Play of Shadows
- Downloads：4234
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-15 17:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Barbara Nickless
- ISBN：B0BHJMRRBT
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Rachel Clayson
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Fascinating！！！Sooooo good！ I love the pacing， I love how interesting the subject matter it， I do wish for slightly more interpersonal stuff but that's just because I think Evan deserves it all！ Loved the ending！ Overall quite fascinating， hope we see more of Evan and Addie！ Fascinating！！！Sooooo good！ I love the pacing， I love how interesting the subject matter it， I do wish for slightly more interpersonal stuff but that's just because I think Evan deserves it all！ Loved the ending！ Overall quite fascinating， hope we see more of Evan and Addie！ 。。。more
Nancy Beck
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Review – Play of Shadows （Dr。 Evan Wilding Book 3） by Barbara Nickless， Published by Thomas & Mercer Publication Date: 11/14/2023If you imagine that Indiana Jones’ brother （Raiders of the Lost Ark） is Lord Tyrion Lannister （Game of Thrones） and the two are handsome professorial crime fighters with a taste for single malt scotch， you can aptly describe the protagonists in this serial murder book。 Dr。 Evan Wilding is a renown semiotician， or an expert in the use and meaning of symbols; his younger Review – Play of Shadows （Dr。 Evan Wilding Book 3） by Barbara Nickless， Published by Thomas & Mercer Publication Date: 11/14/2023If you imagine that Indiana Jones’ brother （Raiders of the Lost Ark） is Lord Tyrion Lannister （Game of Thrones） and the two are handsome professorial crime fighters with a taste for single malt scotch， you can aptly describe the protagonists in this serial murder book。 Dr。 Evan Wilding is a renown semiotician， or an expert in the use and meaning of symbols; his younger and taller brother is a well-travelled archeologist。 The two are drawn into a good v。 evil game of suspense and murder based on the Greek Myth of Minos & The Minotaur。This is the third book in Nickless’ Dr。 Evan Wilding books and the first that I have read。 I found it easy to read as a stand-alone。 Right from the start， the author captivated me with rich characters and a solidly drafted plot line。 The story was a labyrinth of gripping occurrences; some turns revealed clues and others led to dismal and dangerous things。 The pace was fast and the suspense never lagged。 I loved the ending – definitely not what I had expected！ I am so looking forward to picking up the other two books in the series。 You really must add this to your ‘to be read’ pile。 I award this book a rating of 4 Stars。Rating: 4 Starsp。s。 I am grateful to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy。 The opinions expressed in this unpaid book review are solely mine。 。。。more
Linda
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The Windy City on a dark， stormy night。And if you've ever been， you know just how treacherous that can be。 Rain storms whip around the corner and set your footing off balance。 Head down with vision obscured is not the position you want to be in。 Danger advances。A bundled-up stranger is observed placing an envelope in the doorway of Professor Evan Wilding's home off campus from the University of Chicago。 Though short in stature at 4 foot 5 inches， Evan is big on brains。 He's an Oxford educated En The Windy City on a dark， stormy night。And if you've ever been， you know just how treacherous that can be。 Rain storms whip around the corner and set your footing off balance。 Head down with vision obscured is not the position you want to be in。 Danger advances。A bundled-up stranger is observed placing an envelope in the doorway of Professor Evan Wilding's home off campus from the University of Chicago。 Though short in stature at 4 foot 5 inches， Evan is big on brains。 He's an Oxford educated Englishman with degrees as long as your arm。 His brother， River， is a tall head archaeologist just returning from a dig in Istanbul。 Both brothers open the envelope and observe its contents。 A Cretan coin slides out and the words: "Let the games begin。"Our guys are always up for a challenge and this one will certainly test them。 The identity of the stranger has been made。 His game is short-lived after he is found dead in a winding alley behind a theater portraying a play entitled The Minotaur。 This dead man has a glyph on his forehead。 In addition， his daughter is missing as well。Time to bring in Detective Addie Bisset of the Chicago PD。 She and her partner， Detective Patrick McBrody， will try to connect the dots here with references to the flesh-eating monster of Crete involving an intricate maze。 River will also have an encounter with "Hoodie Man" and wind up in the soupy greenness of the Chicago River。 （Antibiotics on the ready）Play of Shadows reads perfectly as a standalone。 Barbara Nickless sees to that。 She fills in the gaps and gets the reader off to a fast start。 You may want to check out the other books in this fine series。 It's so worth it。 Nickless includes sketches and word maps to help us work our way through this mystery maze。 It's a fun and challenging read with some deadly consequences。 Bravo， Barbara Nickless， as always。 Just bravo。I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review。 My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented Barbara Nickless for the opportunity。 。。。more
