Deviltry Afoot

by Carol Pritt

Seeking justice for her daughters murder Tina must seek answers in the supernatural realm. Terror is spreading over Pendale. Love is pitted against a dreadful force.

Tina’s daughter is savagely murdered.

Tina comes to know the police won’t be able to solve the crime because the answers are to be found in the supernatural realm.

She sets out determined to find answers herself. Donald chose evil when he was a living being. Brought back to spirit he continues spreading terror. As Tina explores others come to know that something outside the norm is at work in Pendale.

Will the power of love bring light overcoming the spreading darkness?

Will Becky be able to rest in peace?

Genres: Horror

210 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2013

About the author

Carol Pritt lives in Northeast Ohio. This is her first Novel. Carol has a Associate of Liberal Arts and a Associate of Pre-Professional Journalism from Lorain County Community College. Carol enjoys reading, writing, being with her large family and playing with her pets.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halloween is coming, so what better time to read a good, creepy, dark horror book than now? Deviltry Afoot by debut author Carol Pritt is a walk on the dark side that only needs scary music in the background and a storm brewing outside in the dark to really ramp up the chill factor. A child is brutally murdered and unable to get past what has happened, a mother seeks answers and justice, but she finds horrors beyond belief as she is thrust headlong into a dark and forbidding world-and no one will believe her. Will she be the only one to stand up against the evil? Can she stop it before it devours an entire town? Who is this evil entity? Who is Donald? Can a mother’s love defeat the devil?

Carol Pritt begins her gruesome tale with short, staccato sentences, laying a firm supporting foundation. Her stark writing ability gives an added dimension of darkness and foreboding that permeates each page. The graphic details are so grimly described, I felt the blood, saw the horrific details of the aftermath and my imagination went chillingly wild. If you are the least bit timid about the dark unknown, try a buddy read, but do NOT miss the tension in this book!

I received a review copy of this book as part of a virtual tour for Deviltry Afoot, stopping at Tome Tender October 5, 2013.

Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0741483769
Page Count: 210
Genre: Adult Horror/Paranormal
Available to Purchase From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.

[Lara Girdler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary, that is just the one word I would use to describe this book as a whole. Disturbing is how I would describe Donald Fate – committing his first act of grisly murder as revenge to a bully when he was just a young child – his life continued on this path until he chose evil as an adult – aligning himself with the Devil and becoming one of the Devil’s minions committing murders for fun! This book takes the reader down the path of the dark, mysterious world of the supernatural in a fashion unlike any other I’ve read before. Tina’s daughter is brutally murdered, the murderer is no one among the civilians of Pendale – One right after another is murdered back to back all in the same way - a long knife to the throat – the women raped and tortured before they are murdered – the men just brutally murdered.

Tina is convinced something of the supernatural realm committed the heinous act and she is determined to figure out what and how to stop it before it consumes the entire town’s population. Can she stop this entity before it kills again? Will she find justice for her only daughter, Becky’s, murder? These answers and a lot more are found on the pages of this intriguing, and captivating horror novel. The author does a great job of establishing the characters, developing their back stories and weaving them together in such a way that the reader is never left wondering why a character did what they did, or reacted in such a manner. As a mother, I felt for Tina, and know I’d go to the ends of the earth to find answers if something happened to one of my babies.

This gruesome story is well-written, well-versed and intriguing all at the same time! The details of the murders pull in the reader – we are kept on our toes through the entire novel. The only downside I will say is that the ending seems a tad abrupt, seems the author had a hard time finding the ending so she skipped a good clear ending and maybe set it up for a follow-up, not sure. Just seems like a lot of loose ends are left hanging.

[Tiffany White · Rating 3 out of 5]

The residents of the sleepy city of Pendale learn that a dark history can haunt a small town, forever. It all begins over 50 years ago, when a bullied young boy takes revenge on his tormentor, unleashing a taste for murder. He commits unspeakable acts until his own death, at the hands of a fellow inmate in prison. His death does not bring peace to this town, but instead a darkness far greater.
Has Potential...Still Needs Work. Will Stick With The Series to See Where It Goes!

Deviltry Afoot is the debut novel by Carol Pritt. At times I felt the story was a bit choppy and would have been better told as a collection of short stories, centered around the supernatural events in Pendale. There are also quite a few writing errors but these can easily be cleaned up in the e-book, so those issues were not considered as part of this review.

The author introduces a lot of characters and at times it was difficult to keep them all straight. While some characters were more central to the story, others were introduced as victims of these paranormal events. It did occur to me at the conclusion of the book that the number of characters introduced may have diminished the overall character development.

