent murder is ancient history in a breathtaking novel about a sacred lost treasure and poisonous retribution by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of At First Light.

What an exotic way to die in Chicago.

When esteemed historian Elizabeth Lawrence is found in her car, killed by a cobra’s bite, only a brilliant professor of semiotics, Dr. Evan Wilding, can see the signs around her strange death. As he helps homicide detective Addie Bisset decipher the scene, the puzzles left behind offer Evan chilling passage into the mind of a killer.

Evan’s investigation merges with that of an Israeli agent, who claims Elizabeth was close to acquiring an invaluable artifact. She was also drawing the attention of unsavory treasure hunters, forgers, and thieves. Was someone desperate to expose the truth of Elizabeth’s astonishing discovery?

The deeper Evan and Addie delve into the case, the darker it gets. A murderer’s archaic crimes are just the beginning. In a race where there can be only one winner, the final victim might be Evan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662500817
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Series:	Dr. Evan Wilding , #2
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Barbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of At First Light in the Dr. Evan Wilding series as well as the Sydney Rose Parnell series, which includes Blood on the Tracks, a Suspense Magazine Best of 2016 selection and winner of the Colorado Book Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence; Dead Stop, winner of the Colorado Book Award and nominee for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence; Ambush; and Gone to Darkness. Her essays and short stories have appeared in Writer’s Digest and on Criminal Element, among other markets. She lives in Colorado, where she loves to cave, snowshoe, hike, and drink single malt Scotch—usually not at the same time. Connect with her at www.barbaranickless.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/05/2022

In Nickless’s sequel to 2021’s At First Light, a somewhat overcrowded tour of the dark side of the antiquities trade, Evan Wilding—professor of semiotics at the University of Chicago and hopelessly yearning would-be lover of homicide detective Addie Bisset—is pulled into a dangerous milieu when his old mentor, historian Elizabeth Lawrence, is killed by a cobra’s bite. Evan wants to prove that Elizabeth didn’t die by suicide and that she wasn’t part of the dubious commerce in biblical relics. Besides sharing information with Addie, he gets help from enigmatic Ronen Avraham, probably an Israeli spy, who claims he just wants countries to keep possession of the physical evidence of their history. Meanwhile, millionaire William Kelley had hired Elizabeth to authenticate manuscripts for his huge museum to demonstrate the truth of the Old Testament. Evan and his immediate circle fascinate, though readers may struggle to keep track of the many secondary characters who swarm around Kelley’s project, drawn by money and fame—and in at least one case by murderous dread that some of the ancient scrolls might contradict the Bible. Fans of religious thrillers will have fun. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Nickless’ character-driven mystery unfolds on a panoramic scale…Engrossing bits of scholarship tucked into a nifty procedural with amiable sleuths.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Evan and his immediate circle fascinate…Fans of religious thrillers will have fun.” —Publishers Weekly

“Captivating, compelling, and completely intriguing! Sherlock Holmes meets The Da Vinci Code in this brilliantly written and seamlessly researched adventure, where clues from the ancient past propel contemporary global intrigue. This is an immersive and atmospheric thriller, with an unforgettable main character, and I could not put it down.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life

“Readers rejoice: Dr. Evan Wilding is back, and Dark of Night is another great vehicle for his wry brilliance. The novel is fascinating and twisty with unforgettable characters and writing that took my breath away. You’ll want to clear your calendar for this one.” —Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author

“Dark of Night had me at Moses papyri. Stolen antiquities, dark forces, cobra bites. What a wonderful read. What an adventure to sink into. What beautiful writing. I loved it.” —Tracy Clark, author of the Cass Raines series, winner of the 2020 and 2022 Sue Grafton Memorial Award

“Dr. Evan Wilding is absolutely my new favorite fictional human. His witty charm, his intellect—matched only by his wry humor—along with his goshawk sidekick make him exactly the kind of character who captures an audience within a few lines. Add in the talented and tough Detective Addie Bisset, a death by cobra, and a collection of sketchy people all seeking the same, priceless artifact, and Dark of Night will have you flipping pages well into the night. Barbara Nickless is a phenomenal talent and she just gets better with every book. Dark of Night is her best yet. Bravo!” —Danielle Girard, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex

“Missing artifacts? The dark underbelly of the antiquities world? Murder by…cobra? Count me in. Dark of Night is a top-notch thriller with an unforgettable lead in Dr. Evan Wilding. It’s no surprise that Barbara Nickless has fast become one of my favorite authors. I tore through this novel at breakneck speed and can’t wait for the next adventure.” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Never Coming Home

“Dark of Night is a superb novel…After reading the first book in the series, I was hopeful that a second book would be as good or better. I wasn’t disappointed. With the new book, Barbara Nickless has solidified a great new mystery series.” —BVS Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-08-31
The theft of priceless papyrus fragments leads to murder and an international search for both the parchments and a killer.

Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence, head of the Chicago Institute of Middle Eastern Antiquities, excitedly receives a pair of documents known as the Moses papyri during a late-night rendezvous. When she abruptly goes missing, both Ronen Avraham, of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, and Elizabeth’s friend Dr. Evan Wilding, a professor of semiotics, linguistics, and paleography at the University of Chicago, undertake separate searches. Elizabeth’s recent diagnosis of cancer leads Evan to suspect suicide. Then police detective Addie Bisset, for whom Evan has worked previously as a consultant, calls with the news that Elizabeth’s been found dead in her car. When examining her body, Evan discovers an Egyptian cobra. It’s apparently the agent of death…and a message as well? Nickless’ character-driven mystery unfolds on a panoramic scale, presenting a huge cast of characters and working in interesting sidebars about mythology, paleontology, Middle East history, cobras, Chicago tourist attractions, and more. Addie focuses primarily on forensics, while Evan undertakes phone- and legwork. He alertly links the murder to Elizabeth’s recent trip to Israel. Once they team up, the investigative path takes the duo through numerous sketchy characters in the worlds of antiquities, academia, and the Mossad. Perro, a corgi Evan is dogsitting, proves an able sidekick and source of comic relief.

Engrossing bits of scholarship tucked into a nifty procedural with amiable sleuths.

Kirkus Reviews