Michael Evanichko

Amber’s dream wedding at Mayguard Manor—a renovated castle on Lake Superior—unravels when a notorious pyromaniac killer reappears, leaving maroon candles as a chilling signature. A brutal storm isolates the island, and the castle’s tragic history resurfaces with unsettling force. As suspicion spreads and alliances fracture, Amber must confront the manor's violent past and its connection to the killer before the next candle appears.

If you like thrillers and suspense from authors Sarah Pearse The Sanatorium or Alice Feeney’s Rock Paper Scissors, and Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, sprinkled with classic Agatha Christie, you will love The Maroon Candle. A classic throwback to the thrillers of the eighties with modern day sensibilities.

Read the full reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Booklife Reviews. Visit the Goodreads page for ARC reviews.

The Maroon Candle is now available for pre-order! Amazon Kindle version HERE or autographed paperback version HERE. Official worldwide release date is June 4, 2026!

Michael is appearing at The Books, Authors, and Publishers Fair in Nashville on May 30th. Click the link on the name for details.

Michael has started a NEWSLETTER called Inside Michael Evanichko where he talks all things life and writing. To join him on this journey, SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Michael Evanichko is an author, playwright, screenwriter, and actor whose work mixes psychological tension with quirky, dark‑edged humor. He writes stories set in liminal spaces—castles, supermarkets, landfills, and knapsacks. He loves to highlight the odd and unsettling in ordinary moments.

He created The Trilogy of Life, including Life in a Supermarket Basket—praised by Kirkus Reviews and a 2023 American Fiction Awards finalist—plus Life in a Savage Landfill and Life in a Neon Knapsack. His newest novel is the psychological thriller The Maroon Candle, praised by Kirkus Reviews as, "A fast, fun, and fiery mystery-thriller to be consumed in one sitting."