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The name Evan Delaney refers to a series of mystery suspense novels written by Meg Gardiner. The books follow the exploits of an author who solves deadly mysteries in her spare time.
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Order of Evan Delaney Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Lake | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Mission Canyon | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Jericho Point | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Crosscut | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Kill Chain | 2006 | Description / Buy |
Evan Delaney, the protagonist of this series, writes science fiction. When she is first introduced in China Lake, the first novel in the series, Evan is also an attorney but she isn’t practicing law at that particular point in time.
Operating out of Santa Barbara in California, Evan’s life takes an interesting turn when a friend’s mother dies. At the funeral, Evan is accosted by the members of a hate-driven cult that wants to bring about the end times.
Evan learns that they were sent her way by Tabitha, the ex-wife of Brian, her brother. Tabitha had abandoned her family a little while ago. And because Brian’s army job was so demanding, it often fell on Evan’s shoulders to care for Luke, their son.
When Tabitha forces her way back into their lives, determined to bring her son into the fold of her new church, Evan doesn’t yet know how drastically her life is about to change.
It will take everything in her power to keep herself, her brother and her nephew alive.
The Evan Delaney books sound like cozy mysteries when you first read their premise. You have an ordinary woman with an ordinary career who keeps stumbling into mysteries that she must solve despite the opposition she encounters from the police.
It isn’t until you read further into the plots of the different novels that you realize that the Evan Delaney series is more suspense thriller than anything else.
Each installment pits Evan, the heroine, against some nefarious villain. Evan is drawn into cases of murder because the mysteries at the heart of each novel end up hitting a little too close to home.
In most cases, either the heroine is being targeted by an enemy or those closest to her are embroiled in situations that threaten to ruin their lives irreversibly.
Evan’s defining trait is her loyalty. She will do anything to safeguard the people she loves. And it is that loyalty that drives her to run headlong into conflicts with antagonists that could kill her if she isn’t careful.
The Evan Delaney books are quite dark. The stakes are steep. Death is relatively commonplace. In fact, some readers have expressed surprise at the fact that the series is written by a female author considering how brutal and violent things get.
Meg Gardiner’s books are very tightly plotted. Her Evan Delaney stories always proceed at a very rapid pace, with readers getting little to no room to catch their breath before they are bombarded with twists and turns.
Evan Delaney Awards
The first novel in this series won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 2009.
Best Evan Delaney Books
These novels are most commonly praised for their relentless pace and chilling mysteries, with some of the best books in the series including:
Crosscut: Evan Delaney is a lawyer who writes science fiction, and she has experienced plenty of trauma over the course of her existence.
Evan knew that her memories of China Lake were not particularly pleasant. Growing up in the area was hardly a picnic. However, she never expected her return trip to China Lake for a school reunion to present much of a challenge.
But then she realized that many of her classmates had suffered mysterious deaths.
Kill Chain: Evan’s father is employed by Naval Intelligence. And when he disappears, Evan can’t help but conclude that his work might be to blame. The police are not convinced. They think the man went abroad to escape the law.
So Evan has no one to turn to when she finally decides to look into his disappearance. Along the way, an FBI agent dies and Evan is implicated in his murder. Now she is on the run, trying to save herself and her father from certain death.
Other Book Series You May Like
Another great, great series is the John Wells Series by Alex Berenson. John Wells is an undercover CIA operative. When he infiltrates Al Qaeda, he does such an incredible job of assimilating into his role that everyone begins to question his loyalty.
You may also enjoy the “Gray Man” Series by Mark Greaney. Court Gentry was one of the CIA’s most competent operatives. But then his brothers turned on him. Operating as an international assassin known as the Gray Man, Gentry now works alone, using his lethal skills to right wrongs wherever he sees them.
What Is The Next Book in The Evan Delaney Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Evan Delaney Series. The newest book is Kill Chain and was released on January, 1st 2006.