Patricia Coleman
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I've enjoyed this series a great deal。 In this book the relationship between Evan and his brother River add more insights into Evan's past。 I've enjoyed this series a great deal。 In this book the relationship between Evan and his brother River add more insights into Evan's past。 。。。more
Blair Warner
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When picking this up， I did not realize that it was a third book in a series， but like others， this can be read by itself。 I really enjoyed the mythological aspects of this book as that that’s what actually really intrigued me from the beginning and why I picked it up。 I really enjoyed the writing style of Barbara Nickless I found the pacing to be just to my liking， and I definitely will be going back and picking up the first two within the next month！！ Overall will be reading her again and can’ When picking this up， I did not realize that it was a third book in a series， but like others， this can be read by itself。 I really enjoyed the mythological aspects of this book as that that’s what actually really intrigued me from the beginning and why I picked it up。 I really enjoyed the writing style of Barbara Nickless I found the pacing to be just to my liking， and I definitely will be going back and picking up the first two within the next month！！ Overall will be reading her again and can’t wait to pick up the first two 。。。more
Mike
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Fantastic！ Nickless pulls out all the stops with this one。 Featuring a monstrous killer， a mythological puzzle， and labyrinths both literal and figurative， Play of Shadows is a high-octane， modern-day Greek tragedy。 Forensic semiotician Dr。 Evan Wilding， his archeologist brother River， and Chicago police detective Addie Bissett find themselves drawn into the dark recesses of a hidden evil with very personal stakes。 Like its predecessors At First Light and Dark of Night， Play of Shadows is myster Fantastic！ Nickless pulls out all the stops with this one。 Featuring a monstrous killer， a mythological puzzle， and labyrinths both literal and figurative， Play of Shadows is a high-octane， modern-day Greek tragedy。 Forensic semiotician Dr。 Evan Wilding， his archeologist brother River， and Chicago police detective Addie Bissett find themselves drawn into the dark recesses of a hidden evil with very personal stakes。 Like its predecessors At First Light and Dark of Night， Play of Shadows is mystery fiction at its best。 A must read。 。。。more
cathy
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Another winner in a unique seriesBarbara Nickless' Dr。 Evan Wilding series continues in this wonderfully written， carefully crafted installment that takes us to a stormy summer in Chicago and plunges us into a world of myth and murder。As with the previous books in the series homicide detective Addie Bisset relies on Evan -- her best friend and professor of semiotics， a noted expert on signs and symbols -- when things get weird。 Once again we have just the right balance between the twists and tur Another winner in a unique seriesBarbara Nickless' Dr。 Evan Wilding series continues in this wonderfully written， carefully crafted installment that takes us to a stormy summer in Chicago and plunges us into a world of myth and murder。As with the previous books in the series homicide detective Addie Bisset relies on Evan -- her best friend and professor of semiotics， a noted expert on signs and symbols -- when things get weird。 Once again we have just the right balance between the twists and turns of Addie's police investigation and Evan's more academic efforts， this time involving Greek mythology and ancient Cretan scripts， as they try to unravel the killer's message and motivation。Where this book really shines for me is in the characters and their relationships and interactions。 Whether peripheral or central to the story， whether animal or human， Nickless' characters are always well-drawn and very real。 In addition to old friends from previous books -- Addie and her cop partner Patrick， Evan and his research assistant Diana -- here we finally get to meet Evan's brother， River， in the flesh。 And now it feels like the team is complete。Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance review copy of this book。 The scheduled release date is November 14， 2023。 。。。more
Angela Crowder
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Barbara Nickless has once again proven why she is a force to be reckoned with in the mystery and thriller genres with her latest book， Play of Shadows， an electrifying continuation of the Evan Wilding series that doesn’t disappoint！This time， Nickless has given us a healthy dose of Greek mythology mixed with a heap of present-day psychological thriller and a dash of the always-fascinating semiotics to create a gripping and intricately plotted mystery。 Of course， Evan and Addie are back on the hu Barbara Nickless has once again proven why she is a force to be reckoned with in the mystery and thriller genres with her latest book， Play of Shadows， an electrifying continuation of the Evan Wilding series that doesn’t disappoint！This time， Nickless has given us a healthy dose of Greek mythology mixed with a heap of present-day psychological thriller and a dash of the always-fascinating semiotics to create a gripping and intricately plotted mystery。 Of course， Evan and Addie are back on the hunt， but we finally get real page time with the elusive River as well！Play of Shadows was a labyrinthine puzzle of secrets that constantly challenged my assumptions， surprised me with unexpected twists， and hooked me from start to finish。 Long story short， Nickless’s impeccable storytelling， authentic characters， and heart-pounding suspense make this a must-read。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Erin
