Deborah Harkness to sign book copies July 31

Author Deborah Harkness will sign copies of her new book, "Shadow of Night," at 6:30 p.m. July 31 at Murder By The Book, 2342 Bissonnet St., in Houston.

Author Deborah Harkness will sign copies of her new book, "Shadow of Night," at 6:30 p.m. July 31 at Murder By The Book, 2342 Bissonnet St., in Houston.

Harkness is a scholar and writer specializing in the history of science and medicine. She has received numerous awards, including Fulbright, Guggenheim and National Humanities Center fellowships. She is currently a professor of history at the University of Southern California. Her most recent academic publication is "The Jewel House: Elizabethan London and the Scientific Revolution."

Harkness entered the world of novel writing with "A Discovery of Witches." Her debut novel was well-received by the reading public, according to a press release. "Shadow of Night" is the sequel to her first book and part of a planned trilogy that continues the journey through a world of alchemy, time travel and magical discoveries.

The new novel, published by Viking, continues the story of her characters in Elizabethan London who are plunged into a world of spies and subterfuge, according to the release.

For more information, call 713-524-8597 or visit www.murderbooks.com.