The adage about "what happens in Vegas" is funny precisely because we know it's wishful thinking. A Glittering Chaos is about what happens when "what happens in Vegas" comes home to haunt you. Melusine is a German librarian whose ho-hum world wobbles after she tags along when her husband Hans attends a Las Vegas optometry conference. A newly empty nester who speaks no English, Melusine's voyage of self-discovery is punctuated by the poetry of Ingeborg Bachmann, nude photos in the desert, a black dildo named Kurt, autoerotic asphyxia, and the unravelling of her husband's sanity because of a secret from his youth. A smart, funny and incredibly wise novel about marriage, secrets and lies, and unusual sexual proclivities.

Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits has lived in Canada since 2000. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy and has lived in the U.S.A., Australia and Britain. No Fury Like That, her most recently published work, is her seventh novel. It will be published in Italian, under the title Una furia dell'altro mondo, in 2019. Previous works include: The Hungry Mirror (winner 2011 IPPY Gold Medal); West of Wawa (winner 2012 IPPY Silver Medal); A Glittering Chaos (winner 2016 Bronze IPPY Medal ; The Witchdoctor's Bones; Between the Cracks She Fell (winner 2016 for Contemporary Fiction); and The Nearly Girl. Lisa lives and writes in Toronto. Her ninth novel, The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist's Solution is forthcoming in 2019.

Lisa de Nikolits' profile page

• Winner, IPPY Silver Medal for Popular Fiction

"An innocent trip to Las Vegas sparks a series of commissions and revelations that unravel a couple's deepest beliefs about themselves and each other. Like Madame Bovary before it, A Glittering Chaos illustrates with an expert synthesis of empathy and honesty the ways in which our fantasies can have very real, and potentially devastating, consequences." - Richard Rosenbaum, Broken Pencil"A Glittering Chaos assures de Nikolits of her rightful place in the Literati world. The perfect balance of the Yin Yang of writing shines through in every chapter."- Betsy Balega, author, Being Mystic, producer/host of Tuning in with Betsy "I picked up A Glittering Chaos and instantly became caught up in the story of Hans, Gunther and Melusine. The story itself is engrossing with an ending I didn't expect so it would rank high on that basis alone. it's a mystery and also a character study and Melusine is a woman we become fascinated by. What impressed me more, however, is the author's skill - her writing soars. Over and over again I was carried away with a turn of phrase or a perfect description. It stands on its own as a literary novel. And if that isn't enough, the hot romance was great!"-D.J. McIntosh, author of The Witch of Babylon and The Book of Stolen Tales"Lisa de Nikolits manages to integrate all these surprising pieces into a jigsaw that is a poignant, at times even lyrical, story of sexual coming-of-age, and the sometimes hard price paid for the wisdom of middle-age."--Beverly Akerman, author of The Meaning of Children "Lisa de Nikolits is a smart, sensitive and adventurous writer, and she pulls out all the stops in her third novel. Sometimes comical, sometimes touching, sometimes outrageous, A Glittering Chaos is a riveting read from start to finish." - Rosemary McCracken, author of Safe Harbor"A Glittering Chaos grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go! Part romance, part thriller, part mystery story, I found myself wondering what twists and turns would happen next. Nothing in this story was predictable: the book kept me guessing (and intrigued) to the final page. I was reminded of the Peter Greenaway film "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" -- passionate, sexual, unusual and dark, but always very human."- Terri Favro, Author of The Proxy Bride"A Glittering Chaos is wonderful, dark, witty and wild. Here is a writer who is willing to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and expose life for all its beauty and depravity. Lisa de Nikolits is a master storyteller who takes the reader on an unforgettable ride that begins with Melusine and her husband, Hans, whose trip to Las Vegas unravels their lives in ways they never would have thought possible. Stories within stories. Poetry. Madness. Illicit love. A city's power to unleash forgotten selves. The real dangers of trying to get to the truth. A Glittering Chaos has it all. A completely riveting read that will engage the mind, body and spirit."--Lisa Young, author of When The Earth