Two ‘Til Midnight by Bernard L. Dillard

History professor Garnet Gibbs keeps her faith strong while angels and devils stage proxy battles over the souls of her family and colleagues. Garnet holds strong in her convictions but gives kindness to all around her as she moves through a world ripe with sin. Set vividly in Las Vegas, Two ‘Til Midnight by Bernard L. Dillard tells a simple story of faith in everyday life through the lens of a cosmic battle between good and evil.

Dillard moves the story along by taking readers behind the scenes of humanity’s continuing battle against evil. He sets up scenes of angels and devils swooping down, discussing ways to save or steal souls. Angel Gabriel and crew watch out for Garnet, while the demon Mictian and his brood seek to push sin and destruction upon her and those close to her.

Two ‘Til Midnight is an imaginative and engaging story, but Dillard’s execution falters at times. An edit that tightens the story would give the reader a more focused glimpse into the central theme of the novel: the testing of one’s faith. Dillard casts characters who vie with a variety of sins, and though the stories are inventive, the narrative slightly fails to give their individual stories the punch they deserve.

Overall, the novel offers insightful glimpses into critical issues faced by Garnet and her family, and so humanity’s enduring problems. He explores racist cops, attacks on gays and lesbians, and America’s complicated presence in Afghanistan. In these themes, Dillard excels, and so Two ‘Til Midnight works well as a work of religious fiction and a prescient tale about contemporary issues.