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ARC for review。 TBP November 14， 2023。 Dr。 Evan Wilding is back for his third murder mystery in Chicago， the crimes committed by a killer calling himself “The Minotaur” and using codes relating to the Ariadne/King Minos/Minotaur myth。 He is joined by his brother， River， returned from his archeological escapades abroad and his erstwhile research assistant （and his cute dog）。 What does the Minotaur want and why？ Nickless has done it again with another great entry in this series （she is also the au ARC for review。 TBP November 14， 2023。 Dr。 Evan Wilding is back for his third murder mystery in Chicago， the crimes committed by a killer calling himself “The Minotaur” and using codes relating to the Ariadne/King Minos/Minotaur myth。 He is joined by his brother， River， returned from his archeological escapades abroad and his erstwhile research assistant （and his cute dog）。 What does the Minotaur want and why？ Nickless has done it again with another great entry in this series （she is also the author of the very good Sydney Rose Parnell， railroad detective series and I hope there will be more of those）。 Wilding is a fascinating character with his studies of codes， symbols and language and the book are fast paced and fun。 Already looking forward to the next one。 。。。more
Michael Shepherd
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I was lucky to receive an advanced reader copy of Play of Shadows， and I can unequivocally say it was worth the wait！ While savoring each word of this wonderful book I continually thought “so this is what brilliant writing is。” I am very familiar with the previous books in this well-crafted trilogy， and what amazed me were the multiple layers Barbara continually exposed regarding the main characters。 Each of the Evan Wilding books has provided completely unique cases for him to solve， but what c I was lucky to receive an advanced reader copy of Play of Shadows， and I can unequivocally say it was worth the wait！ While savoring each word of this wonderful book I continually thought “so this is what brilliant writing is。” I am very familiar with the previous books in this well-crafted trilogy， and what amazed me were the multiple layers Barbara continually exposed regarding the main characters。 Each of the Evan Wilding books has provided completely unique cases for him to solve， but what caught my eye were the new things we learn about Evan and his life。 Without discussing too much of the plot， Evan and his brother River are pulled into a case regarding Cretan hieroglyphs and story with a strong tie to Greek mythology。 The story twists as the reader tries to unravel this tightly plotted whodunit are fascinating; Barbara takes us on a wild ride as we see not only ritualistic killings， but we learn the motive behind the murders and how they are tied to past and current personal and family tragedy。Speaking of family， it is a key theme in Play of Shadows， and the reader is exposed to two very different families and their relationship dynamics。 My favorite surprise was the introduction of Evan’s swashbuckling younger brother River and the brotherly bond that they share。 It has been clear from the first book in the series that Evan wrestles with his dwarfism; despite his brilliant mind and successful career， the dwarfism is how he feels the world sees him。 The one thing he can’t change is the one thing he obsesses about。 In his mind， it is his true identity。 Cconversely， what caught my eye throughout the read is how River sees Evan: as a big brother who he’s extremely proud of。 Despite their physical differences， River considers them equals。 Their relationship and the witty interplay when they’re together--these are two brilliant minds， after all--provides for a sumptuous read。 They share professional respect touched with a competitive “who can top the other” streak， but the sentiment that embraces every word and action that they share is brotherly love。No spoiler alert needed， as I won’t mention the ending other than to say it is extremely satisfying。 If Barbara Nickless completes the story of Evan Wilding with Play of Shadows， she hit a tuning fork note with the ending: it is perfect。Play of Shadows is eminently worthy of a five-star review。 。。。more
D L
