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Molly Fountain #1
To the Devil, a Daughter
Is it possible to undo a pact with the Devil?
A businessman makes a deal with a satanic clergymen, and has his daughter baptised into Satan�s church. Twenty-one years later, provided she is still a virgin, she is destined to be the centrepiece of a hideous satanic ritual.
Molly Fountain, a tough-minded Englishwoman who worked for the British Intelligence during the war, has retreated to her French cottage to write. Next door she finds a new, mysterious neighbour, an intriguing young girl named Christina.
Why did the solitary girl leave her rented house only for short walks at night? Why was she so frightened? Why did animals shrink away from her? Molly and her son are determined to save Christina from the clutches of what promises to be a fate worse than death.
A businessman makes a deal with a satanic clergymen, and has his daughter baptised into Satan�s church. Twenty-one years later, provided she is still a virgin, she is destined to be the centrepiece of a hideous satanic ritual.
Molly Fountain, a tough-minded Englishwoman who worked for the British Intelligence during the war, has retreated to her French cottage to write. Next door she finds a new, mysterious neighbour, an intriguing young girl named Christina.
Why did the solitary girl leave her rented house only for short walks at night? Why was she so frightened? Why did animals shrink away from her? Molly and her son are determined to save Christina from the clutches of what promises to be a fate worse than death.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1953
58 people are currently reading
1299 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Wheatley
383 books248 followersDennis Yates Wheatley (8 January 1897 – 10 November 1977) [Born: Dennis Yeats Wheatley] was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors in the 1950s and 1960s.
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
His first book, Three Inquisitive People, was not immediately published; but his first published novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an immediate success when published in 1933, being reprinted seven times in seven weeks.
He wrote adventure stories, with many books in a series of linked works. His plots covered the French Revolution (Roger Brook Series), Satanism (Duc de Richleau), World War II (Gregory Sallust) and espionage (Julian Day).
In the thirties, he conceived a series of whodunit mysteries, presented as case files, with testimonies, letters, pieces of evidence such as hairs or pills. The reader had to go through the evidence to solve the mystery before unsealing the last pages of the file, which gave the answer. Four of these 'Crime Dossiers' were published: Murder Off Miami, Who Killed Robert Prentice, The Malinsay Massacre, and Herewith The Clues.
In the 1960s his publishers were selling a million copies of his books per year. A small number of his books were made into films by Hammer, of which the best known is The Devil Rides Out (book 1934, film 1968). His writing is very descriptive and in many works he manages to introduce his characters into real events while meeting real people. For example, in the Roger Brook series the main character involves himself with Napoleon, and Joséphine whilst being a spy for the Prime Minister William Pitt. Similarly, in the Gregory Sallust series, Sallust shares an evening meal with Hermann Göring.
He also wrote non-fiction works, including accounts of the Russian Revolution and King Charles II, and his autobiography. He was considered an authority on the supernatural, satanism, the practice of exorcism, and black magic, to all of which he was hostile. During his study of the paranormal, though, he joined the Ghost Club.
From 1974 through 1977 he edited a series of 45 paperback reprints for the British publisher Sphere under the heading "The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult", selecting the titles and writing short introductions for each book. This series included both occult-themed novels by the likes of Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley and non-fiction works on magic, occultism, and divination by authors such as the Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, the historian Maurice Magre, the magician Isaac Bonewits, and the palm-reader Cheiro.
Two weeks before his death in November 1977, Wheatley received conditional absolution from his old friend Cyril ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Bishop of Peterborough.
His estate library was sold in a catalogue sale by Basil Blackwell's in the 1970s, indicating a thoroughly well-read individual with wide-ranging interests particularly in historical fiction and Europe. His influence has declined, partly due to difficulties in reprinting his works owing to copyright problems.
Fifty-two of Wheatley's novels were published posthumously in a set by Heron Books UK. More recently, in April 2008 Dennis Wheatley's literary estate was acquired by media company Chorion.
He invented a number of board games including Invasion.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
May 9, 2025
Molly Fountain #1: Very much a 1970's Satanic rites tale set within a key era of the writer, Wheatley's earlier life, in the post World War II UK. Worth reading, just to get a sense of Wheatley's work, but in the cold light of day most of it is pretty poor from a writing and storytelling point of view; the sole selling point is the subject matter! Took me months to get through! One Star -2 out of 12.
