So Shines The Night by Tracy L. Higley

Daria is a tutor running away from evil when she meets Lucas. Lucas is a wealthy merchant living in Ephesus. He too has been in the presence of evil. When Lucas invites Daria to come to Ephesus with him and become his tutor she has mis-givings but sees no other way to escape the evil surrounding her in Rhodes.

Daria is once again thrust into the presence of evil in Ephesus. Lucas is set on a deadly path to exact revenge upon his wife's murderers. He has become friends with the sorcerers and the Christians in an effort to find out which group is responsible for his wife's death. Daria's desire to question everything and find out everything she can about Lucas puts her in danger.

Set in Ephesus during a time when the people of The Way were hated and feared, when Paul was speaking about the One True God, both Daria and Lucas find themselves confused about who to believe. Daria is set on pleasing the gods with offerings but yet as a scholar questioning her belief in those gods. Lucas has allowed himself to be filled with hate and vengeance almost to the point of joining the very evil that claimed his wife's life. Will Paul's influence and preaching of the One True God touch both Daria and Lucas and set them free from the claims of evil that are upon them?

Tracy Higley has a way of bringing history to life. If you have never read one of her books then I suggest you remedy that immediately! Especially if you like historical fiction. So Shines the Night focuses on a time in history when the church is just getting started. People of The Way are feared and reviled. It was interesting to see fictionally what Paul could have been like in his zeal to win people for Christ. It was also fun to "meet" other biblical characters that traveled with Paul such as Timothy and Priscilla and Aquila. I especially wanted to shout a cheer when the One True God conquered evil. So Shines the Night shows once again how well Tracy Higley researches a time in history and brings together a story that grips the readers attention.

Other books by Tracy Higley that I have read:

Guardian of the Flame
Isle of Shadows
Pompeii: City on Fire

To check out more of Tracy's books visit her website at: http://tracyhigley.com/