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Another Fantastic Read！I'm so grateful I didn't have to wait too long for the return of Evan， in yet another fabulously chilling story。 It was truly 'All Greek to me' until Ms Nickless lead me down the fascinating road of mythological monsters， twisted fates， and brilliant sleuthing。 And River。。。 an added bonus。I SO wanted this book to continue - even thought it came to its natural conclusion， and wondered at my afterglow considering I'd just finished a pretty grizzly tale。。。 yet I felt so very Another Fantastic Read！I'm so grateful I didn't have to wait too long for the return of Evan， in yet another fabulously chilling story。 It was truly 'All Greek to me' until Ms Nickless lead me down the fascinating road of mythological monsters， twisted fates， and brilliant sleuthing。 And River。。。 an added bonus。I SO wanted this book to continue - even thought it came to its natural conclusion， and wondered at my afterglow considering I'd just finished a pretty grizzly tale。。。 yet I felt so very satisfied with its evolution， and lifted by its characters。 Such a terrific blend of thrilling & masterful storytelling， punctuated with easy wit and humor。 I loved this cast of characters genuine camaraderie， and artful intelligence！Thank-you Ms Nickless， for your versatile narrative， attention to detail， and true originality。 Play of Shadows hit all the right marks for me！And Thank-you also， to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced copy， as I so appreciated not having to wait。。。 。。。more
Neha Jain
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3。5★Within the tapestry of ancient mythologies lie the modern mysteries。This is not a typical crime thriller novel。 Credit is deserved by author for rooting psyche of a modern day criminal into fantasy of a mythological half-man， half-beast creature， reflecting the duality within us all。 The maze in the letter/riddle， reflects the intricate passages of the human mind。 On other hand， the protagonist is a dwarf， who is self-conscious， rejected by his father & is aware of the daily life challenges 3。5★Within the tapestry of ancient mythologies lie the modern mysteries。This is not a typical crime thriller novel。 Credit is deserved by author for rooting psyche of a modern day criminal into fantasy of a mythological half-man， half-beast creature， reflecting the duality within us all。 The maze in the letter/riddle， reflects the intricate passages of the human mind。 On other hand， the protagonist is a dwarf， who is self-conscious， rejected by his father & is aware of the daily life challenges due to his stature， but nowhere shies away to accept his reality， reflecting， that determination can lead us out of the darkest mazes。Book starts with a prologue， which gives just enough to keep you wondering on what exactly is the book about。 It soon introduces all the characters， the very first murder victim surfaces and the game begins。 There are continuous references to Greek myths and ancient scripts， but again credit is due， as all concepts related to Hieroglyphics and mythology is explained very well for the layman reader。 Even with so many jargons， its a fast paced story with multiple investigation theories， suspects and a growing tension which is uncomfortable in a good way。 The relationship between the investigating squad and couples is heart warming and proves how beautiful self created families can be。 'Seeing a sparrow meant that secrets would soon be brought to light'， and surely they do。 Here is where I felt the story got bit weak。 I feel the mystery revelation could not live up to the hype promised by the blurb。 The mysterious letter with the challenging riddle， Cretan coin （even on cover page）， various symbols， slipped through when knot was tied on the whodunnit part of the mystery。Verdict : This is a third book in the series， but can easily be read as standalone。 Recommended for fans of Dan brown。 Deducted half star due to missing closure of initial riddle。Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me an opportunity to read the digital Arc and share my honest feedback。 。。。more
Kristine
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This is the third book in a series that has surprisingly caught and kept my interest。 The setting is in Chicago。 We have the female MC （Addie）， a Homicide Detective who happens to be best friends and sometimes a working partner to Dr。 Evan Wilding， who is a renowned linguistic expert。 This duo has worked together on several cases and they are a pleasure to follow。This book has a surprise visit from Evan's younger brother Dr。 River Wilding， an "Indiana Jones" type of archeologist who is famous in This is the third book in a series that has surprisingly caught and kept my interest。 The setting is in Chicago。 We have the female MC （Addie）， a Homicide Detective who happens to be best friends and sometimes a working partner to Dr。 Evan Wilding， who is a renowned linguistic expert。 This duo has worked together on several cases and they are a pleasure to follow。This book has a surprise visit from Evan's younger brother Dr。 River Wilding， an "Indiana Jones" type of archeologist who is famous in his own right。 The three of them find themselves right in the middle of a murder case that immediately points to the Drs。 Wilding as targets。As usual， the action begins and is fast paced and non stop。 I really liked seeing the brothers together， the relationship that they have was heart warming。 The two have obviously had only each other to count on as they grew up and it was wonderful to see River's love and respect for his older brother。 He didn't see Evan as lesser and actually does wonders to help him build up his confidence。This book finally takes those final steps into furthering the relationship between Addie and Evan。 In the previous books， we knew that Evan had feelings for her， but to his mind， Addie only had "friendship" feelings for him。 We actually see a response from her to this possibility。 Is she interested？ You'll have to read the book to find out。 :）This was another great and interesting story。 A bit implausible， but I was willing to overlook a few things because the overall story kept me intrigued。Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC。 The opinions above are mine and mine alone。 。。。more