2010 read
2010 read
Read
August 15, 2022That's more like it. The Platonic ideal of hokey occult twaddle with satanic possession and homunculi and people called "Canon Copely-Syle" like you'd ever ordain someone called that for the sheer obvious evilness, and naked women on altars, and running around with seaplanes and bandits. Hugely enjoyable, do not look at the sexual politics.
January 1, 2020
3.5 stars
This was my first Dennis Wheatley novel and I think this was a good place to start. I thoroughly enjoyed its Britishness and I would class it as a ripping good time!
We follow thriller writer Molly who is intrigued by the mysterious young lady who moves into the villa next door to her. Wouldn't you know but she's unwittingly involved in a Satanic cult and Molly, her son John, and close friend C.B. become invested in helping her.
I really enjoyed his writing and although there were a few slow points in the story it was overall a compelling read. There were even some surprises here that I wasn't expecting and they made me enjoy the book even more. Bonus points for having a few creepy moments too! Also bonus points for having a badass, independent, 40-something heroine - quite honestly not what I would have assumed for a book of this era.
This was my first Dennis Wheatley novel and I think this was a good place to start. I thoroughly enjoyed its Britishness and I would class it as a ripping good time!
We follow thriller writer Molly who is intrigued by the mysterious young lady who moves into the villa next door to her. Wouldn't you know but she's unwittingly involved in a Satanic cult and Molly, her son John, and close friend C.B. become invested in helping her.
I really enjoyed his writing and although there were a few slow points in the story it was overall a compelling read. There were even some surprises here that I wasn't expecting and they made me enjoy the book even more. Bonus points for having a few creepy moments too! Also bonus points for having a badass, independent, 40-something heroine - quite honestly not what I would have assumed for a book of this era.
November 18, 2014
The story starts out intriguing enough, with a mysterious girl living next door to a strong woman, Molly, and her son, John, who had just recently returned home. Unfortunately, the novel becomes very cliched shortly after that. One thing that bothered me was that Molly immediately comes to the assumption that her new neighbor, Christina, is taken over by the devil's influence at night. From the period that Wheatley wrote this, the content was probably quite acceptable; unfortunately, in this time, I found it very difficult to follow along with the events that were just thrown out as "fact" without any real backing to them.
There were some very interesting and tense moments (and a great scene at the end!); however, the story just was very difficult for me to get emotionally involved in, and I failed to make an attachment to any of the major characters. I DID enjoy Molly, but she ended up "disappearing" from the novel for a rather extended period of time, only to come back again at the end.
I gave TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER three stars, taking into account the time it was originally written in.
*I won a copy of TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER from GoodReads First Reads Giveaway.*
There were some very interesting and tense moments (and a great scene at the end!); however, the story just was very difficult for me to get emotionally involved in, and I failed to make an attachment to any of the major characters. I DID enjoy Molly, but she ended up "disappearing" from the novel for a rather extended period of time, only to come back again at the end.
I gave TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER three stars, taking into account the time it was originally written in.
*I won a copy of TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER from GoodReads First Reads Giveaway.*
February 11, 2022
A combo cozy mystery and satanic panic with a distinctly British flavour.
September 6, 2007
Disappointing, as I remembered reading Wheatley when I was a kid & finding it scary fun. But it's awful writing, with lapses into reactionary ranting and dialogue which is truly risible.
The idea that a writer can simply put down as literally Satanic everything he finds dangerous or distasteful is worth thinking about, though. Wheatley is rightly afraid of totalitarianism, but foolishly sees no evil - in fact, sees the ultimate good - in the English class system. Nobody could take his ravings seriously because his reactionary ideology dates him so terribly, and his writing isn't good enough to earn him the pardon which Yeats promised Paul Claudel.
The idea that a writer can simply put down as literally Satanic everything he finds dangerous or distasteful is worth thinking about, though. Wheatley is rightly afraid of totalitarianism, but foolishly sees no evil - in fact, sees the ultimate good - in the English class system. Nobody could take his ravings seriously because his reactionary ideology dates him so terribly, and his writing isn't good enough to earn him the pardon which Yeats promised Paul Claudel.
