At First Light Audiobook

Ritual murder. Archaic clues. A visionary killer. In this heart-stopping novel by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Sydney Rose Parnell series, words can kill.

On the muddy banks of the Calumet River, a body has been found posed next to a series of mysterious glyphs and bearing wounds from a ritualistic slaying. Chicago detective Addie Bisset knows only one man who can decipher the message left by the killer: her friend Dr. Evan Wilding. A brilliant forensic semiotician, Evan decodes the etchings as Viking Age runes. They suggest either human sacrifice or righteous punishment. But to what god? And for what sins?

Only one thing is clear from the disturbing runic riddles: there are more victims to come.

As Evan races to determine the identity of the Viking Poet, he and Addie uncover the killer’s most terrifying secret yet: the motive. This startling discovery puts Evan’s life in mortal danger, and verse by ancient verse, time is running out.

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“[An] intense psychological thriller…A forensic semiotician, Evan uses his linguistic skills to get inside the killer's mind and uncover clues to his identity…Evan and Addie race to prevent more bloodshed, but they're impeded by someone who deliberately misleads them and by a lieutenant who doesn't believe female officers are capable. Hints of a romantic relationship between the pair enliven the story, and references to Beowulf and Viking history add depth.”

— Publishers Weekly