Jessica Woods
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Play of Shadows is part of a series though I feel could be read as a standalone but Evan rocks so read the series。 A renowned semiotician， Dr。 Evan Wilding is an expert at deciphering symbols who often helps out the Chicago PD。 Evan’s brother， River drops in for a visit just as someone leaves a mysterious package on the front step。 The same man that leaves the package turns up dead。 Evan and River must help Evan’s friend， Detective Addie Bisset uncover a mythical based killer by following an ind Play of Shadows is part of a series though I feel could be read as a standalone but Evan rocks so read the series。 A renowned semiotician， Dr。 Evan Wilding is an expert at deciphering symbols who often helps out the Chicago PD。 Evan’s brother， River drops in for a visit just as someone leaves a mysterious package on the front step。 The same man that leaves the package turns up dead。 Evan and River must help Evan’s friend， Detective Addie Bisset uncover a mythical based killer by following an indecipherable code in a page turning thriller that plays Evan’s skills against a true monster。 Unique characters and a unique story drive a fast paced mystery that keeps you coming back for more。 My voluntary， unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley。 。。。more
Jan
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Can you believe in coincidences？Civilian consultant Evan Wilding PhD is surprised by an apparently random visit by his brother River， a mysterious package left on his doorstep， and a phone call by Evan's friend Chicago Police Detective Addie Bisset。 What follows is a fantastic game of cat and mouse by an apparent serial killer who pits himself against the brilliant Wildings and the detective。 What they do is well beyond due diligence and an opportunity for readers to learn so many things！ Loved Can you believe in coincidences？Civilian consultant Evan Wilding PhD is surprised by an apparently random visit by his brother River， a mysterious package left on his doorstep， and a phone call by Evan's friend Chicago Police Detective Addie Bisset。 What follows is a fantastic game of cat and mouse by an apparent serial killer who pits himself against the brilliant Wildings and the detective。 What they do is well beyond due diligence and an opportunity for readers to learn so many things！ Loved the intense mental exercise！ I requested and received an EARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Virginia Swinney
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Book 3 of the Dr。 Evan Wilding series proves that Barbara Nickless is in a class by herself when it comes to writing a suspenseful mystery that includes literary depth and heart。 This page turning novel gives the reader a look inside ancient history and how evil can play a part in a young person's fantasy。 I loved the characters in the novel and how Evan， River and Addie try and solve the murders before more mayhem continues。 As the main characters become even closer， their courage is challenged Book 3 of the Dr。 Evan Wilding series proves that Barbara Nickless is in a class by herself when it comes to writing a suspenseful mystery that includes literary depth and heart。 This page turning novel gives the reader a look inside ancient history and how evil can play a part in a young person's fantasy。 I loved the characters in the novel and how Evan， River and Addie try and solve the murders before more mayhem continues。 As the main characters become even closer， their courage is challenged by unknown forces around them。 The author navigates their journey in a unique and exciting tale for the reader。 I loved it and wish more of the mystery novels out there combined this type of passion for great writing and story。 。。。more
Stacy
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This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites！ I love that you get to learn about ancient cultures while also reading a fascinating murder mystery filled with well-developed characters。 They are all so well-done they almost feel real。 Also， the banter is always great and frequently makes me laugh。 River was a welcome addition， and I hope he sticks around。 I highly recommend this series and I already can't wait to read the next one！Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC！ Expect This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites！ I love that you get to learn about ancient cultures while also reading a fascinating murder mystery filled with well-developed characters。 They are all so well-done they almost feel real。 Also， the banter is always great and frequently makes me laugh。 River was a welcome addition， and I hope he sticks around。 I highly recommend this series and I already can't wait to read the next one！Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC！ Expected publication is November 14， 2023。 。。。more