January 9, 2012
When I was at school, Dennis Wheatley books (the horror stories not the historical novels) were all the rage. I had thrown all my Dennis Wheatley novels away except this one and read it again out of curiosity to see how it would come across more than 40 years on. I gained much the same impression as I had had when I was 14. Firstly, as almost anyone who is honest with themselves and free of intellectual snobbery should admit, Dennis Wheatley's ability to keep a reader turning the page is hard to beat. He is the master of the "pot boiler". The "Black Magic" novels do expect the reader to accept for the purposes of enjoying the stories, that there exist some sort of parallel Satanic underground. This view, which is conspiratorial and invites an interpretation of world events as being driven by "occult forces" is quite naturally reactionary, quite apart from the fact that the Gothic paraphenalia of Satanism is likely by its very nature to involve a nostalgic yearning for luxury, service, style, superstition, tradition, ritual, hierachy, tradition and all the trappings of a society that is anything but egalitarian. I suspect that part of the explanation of the resounding success of Wheatley's "Black Magic" tales lies in the authenticity of the writer's approach. It seems to me that he genuineally believes in the facts in the plots which he uses for his stories, eg possession, exorcism, the protective power of pentagrams. For this reason, there are probably many biographical and histoprical portraits and references which I miss, although I could see that the Black Magician in this tale is a portrait of the notorious non-fictional Black Magician, Alistair Crowley. So, whereas liking or not liking Dennis Wheatley has something to do with enjoying a thriller, it is impossible to ignore the expectation of at least a "suspension of disbelief" or better, concurrence with the author's interpretation of the world. Either one is going to "buy into" the Manichean Wheatley world of Good versus Evil or as a rationalist or progressivist, one will reject it. Although this is only a thriller, it makes some religious demands upon the reader, not in terms of belief as such, but in terms of empathy. Where both elements meet and where I think Dennis Wheatley disappoints, in this as in the other Black Magic novels, is in his conclusions, his inevitable very happy endings. The triumph of Good always takes the form of some kind of last minute Bruce Willis style saving of the world (or virigin!) and heroes and heroines fall into one another's arms while the forces of Darknmess are sent packing down to Hell, ready and willing however, to return in a new episode. Time and again, and "To the Devil a Daughter" is no exception, I find Dennis Wheatley ending his novels with a kind of maybe divinely orchestrated "Big Bang". Satanists and Devils are very much present, whilst God and the Angels are not physically present at all. This is probably because Wheatley was attached to the Aryan heresy, alluded to in several of his books, which maintains that the World was given over Unto Satan. At the end of the book, I am left thinking-"all that struggle and furor and the baddies could have been destroyed in a puff of divine smoke anyway". Come to think of it, is that not the disturbing thought which challenges atheists and Christians alike? Be all that as it may, whoever enjoys and for whatsoever reason, innocent or not-so-innocent, the world of luxury, ritual, power of magic and symbols, the gothically inclined shall we say, will not have to fear that Dennis Wheatley will allow any wry and cynical rationalist to wink at them from behind the sacrificial altar or break into their fantasies with knowing smirks or rational explanations of the paranormal.
May 15, 2015
A horror classic from the days when only the upper classes were depicted to engage in activity of merit and excitement. This can only be read as a period piece and since I collect classic supernatural horror, it was on my reading list. Not recommended as a gripping read, but rather an historical legacy.
December 3, 2012
This was plain awful, even by Wheatley standards. Not even the anachronistic sexism, racism and commie-baiting was remotely interesting this time. It was just bad and took me ages to finish. This must be one of the few instances where the later film adaptation was actually way better.
December 31, 2019
Utterly brilliant book; from start to finish, fast paced and monents of genuine horror, puts Hammer's film to shame as how they coukd make the film they did from brilliant material as Wheateley's excellent book i do not know!!
My rating excellent
My rating excellent
April 6, 2008
To the Devil - a Daughter, written in 1953, is everything you could ask for in a Dennis Wheatley novel. It has wicked devil-worshippers, outrageous conspiracies, and some amusingly lurid descriptions of satanic rituals. A businessman makes a deal with a satanic clergymen, and has his daughter Christina baptised into Satan’s church. Twenty-one years later, provided she is still a virgin, she is destined to be the centrepiece of a hideous satanic ritual. As she has been dedicated to Lucifer she undergoes a personality change every evening when the sun goes down. In the hours of darkness she becomes a Bad Girl, giving herself up to all kinds of naughtiness. Luckily she makes the acquaintance of Molly, a middle-aged English writer who used to work for British Intelligence during the war, and Molly and her son John are determined to save Christina from the clutches of the Satanists, and quite probably from a Fate Worse Than Death. Wheatley also finds time for his favourite hobbyhorse, the links between Satanists and Communism. It’s all breathless excitement, and a silly but highly entertaining romp. The fact that Wheatley took this stuff seriously just makes it even more enjoyable. This novel was of course the basis for the last horror movie made by Hammer Studios. The movie doesn’t follow the plot of the book very closely at all, but it’s also great fun in its own way.
