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Thursday, August 25, 2022

A Supernatural Mystery...

Title & Author:  Friend of the Devil by Stephen Lloyd

Setting:  Danforth Putnam, an elite boarding school located on a private island off the coast of New England.

Main characters:  Sam, an insurance investigator and former marine who's tough, perceptive, sarcastic, haunted, and funny; and Harriet, a teen reporter with epilepsy who's determined, smart, and spunky, Sam's looking into the theft of a rare book, and Harriet's investigating an incident of bullying when their paths intersect. Dark and strange things at Danforth Putnam surprise them both.

My thoughts:  This book is a fun combination of mystery, detective fiction and supernatural horror. There's good suspense and lots of humorous moments, and it reads fast. I loved Sam's snarkiness and Harriet's stubborn fearlessness. And there's a very explosive demonic twist at the end that I was NOT expecting. But I thought it was a good one. I ended up really liking this book. It's an entertaining summer read. 

Happy Reading!

 


36 comments:

  1. That is a creepy cover; glad you seemed to enjoy this one.

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    1. I did like it. I always like that mix of supernatural and mystery. :)

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  2. The title is certainly intriguing as is the cover and your review seems to indicate that the book lives up to them.

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  3. I love a good supernatural mystery. Plus, the characters sound great. :)

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    1. Such likable characters! I hope Lloyd writes another book with them in it. :)

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  4. Well this sounds interesting! I'm curious about the strange things happening at the boarding school.

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  5. The characters sound like an interesting bunch in this.

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  6. I do like books that have just a bit of a paranormal element. I like the sound of this one.

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    1. I really like that paranormal element in books, too. :)

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  7. What a wonderful mashup of genres! Lovely review, Lark

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  8. Had pretty much no experience with horror but I really enjoyed Darcy Coates' The Haunting of Ashburn House. It's horror but not too extreme and Friends of the Devil sounds similar where the main characters are interesting and likeable.

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    1. This isn't too extreme with the horror element either. I didn't find it scary, just a bit of supernatural suspense which I always like.

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  9. Very interesting cover, glad you enjoyed it!!

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    1. I was in the mood for a little bit of supernatural fun.

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  10. You had me at the setting - somehow school settings are always a draw for me. And add the other elements - will make a note of this one for fall.

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    1. School settings are always a huge draw for me, too! :D

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  11. Oooh, I love a good school mystery! And mix it with supernatural, well....

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    1. I just enjoyed this one. It's not deep or literary, but I thought it was entertaining and fun. :)

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  12. Sounds like a great time of year for this one! I'll check it out. :)

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  13. Not my preferred genre of books but it does sound exciting.

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    1. You have to like the supernatural thing to enjoy this one, that's for sure. :)

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  14. This sounds interesting! While I don't usually do supernatural books this has enough mystery elements that I think I would like it.
    I saw your comment about Barbara Michaels on my blog and Into the Darkness is one of my favorites! It's coming up soon and I can't wait. It's between that and Shattered Silk for my absolute favorite from her.

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    1. Ooh...Shattered Silk is a good one! I love that one, too. I need to pull that one off my shelf and reread it. :D

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  15. Harriet and Sam are such an odd couple, but I want to see how they work together in the book!

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    1. I liked them both for different reasons. And their friendship at the end makes me hope for another book about them.

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  16. This sounds like such an entertaining read. I think I would enjoy seeing Sam and Harriet in action. Great review!

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    1. Sam and Harriet are very likable. And that crazy twist at the end still makes me shake my head...and smile.

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  17. Mystery and supernatural horror. Sounds like my kind of books to read! ;D

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  18. Oh this sounds like a great read for this time of the year. Isn't that cover striking!

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