Devilrty Afoot is suspenseful. However, some of the ghostly occurrences seemed too apparent to be scary (for example, figures appearing and disappearing are overtly paranormal). In this genre, subtly tends to be more terrifying because it seems these things could actually happen. While the main antagonist's story of violence isn't unlikely (there are more serial killers than society cares to admit), what happens with him after his death is little more far-fetched. In the end the three-star review stemmed from lack of character development and not for anything lacking in the storyline itself. If this story should continue, as a series, I would anticipate a greater depth in characters and I look forward to seeing her evolve as a writer.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

[Nicole Mcbride · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that this book would be interesting to read. It was pitched to me in an e-mail blurb that I get from time to time from a company that is trying to help self published authors out. That is what makes this review quite difficult to write because I really do enjoy helping others when I can, especially aspiring authors.


The strongest thing about this book was the storyline behind it. I thought that Pritt had a unique plot that has not been written about in this way. For anyone who is very religious and knows that the Devil is real, this could be a very scary book to read at night. It is interesting to see a serial killer who was killed several decades ago comes back from the dead to start killing again. Add in a mourning mother looking for clues into who killed her daughter, you have a really good tale to be spun.


However, this book had quite a number of issues that would have been caught by a decent editor. The plot, while good, was not executed well, which brought the whole story down. Nothing was ever really developed or fleshed out because the pacing was so quick. Instead of having paragraphs, many of the pages were filled with one sentence paragraphs, which not only made it awkward, but made it read like a list of ideas instead of a cohesive story. There were many errors with grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. that it was very hard to read and I almost could not finish it. This is now becoming my pet-peeve with respect to the whole publishing community. Please get someone to edit your books appropriately! Outside of all that, it unfortunately read like a rough draft and not a polished piece.


I do hope that Pritt continues writing and honing her skill set in the future. With story ideas like this one, she could become a mainstream author if she was able to successfully execute them on the page.


Rating: 1.5 out of 5


I was given a copy of this book by the author through Bostick Communications; I was not paid to give this review.


www.thepensivechronicler.blogspot.com

[Gayle Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW

Donald Fate (appropriate name) is a evil man. As an adult, he chose to travel the Devil's path. That being evil and darkness. Donald as a young boy murdered a bully and that was his first evil act. Donald was committed murders for the Devil. Why? Just for fun. The path of the supernatural is a dark, evil and mysterious venture. Citizens are being murdered right and left, among them is Tina's daughter. They are all murdered the same way. Such a grisly way to die. A long knife to the throat. Before they are murdered, the women are raped and tortured. The men were just brutally murdered.

Tina feels that the horrid death of her daughter has something to do with the supernatural. She intends to stop it before the entire population is murdered. Can Tina find peace and justice for her daughter, Becky? Will she put the murderer away where he can no longer hurt and kill.?

The author, Ms. Pritt develops the characters as the story progresses, putting in some background so you can gain an idea of what kind of person they are. You are never left in the dark, not knowing why the characters did as they did.

As you begin the book, you are immediately on the edge of your seat. You turn those pages and as you do you hold your breath, not knowing what is next. I hope there is to be a sequel to answer some of the questions that were left hanging at the end of the book.

If you love horror, grisly murders and the thought of the Devil lurking down that dark, unknowing alley, this book will be right up your alley (sorry for the pun). One fantastic horror story. The author delivered and didn't disappoint.

WILL BECKY REST IN PEACE?

I would give this book 4 DEVILS.

I was given a complimentary copy of DEVILTRY AFOOT from the author, Carol Pritt for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.

[Mareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Becky Sanders is brutally murdered, her mother Tina is devastated and vows to find her killer and bring them to justice. Little does Tina Sanders realize that her daughter's murder is only the beginning in a reign of terror for the tiny town of Pendale. Seeking justice for Becky, Tina starts her own investigation of these gruesome murders; which ultimately leads her into the supernatural realm. For all signs point Tina toward an seeming impossibility - the murderer is one Donald Fate, a merciless assailant who apparently died in 1961.

The police have no tangible clues to go on, and are understandably reluctant to accept Tina's claim that their perpetrator is a phantom. To the detective in charge of Becky Sanders' case, Tina is just a grieving mother who is chasing intangible ghosts in order to deal with her daughter's death. As terror spreads through Pendale, Tina begins to wonder if a mother's love alone is strong enough to defeat such a dreadful and demonic evil.