July 24, 2014
This may have been a thrilling page turner when it first came out, but the years have not been kind. A LOT of talking. And thinking about what to do. When the action does happen, it's well done and exciting, but getting there is a chore. First, this is listed as "Molly Fountain #1", which I guess it is, but Molly only shows up in the first few chapters and then disappears until the very end. Sort of like saying "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was "Hedwig the Owl #1". And Christina acts SLIGHTLY naughty when the sun goes down, so of course she's possessed by the devil. Honestly, she drinks and flirts a bit. If that's being possessed by Satan, then I'm in big trouble. And when a character in this book says, "I'd better tell you my story from the beginning" you know you'd better buckle up, because they aren't going to leave out any detail. And where did Christina's father get the ape he used to guard his house? Rent-a-ape?
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August 6, 2024Jeszcze nigdy się tak nie namęczyłam, żeby obejrzeć film. Okazało się, że "To the devil a daughter" to najnudniejszy film wytwórni Hammer, jaki miałam nieprzyjemność oglądać, pomimo zjawiskowej obsady (aczkolwiek ma ciepłe miejsce w moim sercu za pokazanie tyłka Christophera Lee). Dodatkowo ma bardzo niewiele wspólnego z książką, którą rzekomo adaptuje. Powieść jest chaotyczna i opiera się na logice teorii spiskowej. Jakimś cudem film jest jeszcze bardziej chaotyczny i do tego semi-pornograficzny (i wciąż nudny! Jakim cudem?!). Zasadniczo w pełni fikcyjne, sensacyjne powieści Wheatleya zasiały w kulturze ziarno tego, co w latach 80. wyrosło na zjawisko społeczne znane jako "satanic panic". Taki straszak, że sataniści są wśród nas, prowadzą świat ku apokalipsie, molestują dzieci i niszczą społeczeństwo. Wiecie, to samo, co teraz się mówi o osobach trans. Każda epoka ma swojego boogiemana i tylko cierpią na tym niewinni ludzie. W każdym razie, większość pomysłów paranoików w latach 80. wzięło się z powieści Wheatleya, w tym z "To the devil a daughter", więc czytałam częściowo z zawodowego obowiązku, trochę, żeby obejrzeć film, a trochę z masochizmu.
Polityka tej powieści jest bardzo prawoskrętna, ale gdy spojrzeć pod powierzchnię, dzieją się tam bardzo ciekawe rzeczy, jak chociażby podtekstowo incestualna relacja matki i z synem, i to pierwszoplanowych bohaterów. Ba, John jest nawet queerkodowany, stąd zresztą incestualna relacja z matką, ale w połowie powieści autor zmienił zdanie i zrobił z niego heteryka, albo raczej zadziałała terapia konwersyjna przez twardą, męską akcję i Johnowi przeszło bycie seksualnie niejednoznacznym. Satanistami są wszyscy, komunizm to spisek satanizmu, ale też bogaci kapitaliści oddali duszę diabłu w zamian za ziemskie dobra. Obok satanizmu, największym złem niszczącym europejską kulturę są... podatki (serio, pierwsze pięć rozdziałów zawiera w sobie narzekanie na płacenie podatków i cła). Koncepcja przestrzegania prawa jest dość swobodnie traktowana, tj. kiedy prawo nam służy, to należy przestrzegać, ale często jest traktowane jako biurokratyczny wymysł, który uniemożliwia sprawne wymierzenie sprawiedliwości.
Bohaterowie są mdli i nudni (Christina), albo antypatyczni (wszyscy pozostali), bo przekonani o swojej nieomylności i praworządności. Sceny akcji przeskakiwałam wzrokiem, żeby powieść po prostu skończyć, ale śmiałam się na głos przy opisach okultystyczno-satanistycznych praktyk spod znaku Thelemy (a, biała magia istnieje i nasi dobrzy, chrześcijańscy bohaterowie ją stosują, żeby chronić się przed potężną magią stanistów). I na koniec jestem rozdarta. Wheatley nie jest dobrym pisarzem, jego poglądy są niemądre albo odrażające, ale sama fakt, że ludzie przez pewien czas byli przekonani (i niektórzy dalej pewnie są), że to, co opisywał to prawda i fakty, jest fascynujący, więc nie wykluczam, że może sięgnę po resztę powieści satanistycznych jego pióra. Chociażby po to, żeby się pośmiać.
