Barbara Nickless Books In Order

Publication Order of Dr. Evan Wilding Books

Publication Order of Sydney Rose Parnell Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Bestselling author Barbara Nickless was born in Guam, and traveled all over before she made it to Colorado. This experience was able to give her a much better sense of adventure, not to mention a curiosity that is insatiable. When not writing something, or going through a library, or traveling from one place to another, she is in the Colorado Rockies. While here, she likes to snowshoe, cave, or hike through, and even drink single malt Scotch. She does like to add that she rarely does all of them at once.

Barbara made a promise to her mother that she would write novels for a living when she was older. After all, what is safer than sitting at a desk all day? Her English degree and her adventurous attitude led her down different paths in life. She has had many careers as a result, and some of them include: piano teacher, astronomy, sword fighter, raptor rehabilitator, and instructional designer. Barbara has even handled rattlesnakes, and raised two kids through their teenage years. She enjoys writing the most, because even though the other careers helped her curiosity, this one allows her to do some interesting things for research. Rarely has her life ever been boring.

One thing she got to was that she got to pretend to be a drug dealer for Thornton police department’s SWAT training. She got to stand in the shoes of the bad guy and swear at them. It taught her that you do not mess with them. This was for her first novel, and she did it so that she could get everything correct in the novel, which she did to make readers know that she knew what she was talking about.

Nickless has written the “Sydney Rose Parnell” series. The series is about a war veteran police officer that got post traumatic stress disorder and how she is coping with it. She conducted quite a bit of research on the subject of post traumatic stress to really get into Parnell’s mind. She also went through the rigors of seeing what it is like to be a woman in the marine corps and what it is like to kill someone (before, during, and after). She admits that creating this character was a tall order for her.

The first novel that Barbara had published was called “Blood on the Tracks”, which was published in the year 2016. The series is from the genres of mystery and thriller.

One of her favorite authors is Alexandra Fuller.

“Blood on the Tracks” won the “Daphne du Maurier”of Excellence for the mainstream mystery category and Suspense Magazine placed it in their best books of the year 2016. She also won the Colorado Author’s League Writing Award in 2016 for genre fiction. Colorado Humanities and Center for Books presented her with the “Colorado Book Award”.

“Blood on the Tracks” is the first novel in the “Sydney Rose Parnell” series and was released in the year 2016. There is a young woman found brutally murdered; suspect number one is her fiance, who is a Iraq War vet that is horrifically scarred and he is called the Burned Man. A Special Agent with the railroad police (named Sydney Rose Parnell) is brought in to help investigate by the major crimes unit of Denver. She is unable to shake the thought that there is something bigger at work here than a simple crime of passion.

During the frigid winter, Sydney, along with her partner, Clyde (a canine), are both haunted from the time they spent in Iraq, and they go into the underworld of savage group of rail riders. They find a conspiracy, that is far reaching, not to mention a bunch of surprising crimes. They threaten everything that is dear to Parnell.

In her quest for truth, it has placed her right where the killer can get close to her, and finds she is struggling with an awful question. Will she be able to fight these monsters and not turn into a monster herself?

Fans of the novel found that they had discovered a new author to follow by reading this book. This is an engrossing read about an ex-marine and railway cop; that does a great job of showing what it is like to have to be a war veteran and deal with post traumatic stress disorder. Sydney has a great voice and it is great to read her inner thoughts. Some liked how Sydney is bad to the bone but broken; they also loved Clyde a lot. Readers have been pulled in from the opening sentence and are captivated by the tale throughout. Barbara is an author to watch as she does a great job of making you feel emotional while reading. You will be left guessing for the entire book as it twists and turns towards its finale, and this is a series to follow for as long as the author chooses to write it.

“Dead Stop” is the second novel in the “Sydney Rose Parnell” series and was released in the year 2017. Five months have gone by since Sydney Parnell went up against the gang of brutal thugs. The encounter left her emotionally and physically scarred as a result. She worries that she might not be ready to go through another investigation right yet.

All of that changes when a woman is murdered on some train tracks and a child is abducted. Sydney knows that no one else will be able to find the killer. Denver police and the FBI chase leads that go nowhere, at the same time, Sydney focuses only on one cryptic clue that was left behind at the scene of the crime. It will take her down a path littered with love from long ago, violence, and greed.

There are thunderstorms in Denver, making it almost like a monsoon is hitting the town. It may just flood Denver. Clyde and Sydney must get through the murky trail of murder that goes back three decades. It is all so they can rescue a child and apprehend a killer, one that has quite a long memory (like that of an elephant) and quite an appetite for destruction (an insatiable one).

One Response to “Barbara Nickless”

1. John Aggas: 1 year ago

   Loved the first 4 books. When will the 5th be available? Soon, I hope!

   Reply