A Fire in the Night: A Novel

Christopher Swann

Sept 2021 · Crooked Lane Books

About this eBook

The acclaimed master of Southern mystery delivers “literary fiction, a spy novel, and a relentless thriller all in one” for fans of Linwood Barclay and Michael Farris Smith (Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author).

Nick Anthony has retreated to the North Carolina mountains to mourn the untimely death of his wife. Once a popular professor, Nick just wants to be left alone with his grief. But when his estranged brother and sister-in-law die in a house fire, a stunned Nick learns he has a niece, Annalise, who is missing.

At the scene of the crime, the men who set the fire have realized Annalise, and the information they are looking for, got away. Feverish and exhausted, she stumbles onto her uncle's porch, throwing Nick into the middle of the mystery of her parents’ death and the dangerous criminals hunting her down.

 Hired to retrieve the stolen information at any price, private military contractor Cole and his team track Annalise to Nick’s cabin. But Nick has a hidden past of his own—and more than a few deadly tricks up his sleeve.

Ratings and reviews

History Professor Nick Anthony is living off the grid as much as he can. Still grieving the death of his wife, he values the solitude. A knock on the door brings horrific news .. his brother, his brother's wife die in a house fire. His teenage niece is missing. He didn't even know he had a niece ... is she also a victim .. or a suspect? He finds out when she shows up on his doorstep. She has something to give him ... something from his brother the night they died. And she was a witness to men leaving her home when it was set on fire. Definitely a murder. But why? Unfortunately one of the men spotted her and now they are searching for her. Not only because she's a witness .. but because whatever her father gave her is mighty dangerous to someone. When the man finally locates her in Nick's cabin, figures a retired professor will be easy enough to handle. But Nick has a hidden past of his own—and more than a few deadly tricks up his sleeve. This is a fast-moving, cleverly written plot with deftly drawn characters. The relationship that develops between he and his niece were great... at first, neither trusting the other. There are twists and turns that lead to an explosive conclusion. Definitely kept me glued to the book! Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

About the author

Christopher Swann is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He earned a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University, an M.A. in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Ph.D. in creative writing from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and two sons in Atlanta, where he is the English department chair at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.