Polityka tej powieści jest bardzo prawoskrętna, ale gdy spojrzeć pod powierzchnię, dzieją się tam bardzo ciekawe rzeczy, jak chociażby podtekstowo incestualna relacja matki i z synem, i to pierwszoplanowych bohaterów. Ba, John jest nawet queerkodowany, stąd zresztą incestualna relacja z matką, ale w połowie powieści autor zmienił zdanie i zrobił z niego heteryka, albo raczej zadziałała terapia konwersyjna przez twardą, męską akcję i Johnowi przeszło bycie seksualnie niejednoznacznym. Satanistami są wszyscy, komunizm to spisek satanizmu, ale też bogaci kapitaliści oddali duszę diabłu w zamian za ziemskie dobra. Obok satanizmu, największym złem niszczącym europejską kulturę są... podatki (serio, pierwsze pięć rozdziałów zawiera w sobie narzekanie na płacenie podatków i cła). Koncepcja przestrzegania prawa jest dość swobodnie traktowana, tj. kiedy prawo nam służy, to należy przestrzegać, ale często jest traktowane jako biurokratyczny wymysł, który uniemożliwia sprawne wymierzenie sprawiedliwości.
Bohaterowie są mdli i nudni (Christina), albo antypatyczni (wszyscy pozostali), bo przekonani o swojej nieomylności i praworządności. Sceny akcji przeskakiwałam wzrokiem, żeby powieść po prostu skończyć, ale śmiałam się na głos przy opisach okultystyczno-satanistycznych praktyk spod znaku Thelemy (a, biała magia istnieje i nasi dobrzy, chrześcijańscy bohaterowie ją stosują, żeby chronić się przed potężną magią stanistów). I na koniec jestem rozdarta. Wheatley nie jest dobrym pisarzem, jego poglądy są niemądre albo odrażające, ale sama fakt, że ludzie przez pewien czas byli przekonani (i niektórzy dalej pewnie są), że to, co opisywał to prawda i fakty, jest fascynujący, więc nie wykluczam, że może sięgnę po resztę powieści satanistycznych jego pióra. Chociażby po to, żeby się pośmiać.
August 25, 2020
A long long time ago I had read a Dennis Wheatley novel and absolutely hated it. Not sure about the title but it was more of an adventure yarn based in Egypt and from what I can recall at every step along the way the narrator stopped to give lengthy descriptions of the local flora and fauna and other digressions that bored me to pieces. So even though I love the old Hammer movie adaptations I was reluctant to read more by him but finally decided to give him a second chance.
And glad I did. And just kicking myself I didn't start with this book from the beginning.
Loved the entire premise and was amused about the few digs at the English tax system and all those commies and foreigners who cause havoc to the Establishment.
I probably preferred the first half that introduced us to Molly, a semi-successful writer of mystery novels who is now based in Southern France, and her attempts to uncover the secret behind the strange girl who has just become a resident in the house next door to her. Traces of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher and totally not what I had expected of Wheatley.
The second half then follows more conventional paths with its race against the clock of trying to safe the girl from the clutches of some Black Magicians.
Really enjoyed the book and will likely read more of him in the foreseeable future.
And glad I did. And just kicking myself I didn't start with this book from the beginning.
Loved the entire premise and was amused about the few digs at the English tax system and all those commies and foreigners who cause havoc to the Establishment.
I probably preferred the first half that introduced us to Molly, a semi-successful writer of mystery novels who is now based in Southern France, and her attempts to uncover the secret behind the strange girl who has just become a resident in the house next door to her. Traces of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher and totally not what I had expected of Wheatley.
The second half then follows more conventional paths with its race against the clock of trying to safe the girl from the clutches of some Black Magicians.
Really enjoyed the book and will likely read more of him in the foreseeable future.
October 31, 2018
A gripping occult thriller from the master of the black magic thriller.
Despite writing over sixty novels, many of them bestsellers, Dennis Wheatley is perhaps best known for his black magic novels, of which he wrote eleven (as well as a non-fiction book on the Occult). Perhaps the most famous of these was his first novel on the subject, 'The Devil Rides Out', a classic of the genre. Both 'The Devil Rides Out' and 'To the Devil a Daughter' were made into movies by Hammer Studios, the latter only loosely based on Wheatley's novel.
