Second to None in Mystery!

In 2020, the first and second Evan Wycliff mysteries won Gold and Silver respectively in the New York City Big Book Awards – beating out entries from both indies and the major publishers.

From the Author

In writing the Evan Wycliff Mystery series, I’ve surprised myself many times over. It will therefore surprise me if readers find anything in the plots predictable. I resolved at the outset to let my subconscious self do most of the work. And after the stage was set and the characters stepped onto it, many times they told me where they wanted to go and said whatever they wanted to say. I haven’t always worked like this. Years ago, when I wrote mainly technical and business nonfiction for publishing houses, I wrote to strict outlines, and I sought approval from in-house editors if ever I chose to depart from the agreed plan.
When I set out to write Preacher Raises the Dead, I had the notion of describing both near-death experience (NDE) and coma. In the beginning, I didn’t know who would be stricken or how those subplots would turn out. Many other plot elements were likewise uncertain right up until the words flowed into the manuscript draft, including Evan’s core religious beliefs and consequences of Luke’s schizophrenia and Melissa’s epilepsy. The reappearance of Stuart Shackleton was a complete surprise until Evan saw him again that fateful day in the courtroom. He and I should have known we weren’t done with him yet!
Evan’s theology is bound to be controversial. The very thought of a practicing minister who is too often an agnostic will raise eyebrows. But do churchpersons have occasional doubts? I don’t doubt it.