Brooke
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Enjoyable read， well developed characters。 This is book #3 of the series Dr。 Evan Wilding。 The mysteries in the series always 'grab you'。 However it really is the characters who are so well developed its like you know them。 The bad part about the series is when the book ends， I miss the characters and can't wait to read them again。 So happy that River is in this one。 Looking forward to the next one Barbara Nickless。 Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC。 Enjoyable read， well developed characters。 This is book #3 of the series Dr。 Evan Wilding。 The mysteries in the series always 'grab you'。 However it really is the characters who are so well developed its like you know them。 The bad part about the series is when the book ends， I miss the characters and can't wait to read them again。 So happy that River is in this one。 Looking forward to the next one Barbara Nickless。 Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Valleri
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BIG thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Play of Shadows， by Barbara Nickless。 This is the third book in the Dr。 Evan Wilding Series and the expected publication is November 14， 2023。On a stormy Chicago night， renowned semiotician Dr。 Evan Wilding and his brother， River， who’s back from an archaeological dig， reunite in a mystery。 A package addressed to both of them contains a hand-drawn maze， an ancient Cretan coin， and a cryptic BIG thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Play of Shadows， by Barbara Nickless。 This is the third book in the Dr。 Evan Wilding Series and the expected publication is November 14， 2023。On a stormy Chicago night， renowned semiotician Dr。 Evan Wilding and his brother， River， who’s back from an archaeological dig， reunite in a mystery。 A package addressed to both of them contains a hand-drawn maze， an ancient Cretan coin， and a cryptic greeting: Let the game begin。I love every book in this series even more than I did the previous one！ In the author's own words: Play of Shadows is about sibling rivalry， domineering fathers， and the question of how early in life humans show a penchant for evil。 It’s also about mazes and the minotaur and the undeciphered hieroglyphic script of Crete。 I love all of the characters and it was fun having Evan's brother involved in this book。 As always， I loved having Evan's sweet Corghi， Perro， involved， as well。There are always parts of this series that make me laugh， like when Evan and River's dad is hospitalized and the nurse says to Evan "Your father is doing just fine。 He's been moved to a private room。 Would you like to see him？" and Evan thinks to himself， "About as much as I'd like to be bitten on the nether regions by a scorpion。"I highly recommend Play of Shadows！！ 。。。more
Mj
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Play of Shadows by Barbara Nickless is the third installment in the Dr。。 Evan Wilding series， following At First Light and Dark of Night。 Dr。 Wilding is a professor of semiotics （the study of signs and symbols）， a genius， and a consultant to the Chicago Homicide Police Department。 He is also a dwarf which is an integral part of both the character and plot points。 In an age where ADA accommodations are routinely instituted and full inclusion for young people with significant disability， Nickless Play of Shadows by Barbara Nickless is the third installment in the Dr。。 Evan Wilding series， following At First Light and Dark of Night。 Dr。 Wilding is a professor of semiotics （the study of signs and symbols）， a genius， and a consultant to the Chicago Homicide Police Department。 He is also a dwarf which is an integral part of both the character and plot points。 In an age where ADA accommodations are routinely instituted and full inclusion for young people with significant disability， Nickless has created a compelling character in Dr。 Wilding。 He acknowledges his dwarfism， referring to himself as dwarf rather than person of short stature， and while rueful of the limitations （not being able to reach preferred items on the grocery shelf） he focus on his other extraordinary abilities with humor and charm。 Play of Shadows utilizes the trope of police detective partnered with brilliant civilian， in this case with possibility of romance。 What makes this series， and Play of Shadows， unique is the exploration of a character with physical disability。 Play of Shadows explores Dr。 Wilding's emotional insecurities with his police partner Addie， his equally brilliant brother River， who is fully introduced in this book， and his father who rejected him because of his stature。 The growth of Dr。 Wilding and his relationships with people close to him is compelling and fascinating。 The mystery of a serial killer who models himself as the Cretan Minotaur is fairly prosaic and is leaving clues of Cretan hieroglyphs。 was pretty easy to guess， nevertheless the mystery is fascinating。 Highly reccommend Play of Shadows; suggest reading at least At First Light first。Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
Robert
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