The novel begins in the South of France, where we meet Molly Fountain, a thriller writer awaiting a visit from her son. She becomes intrigued by the mysterious behaviour of her new neighbour, a young woman who spends her days staring out to sea, apparently doing nothing. Upon seeing her returning home in the middle of the night, Molly soon decides to introduce herself to the young woman, who introduces herself as Christina.
Christina soon breaks down and tells Molly the disturbing story of how her father has hidden her at the villa under an assumed name, seemingly to keep her safe from enemies she didn't know she had. Determined to help, Molly tells her son John the story on his arrival and they both endeavour to keep her safe. But they encounter many strange occurrences - as night falls, Christina's behaviour radically changes, leading Molly to draw the conclusion she is possessed by a demonic force.
Enlisting the help of Molly's old secret service colleague and friend Colonel Verney, John and Molly become Christina's protectors, coming up against a villainous Marquis and his son the Count leading a gang of criminals determined to kidnap Christina and smuggle her back to the UK; and the nefarious Canon Copely-Syle, Christina's godfather and, it is revealed, a Satanist with a diabolical scheme that will conclude on the evening of Christina's twenty-first birthday.
The action takes place between France and the UK as the group battle with criminals and Satanic forces to keep Christina safe until the danger has passed. With insights into the rituals and schemes of the Occult, Wheatley crafts a tale of diabolical tension that is both a gripping thriller and disturbing horror story. The final scenes in the Canon's crypt and the Cave of Bats are superbly realised, evoking strong images of the dark forces and those that dabble in them.
'To the Devil a Daughter' is a classic and a masterpiece of the horror and thriller genres and, particularly when you consider how shocking its subject matter and imagery would have been at the time of publication, proves why Wheatley's occult works have become the most famous of his legacy.
Despite writing over sixty novels, many of them bestsellers, Dennis Wheatley is perhaps best known for his black magic novels, of which he wrote eleven (as well as a non-fiction book on the Occult). Perhaps the most famous of these was his first novel on the subject, 'The Devil Rides Out', a classic of the genre. Both 'The Devil Rides Out' and 'To the Devil a Daughter' were made into movies by Hammer Studios, the latter only loosely based on Wheatley's novel.
The novel begins in the South of France, where we meet Molly Fountain, a thriller writer awaiting a visit from her son. She becomes intrigued by the mysterious behaviour of her new neighbour, a young woman who spends her days staring out to sea, apparently doing nothing. Upon seeing her returning home in the middle of the night, Molly soon decides to introduce herself to the young woman, who introduces herself as Christina.
Christina soon breaks down and tells Molly the disturbing story of how her father has hidden her at the villa under an assumed name, seemingly to keep her safe from enemies she didn't know she had. Determined to help, Molly tells her son John the story on his arrival and they both endeavour to keep her safe. But they encounter many strange occurrences - as night falls, Christina's behaviour radically changes, leading Molly to draw the conclusion she is possessed by a demonic force.
Enlisting the help of Molly's old secret service colleague and friend Colonel Verney, John and Molly become Christina's protectors, coming up against a villainous Marquis and his son the Count leading a gang of criminals determined to kidnap Christina and smuggle her back to the UK; and the nefarious Canon Copely-Syle, Christina's godfather and, it is revealed, a Satanist with a diabolical scheme that will conclude on the evening of Christina's twenty-first birthday.
The action takes place between France and the UK as the group battle with criminals and Satanic forces to keep Christina safe until the danger has passed. With insights into the rituals and schemes of the Occult, Wheatley crafts a tale of diabolical tension that is both a gripping thriller and disturbing horror story. The final scenes in the Canon's crypt and the Cave of Bats are superbly realised, evoking strong images of the dark forces and those that dabble in them.
'To the Devil a Daughter' is a classic and a masterpiece of the horror and thriller genres and, particularly when you consider how shocking its subject matter and imagery would have been at the time of publication, proves why Wheatley's occult works have become the most famous of his legacy.
May 15, 2015
This is an odd mixture of mystery, horror, and adventure. The central mystery of the story -- what is going on with the odd young English woman in a villa in Nice, France -- is largely telegraphed by the book's title, though we are nearly a third of the way through the story before things take a turn from the mundane to the fantastic, and all the vague talk of occultism and conspiracy comes to the fore. It is a little distracting that Wheatley is obsessed with connecting Satanism to Communism, but given that this written during the height of the Cold War, it is understandable that the author chooses to align all the enemies of respectable upper class morality and the monarchy. Wheatley's characters are all interesting and vivid, even if his extreme classism and nationalism cause him to rely on overt stereotyping.
