The protagonist of this novel, Nick Anthony, retreats to the North Carolina Mountains to mourn the recent death of his wife. Then he discovers that his estranged brother and his wife have died in a house fired survived by their missing sixteen-year-old daughter, Annalise, who witnessed the arson and is being pursued by the arsonists. This is the third novel from Christopher Swann, who teaches English at an Episcopal high school in Atlanta. "Swann really delivers with his latest, a solid murder mystery starring Nick, a grieving former professor with a secret past and an orphaned niece who shows up on his doorstep. Tense and action-packed, with an ending that will make your heart stop. A Fire in the Night is a nail-biter with a Southern twang." —Kimberly Belle. "I don't know how Swann did it -- he's written a mesmerizing book that's literary fiction, a spy novel, and a relentless thriller all in one." —Lee Goldberg. “A Fire in the Night is a searing story about the ties that bind and how sometimes they begin to strangle us. Christopher Swann has created a nuanced yet thrilling novel of family, grief and ultimately hope. Not to be missed.”—S.A. Cosby. "A rural noir that’s loaded with surprises, Christopher Swann’s A Fire in the Night blends the moral grays of the best espionage stories with a taut, relentless mystery steeped in setting. Character-driven and memorable, A Fire in the Night is Swann’s best yet.” —Alex Segura.
New York: Crooked Lane Books, 2021. 288 pages. Hardback in dust jacket.