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Editorial Content for I Shot the Devil

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Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

On Halloween night in 1994, five teenagers from Southport, Long Island, went into West Cypress Woods for an evening of drinking, drugging, heavy metal music and allegedly some satanic worship. Only three came out alive. Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends, and Ricky Hell --- the ringleader of the gang --- was shot and killed by a cop who arrived on the scene. Read More

Teaser

Erin Sloane was 16 when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends. They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out. Ativan, alcohol and distance had dimmed Erin's memories of that time. But nearly 20 years later, an aging father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin's investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.

Promo

Erin Sloane was 16 when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends. They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out. Ativan, alcohol and distance had dimmed Erin's memories of that time. But nearly 20 years later, an aging father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin's investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.

About the Book

Erin Sloane was 16 when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends.

They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out.

Ativan, alcohol and distance had dimmed Erin's memories of that time. But nearly 20 years later, an aging father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin's investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.

An unforgettable story of murder, trauma and childhoods lost, I SHOT THE DEVIL is a taut, prize-winning debut novel from an electrifying new talent.

Audiobook available, read by Thomas Judd and Lorelei King

July 26, 2024

The weather in the New York area has been soupy for about a month now. Wilting is a good adjective to describe how I feel as soon as I leave the house.

But it did not keep me from joining up with some fellow book-loving friends in the city at the Bryant Park Reading Room to hear both Marjan Kamali, the author of THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, and Ann Hood, the author of THE STOLEN CHILD (both books are Bookreporter.com Bets On selections), talk about their work.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

July 2024

I enjoyed Liz Moore's previous novel, LONG BRIGHT RIVER, so I was eager to read THE GOD OF THE WOODS. She does not disappoint. I never attended summer camp, but friends of mine have loved this experience. And in these pages, I felt like I was there.

Here we have an interesting setup. It's 1975. Next to Camp Emerson is a property in the Adirondacks owned by the wealthy Van Laars, which has been in the family for generations. They own the land where the camp is located, and it is now managed by the daughter of the camp's founder.

The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

July 2024

I enjoy J. Courtney Sullivan's writing, so I was looking forward to reading THE CLIFFS. Here, she returns to Maine in a book that is full of character, history and stories woven together.

First, there is an abandoned house, one that Jane Flanagan, a teen with a less-than-happy home life, explores in her free time. Her imagination is in gear about who may have lived there and what their story was. Things seem hurriedly abandoned as if a family fled. There are clothes in closets and dishes in cabinets. But life moves on. And so does Jane.

We have listed nine of Carol’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks that are now or soon to be in paperback. Which of these books have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.

July 26, 2024, 822 voters

July 26, 2024 - August 9, 2024

Here are reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for the contest period of July 26 - August 9.

Interview: Joshua Perry, author of Seraphim

Jul 25, 2024

SERAPHIM, former New Orleans public defender Joshua Perry’s debut novel, is a gritty and thrilling interrogation of crime, violence and the limits of justice in the chaotic times after Hurricane Katrina. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, Perry talks about his decision to write a work of fiction featuring a public defender as the main character and mentions two novels that served as models for the book. He also looks back on his legal career and explains what he misses (and doesn’t miss) about being a public defender.

July 23, 2024

In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of July 22nd and July 29th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.

This week, we are calling attention to our review of the newly released LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE. This exhilarating novel from Taffy Brodesser-Akner, theNew York Times bestselling author of FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE, is about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and the wild legacy of trauma and inheritance.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

July 2024

A few years ago, I read and loved Marjan Kamali’s THE STATIONERY SHOP, which was so beautifully done. I am happy to share that her latest book, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, is just as special. While readers will see it as a touching story of a friendship, it is much more as Marjan gives us an inside view of the political situation that erupts again and again in Tehran, Iran.

Bad Tourists by Caro Carver

July 2024

Caro Carver’s BAD TOURISTS sets up as one kind of book but quickly flips to another. Then comes even more twists. Caro was inspired to write this thriller as she was on vacation in the Maldives. She envisioned a hotel, like Sapphire Island, a plush location where guests would have everything taken care of for them. This spectacular setting is a star and a character since the setup of these accommodations lends itself to the action. And the beautiful waters around them hide danger. There also is a page where Caro refers to a manta ray and shares, “How difficult can it be to tell innocent and villain apart?” That is the central theme of the novel, and a tone is set.