Despite the absurdity of the the novel's central conceit -- that Satanists are aided by Communists in their effort take over the world -- the story moves quickly and works as a thriller. The author's piety is tempered by some decent humor and mostly good dialogue. I suppose it would be odd to write about a Satanic cult without getting moralistic, but his protagonists are occasionally such pious, law-abiding twits that I began to find myself indifferent to their fates, and it was only the extreme evil and arrogance of the villain that made me root for the good guys.
There is some really creepy imagery, particularly in the final third of the book, and some interesting asides. For one thing, apparently Wheatley actually met the infamous Aleister Crowley and he's included a story about him in one character's dialogue -- painting an unflattering but plausible portrait of "the Great Beast." Another throw-away idea he includes is that Atlantis was sunk by White Magicians in response to horrible rituals being carried out by Atlantis' Black Magicians. I get the sense that Wheatley was both attracted to and repulsed by the occult movement of his time and it gave him some really cool plot ideas, even if many are never developed.
Worth checking out, despite its flaws.
Despite the absurdity of the the novel's central conceit -- that Satanists are aided by Communists in their effort take over the world -- the story moves quickly and works as a thriller. The author's piety is tempered by some decent humor and mostly good dialogue. I suppose it would be odd to write about a Satanic cult without getting moralistic, but his protagonists are occasionally such pious, law-abiding twits that I began to find myself indifferent to their fates, and it was only the extreme evil and arrogance of the villain that made me root for the good guys.
There is some really creepy imagery, particularly in the final third of the book, and some interesting asides. For one thing, apparently Wheatley actually met the infamous Aleister Crowley and he's included a story about him in one character's dialogue -- painting an unflattering but plausible portrait of "the Great Beast." Another throw-away idea he includes is that Atlantis was sunk by White Magicians in response to horrible rituals being carried out by Atlantis' Black Magicians. I get the sense that Wheatley was both attracted to and repulsed by the occult movement of his time and it gave him some really cool plot ideas, even if many are never developed.
Worth checking out, despite its flaws.
March 22, 2010
The book started off well enough, but took a horrid downturn on page 72. This is where the main character leaps from surmising that the girl she is helping suffers from some sort of personality disorder to dispassionately concluding she is possessed by the devil. This would be fine if Wheatley brought the reader with her, but the suspicion seems laughable because it comes out of nowhere. Plus, it would have been more entertaining if he followed the Ann Radcliffe school of suspense and kept the mystery going longer.
After that, I decided to keep plowing through, but what followed was undisguised propagandistic drivel. The main character casually explains that the Devil exists (and strangely seems overly familiar with his plans and thought processes), that Satanic cults are flourishing and use yoga and sex to control people, and that Communism is an evil tool meant to deliver the world into the hands of Satan. We also learn that girls' schools can be places of sin where sexual experimentation among the girls can provide an ingress for the devil's possessory powers. So in a mere couple of pages we learn that non-exclusive, non-hetero, non-binary, non-missionary sex is the devil's work and disfavored political theory is the equivalent of sin.
And if you can hold your lunch down through that fun little chapter, you get treated to a social darwinist diatribe in the next chapter about the horrors of government taxation, a dialogue which has no apparent purpose except to display Wheatley's political views. If one if going to incorporate their own biases into their writings, at least do it subtly and not through the characters lecturing the reader. What should have been a fun read has suddenly become a poorly written polemic.
After that, I decided to keep plowing through, but what followed was undisguised propagandistic drivel. The main character casually explains that the Devil exists (and strangely seems overly familiar with his plans and thought processes), that Satanic cults are flourishing and use yoga and sex to control people, and that Communism is an evil tool meant to deliver the world into the hands of Satan. We also learn that girls' schools can be places of sin where sexual experimentation among the girls can provide an ingress for the devil's possessory powers. So in a mere couple of pages we learn that non-exclusive, non-hetero, non-binary, non-missionary sex is the devil's work and disfavored political theory is the equivalent of sin.
And if you can hold your lunch down through that fun little chapter, you get treated to a social darwinist diatribe in the next chapter about the horrors of government taxation, a dialogue which has no apparent purpose except to display Wheatley's political views. If one if going to incorporate their own biases into their writings, at least do it subtly and not through the characters lecturing the reader. What should have been a fun read has suddenly become a poorly written polemic.
