Something More Than Night

When the archangel Gabriel turns up dead and the legendary Jericho Trumpet vanishes, Heaven faces its greatest crisis since the Fall. The investigation falls to Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has fashioned himself after the hard-boiled detectives of noir fiction. Operating in a cosmos where Thomas Aquinas's theological vision meets Raymond Chandler's mean streets, Bayliss navigates a labyrinthine conspiracy involving nightclub stigmatics, corrupt clergy, and scheming seraphim. What begins as a straightforward murder case evolves into something far more sinister: an elaborate con game spanning eons, orchestrated by angels seeking their own escape from paradise.

Scott Brick's masterful narration transforms Tregillis's genre-bending fantasy into a captivating audio experience that perfectly captures the story's unique blend of theological grandeur and pulp sensibilities. Brick adopts the clipped, world-weary cadences of classic detective fiction while seamlessly shifting between the various celestial and earthbound characters populating this divine noir. His delivery emphasizes the story's dark humor and philosophical undertones without sacrificing the propulsive momentum essential to any good mystery. The audio format particularly enhances the first-person narration style, creating an intimate atmosphere that draws listeners directly into Bayliss's sardonic worldview and the cosmic implications of his investigation.