Where to Start Reading Derek B. Miller
For readers looking to dive into the work of Derek B. Miller, the absolute best starting point is his award-winning debut novel, Norwegian by Night (2012). It introduces Sheldon Horowitz, an eighty-two-year-old Jewish-American widower, ex-Marine, and sniper who has relocated to Oslo, Norway, to live with his granddaughter. Haunted by the death of his son Saul in the Vietnam War, Sheldon's life is upended when he witnesses a neighbor being murdered and rescues her young son. Fleeing into the snowy Norwegian forests, Sheldon draws on his old military training and combat instincts to protect the boy from a group of Serbian war criminals. This novel perfectly establishes Miller's trademark style: a unique combination of geopolitical realism, dark humor, existential philosophy, and deep emotional resonance.
Starting with this debut also serves as the gateway to two separate tracks in Miller's bibliography: the prequel focusing on Sheldon's early years and the spin-off sequel focusing on the detective who investigates the case.
The Sheldon Horowitz Books: Prequel vs. Sequel
While Derek B. Miller’s novels are often categorised as standalones, he has created a rich character universe around Sheldon Horowitz. There are two primary ways to approach these books: publication order or chronological order.
Publication Order (Recommended)
- Norwegian by Night (2012) – Establishes the elderly, cynical, yet fiercely moral Sheldon Horowitz living in Oslo, Norway.
- How to Find Your Way in the Dark (2021) – A prequel that explores Sheldon's formative years from ages 11 to 21.
Chronological Order
- How to Find Your Way in the Dark (2021) – Set between 1937 and 1947, tracing Sheldon's early life through tragedy and wartime.
- Norwegian by Night (2012) – Set decades later, concluding Sheldon's story in Oslo.
The Prequel vs. Sequel Dynamic
We strongly recommend reading in publication order. Meeting the elderly Sheldon in Norwegian by Night first makes his origin story in How to Find Your Way in the Dark infinitely more poignant. How to Find Your Way in the Dark (which was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award) follows Sheldon from a tragic car accident in Massachusetts that kills his father, to his time in Hartford, Connecticut, and eventually to New York City and the onset of World War II. When you read the prequel knowing the man Sheldon eventually becomes, his childhood struggles, his introduction to boxing and shooting, and his deep sense of justice carry a powerful weight of dramatic irony. However, if you prefer a linear, historical coming-of-age progression, starting with the prequel is a perfectly valid alternative.
The Sigrid Ødegård Transatlantic Connection
For readers who want to follow the police procedural side of Miller's debut, the character of Sigrid Ødegård provides a natural next step. The connection operates as follows:
- Norwegian by Night (2012) – Sigrid Ødegård is introduced as the Oslo Chief Inspector investigating the murder and Sheldon's subsequent disappearance.
- American by Day (2018) – Sigrid takes center stage as the main protagonist. When her brother goes missing in upstate New York and is implicated in the death of a prominent academic, Sigrid travels to the United States.
The titles Norwegian by Night and American by Day form a thematic pair. While the first novel examines an American senior navigating the cultural landscape of Norway, the second follows a Norwegian police officer trying to make sense of the complex social, racial, and political landscape of modern America. While they are connected by Sigrid, American by Day works perfectly well as a standalone mystery.
Derek B. Miller’s Standalone Novels
Aside from his interconnected character universes, Miller has written several high-concept standalone novels that span multiple genres. These can be read in any order:
The Girl in Green (2016 / 2017)
Set in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq and jumping forward to 2003, this thriller follows British journalist Thomas Benton and American soldier Arwood Hobbes. Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, the novel follows the pair as they reunite to rescue a young girl in green from a refugee camp, seeking redemption for a tragedy they witnessed a decade earlier. It is a gripping, realistic, and politically astute novel that draws heavily on Miller's professional background in international security.
Radio Life (2021)
A post-apocalyptic epic set four centuries after a global collapse known as "The Rise." The story centers on the Commonwealth, a society housed in a former Olympic Stadium that actively seeks to archive and rebuild using the technology of the "Ancients" (our present day), and the Keepers, a faction that believes ancient knowledge is an existential threat that must be stamped out to prevent history from repeating itself. It is widely compared to classic sci-fi works like A Canticle for Leibowitz.
Quiet Time (2021)
Released as an Audible Original, this contemporary family drama follows the Livingston family as they move from Switzerland to Marblehead, Massachusetts. Their lives are turned upside down when their high-school-aged daughter disarms a shooter during a drill, catapulting them into a viral media storm. This story is an audio-first experience and is currently not available in print formats.
The Curse of Pietro Houdini (2024)
A historical fiction masterpiece set in Italy during the final years of World War II. The novel is narrated by Massimo, a fourteen-year-old orphan who becomes the assistant to Pietro Houdini, a charismatic art restorer and self-proclaimed con man. Together, they orchestrate a daring art heist to save priceless Titian paintings from Nazi looting at the historic Benedictine abbey of Montecassino. It combines tragic history with dark humor, featuring unique details like parachuted mules and the destruction of the abbey.
What to Know Before You Start
Derek B. Miller's work stands out in contemporary fiction due to several key characteristics:
- Genre Blending: His books refuse to settle into a single lane, merging elements of crime thriller, historical fiction, sci-fi, and philosophical inquiry.
- Geopolitical Realism: With a Ph.D. in international relations and over a decade of experience working with the United Nations and security think tanks, Miller brings a rare, authentic authority to his novels' depictions of conflict, diplomacy, and post-war reconstruction.
- Hope and Humor: Despite tackling heavy themes like grief, war, PTSD, and systemic corruption, Miller's writing is consistently lightened by sharp wit, warm human relationships, and a fundamental belief in human goodness.