I quite enjoyed reading this book; I found the story to be extremely scary, and the ending was a satisfyingly creepy cliff hanger for me. If I did have one tiny complaint about the book though, it would be that my copy had a number of spelling and punctuation errors throughout the story that made it slightly irritating for me to read. However, this may be just an isolated occurrence that I discovered.

Overall, I give Deviltry Afoot by Carol Pritt an A! In my opinion, this book was a very commendable debut from a promising author, and I look forward to reading more from Carol Pritt in the future.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of the supernatural creepy crawlies. Deviltry Afoot starts out with the story of Donald, who is a nasty human and beyond the grave presence readers will get a nice taste of throughout the book. In short, Donald’s father passes, his mother falls off into a religious fervor, and his taste for murder is wetted by killing the school bully. Fast forward to many years later in the peaceful and small town of Pendale, and readers will meet Tina who is a single mother of a gorgeous, sweet, college aged Becky. Becky is one of many brutal, bizarre, and cruel serial murders that take place. All they have in common is a confusing mix of clues including a taxi cab, a dark/shadowed stranger, and elderly woman, creepy voices, and the town’s past history of murders. Tina becomes obsessed with finding Becky’s murder and is ensconced in an insane ride with the minions of the bad guy downstairs and their trickery.

Though the murders and setting could have been overwhelming gruesome or overdone, the author weaves a nice tale of supernatural nastiness battled by a mother’s love and grief for her daughter. There is a definite theme of love overcoming darkness, the strength of a mother’s love, and the eternal battle of evil and good. But the author leaves the readers with an incredibly creepy, hairs standing on end ending that makes one really wonder about those shadows seen from the corner of the eye.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Fire and Ice Book Tours in return for an honest review.

[Patricia Pellicane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for Deviltry Afoot, by Carol Pritt.
This story surprised me by throwing me directly into the action. No build up, you were simply and suddenly helplessly watching a murder unfold. Lots of death and gore, but done with a light hand, a good thing, since there was quite a few.
A Mother agonizes over the death of her child. A murderer, who might have once been a sociopath, but now is simply unstoppable. A town fixed in fear.
Lots of characters, sometimes I forgot who was who.
Ms. Pritt used a minimum of descriptive words. Her writing style is quick, short, declarative sentences. Still the characters and pain stick with you. I read it in two sittings.
This is a thriller with heavy Satanic tones, good versus evil. So evil in fact, you wonder how anything good can win. If you don’t believe in the devil, this story might leave you wondering if maybe you should. I might not read this one alone, in the dark...
Patricia Pellicane

[Rose Wynters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to purchase this book after reading the blurb and description on book tour. I'm always up for finding a new, exciting read, and Deviltry Afoot definitely delivered!

The book is so much more than the description shares. It's horror, it's drama, it's scary, it's gothic..... It's a book that you're going to want to leave the lights on for! You'll quickly become engrossed in the characters. There are several, and the author does an excellent job of introducing us to their lives. Before you know it, you're completely immersed.

This isn't a read I can really sum up in this box. You just have to read it for yourself. There are a lot of twists and turns in this mother's life, and a lot of mystery. If you love horror, get ready for a wild ride! And remember what I said about leaving the lights on....

[Ashley Nemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because I enjoy a good horror book. I like seeing the imagination of others. This book concept was unique and different. The ideas that this author came up with were fresh and that was important to me.

My main and only issue with this book was at times it was hard to follow with chapter changes. It skipped through time because that's how the story line was meant to be followed but the transitions weren't always smooth.

I would have liked to see a bit more gore but I know I like more detail than others in that regard.

If you want a fresh idea for a horror read them you should consider this book. The writing style was easy to read and Tina was an extremely likeable character.

I give this book three and a half stars.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really had all the creep factors of a good scary book. Each chapter is short (some only a page and a half) and that allows you to see what is going on through out the town as the killings continue and Tina vows to stop whoever or whatever killed her only child. I will say that at the end I wish there had been a little more of a struggle between good and evil. The way it was written felt too tame for what had been happening. But over all a really good read, made me remember what it was like to read early Stephen King and Dean Kootnz. I received this from the author for an honest review. If you like this type of book I highly recommend it.

[Dakota Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was definitely spooky and scary and a little wtf. Girls are going missing and
Winding up dead. Tina refuses to let her daughters murder go unsolved but the more she digs the more spookier it gets. The police are involved but can't believe their findings. It's a crazy story of what you will allow yourself to believe. The ending is a cliffhanger with you wanting more. Thought it was well written and very creative. 4stars.
Review by upallnightreadallday.blogspot.com

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very interested in this book when my daughter received it to review. After she read it, I asked if I could borrow the book to read next. I agree wholeheartedly with her review.