It’s lust at first sight for Cassandra Westbrook and Thomas Warrior, even though they’re bidding against each other at an art auction for valuable Native American ledger drawings. Surprisingly the two meet again just weeks later when Angela Brown Wolf, Thomas’ adopted mother, asks him to mentor Cassie’s troubled but artistically talented nephew. Thomas is a successful creator of graphic novels (don’t call them cartoon books) who first developed his gift when he was a homeless teenager living on the streets of Minneapolis. Despite his success, the African-American/Native American man once known as Tommy T is still wary of other people, so his attraction to wealthy widow and art patron Cassie is hard for him to accept. For her part, Cassie is fascinated by this mysterious man but concerned that the ten year difference in their ages makes her look like the infamous Mrs. Robinson.  

Cassie and Thomas quickly become lovers, but when the artwork Cassie recently bought disappears along with her nephew, their new relationship is tested by issues of trust and honesty. Just how badly did Thomas want to obtain those drawings so he could return them to the Lakota nation? When the situation starts to mirror the events of Thomas’ novels, even he starts to wonder if he’s leading a double life, or if he’s just plain crazy.  

Eagle’s novels are usually notable for their strong characterizations and witty repartee between hero and heroine, but unfortunately the former is sadly lacking here. If you’ve read The Night Remembers, you’ll already be familiar with the difficult childhood Thomas endured before he formed a new family with Angela and Jesse Brown Wolf. Eagle provides his backstory in this novel, but it’s more telling than showing, and as a result it’s difficult to get a handle on him. If this is your first encounter, Thomas comes off as cocky and somewhat immature. The reader gets a better sense of Thomas, however, than of Cassie. We know she’s a wealthy widow and we learn a little about why she married a man twice her age, but we never really understand what makes her tick. This lack of connection with hero and heroine renders their flirtation empty and shallow.  

Night Falls Like Silk is more successful as a suspense novel than a romance. Eagle alternates the regular narrative with chapters written from the point of view of Thomas’ pivotal fictional character, Victor. It’s an intriguing alter ego concept – is Victor real or not? If he’s real, is he Thomas’ alternate personality or has someone else taken on his identity? Although I solved the mystery before the novel’s climax, I still went back and re-read those chapters to catch the clues I missed the first time around.  

At slightly more than 250 pages, the book seems to be lacking key sections that might have been edited out by a cost-conscious publisher. I’d like to see a “Director’s Cut” version of the book featuring the “deleted scenes” that would have provided the novel with greater depth. For example, Thomas is estranged from his adopted father, Jesse, but because there are no flashbacks to their original closeness (you have to read the prequel for that), their rift and inevitable reconciliation don’t pack much of an emotional punch.  

Surely Kathleen Eagle still has great novels inside her that are yet to be written, but sadly, Night Falls Like Silk is not one of them. Still, for those who were disappointed by Once Upon a Wedding, this is definitely a step back in the right direction.  

--Susan Scribner