American By Day

American By Day

A whip-smart thriller cracking open modern America

Summary

'A superb novel on all levels . . . Miller is a classy satirist of American mores.' The Times
'Not to be missed . . . A subtle crime story peopled with beautifully drawn characters.' Daily Mail

Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2019

She knew it was a weird place. She'd heard the stories, seen the movies, read the books. But now police Chief Inspector Sigrid Ødegård has to leave her native Norway and actually go there; to that land across the Atlantic where her missing brother is implicated in the mysterious death of a prominent African-American academic.

America.

And not someplace interesting, either: upstate New York.

Plunged into a United States where race and identity, politics and promise, reverberate in every aspect of daily life. To find her older brother, she needs the help of the local police who appear to have already made up their minds about the case. Working with - or, if necessary, against - someone actually named Sheriff Irving 'Irv' Wylie, she must negotiate the local political minefields and navigate the back woods of the Adirondacks to uncover the truth before it's too late...

What readers are saying:

***** 'American by Day is a treat - intelligent, melancholy, a fast-moving crime thriller with a witty look at small-town USA through Scandinavian eyes.'
***** 'The writing is intelligent and assured and the characterisation a delight. It is both serious and consistently wry.'
***** 'Witty, sharp and on point . . . both delights and captivates.'

Reviews

  • A superb novel on all levels...Miller is a classy satirist of American mores
    Marcel Berlins, The Times

About the author

Derek B. Miller

Derek B. Miller is an American novelist, who worked in international affairs before turning to writing full-time. He is the author of five previous novels, all highly acclaimed: Norwegian by Night, The Girl in Green, American by Day, Radio Life and Quiet Time (an Audible Original). His work has been shortlisted for many awards, with Norwegian by Night winning the CWA John Creasey Dagger award for best first crime novel, an eDunnit Award and the Goldsboro Last Laugh Award. How to Find Your Way in the Dark was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a New York Times Best Mystery of 2021.

Miller is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (BA), Georgetown (MA) and he earned his Ph.D. in international relations from The Graduate Institute in Geneva. He is currently connected to numerous peace and security research and policy centres in North America, Europe and Africa, and previously worked at the United Nations for over a decade. He has lived abroad for over 25 years in Israel, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Switzerland, Norway and Spain.
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