February 16, 2014
Typical Dennis Wheatley satanism story, lots of details of satanic rituals, heroic good guys, evil satanists. Nice Riviera & Essex locations too. My problem with Wheatley's writing is that it always feels slightly padded out, there's an awful lot of dialogue with characters describing what they're going to do & what they've done & what's going on, lots of telling, not showing. There are some good set-pieces such as what the villain has hidden in a crypt & an exciting climax too, but it'll be a little while before I pick up another book by this author.
Incidentally, my wife was reading another famous Dennis Wheatley satanism book, The Devil Rides Out, having loved the movie version, & found the same problems with narrative pace, lots of explaining, not a whole lot of action, she's now more or less given up with it.
Incidentally, my wife was reading another famous Dennis Wheatley satanism book, The Devil Rides Out, having loved the movie version, & found the same problems with narrative pace, lots of explaining, not a whole lot of action, she's now more or less given up with it.
July 28, 2011
The version I read had an even more salacious cover pic than this one does - one of those ones with the crystal ball etc. Anyway: this is by the Dan Brown of his day, and really quite fantastic. At one level it's the most awful guff. Some of the authorial opinions - not least the disdain for "swarthy" people, as Mr Wheatley tended to put it (and it gets much worse) - are pretty reprehensible. But this IS a cracking good read! The denouement is characteristically impossibly tense until, suddenly, all loose ends are tied up in about a page and half. This rocks.
August 18, 2020
3.25⭐
Innate occult silliness. Enjoyable but dated thriller. A worthy inclusion in the historical horror cannon.
Innate occult silliness. Enjoyable but dated thriller. A worthy inclusion in the historical horror cannon.
March 28, 2020
Molly nearly dropped her glass and her mouth fell open. Then she gave a cry of consternation. ‘Oh, Johnny! What can be at the bottom of all this? De Grasse is one of the most evil men in France.’
’I feared as much!” Molly said grimly.’ And now we know the worst! Every night when darkness falls, you become possessed by the Devil.”
I do not usually provide quotations from the books that I review. I am not writing a literary essay, but merely providing a few impressions that I formed while reading the book. However, I could not resist giving you the cliffhanger paragraphs that close Chapters 4 and 5.
These should give you a fair sample of some of the risible dialogue that can be found in Dennis Wheatley’s supernatural adventure story, To the Devil a Daughter. Does anybody really talk like this? Do people suddenly announce that someone is the most evil person in a country or make sudden deductions about Satanic possession? They do in Wheatley stories, it seems.
The novel is a sequel of sorts to The Devil Rides Out, which was made into a passable Hammer horror movie. However, while there are allusions to the earlier book, no particular knowledge of it is required, as this one deals with entirely different characters. I cannot remember the film too clearly and have not read the earlier book, but had no problems following this one.
The story opens with a novelist called Molly Fountain who is living in France. Her new neighbour is a young lady called Christina Mordant. This is not her real name, but it is the one that is used throughout the book so I will use it. She is in hiding at her father’s request, but uncertain why, and exhibits certain odd characteristics. Animals dread her, churches make her sick, and she becomes less prudish and more bold, sensual and wicked at night.
Actually, she is not possessed by the Devil, as the quotation at the beginning of this review suggested, but her father became a Satanist and has signed away his soul and involved her in the initial rites, so that she is influenced by them. Now the devil worshippers wish to sacrifice Christina on her twenty-first birthday, according to a previous agreement, in order to revive a sinister creature called a homunculus.
Standing between Christina and the Satanists is Molly’s son, John, and a representative from the intelligence services called C.B. who has investigated devil worshippers and other subversive elements. I won’t go into the rest of the story which is a series of episodic adventures, leading to a fairly inevitable conclusion.
Wheatley probably imagines his tale as a traditional battle between the forces of evil and those of good. Personally I see it more as a fight between the evil and the odious, since Wheatley’s heroes are a fairly detestable bunch.
Of course if you like heroes who sit around by the pool in their second home moaning about the socialist government and how hard done by they feel, and a hero who calls his mother Mumsie, then this may be for you. Even our heroine’s pitiable status as a future sacrificial victim is somewhat muted by the fact that she is the kind of privileged gal who, when she gets bored, is sent to finishing school by daddy.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with posh people per se, and they can make very sympathetic heroes, but this is not the case here. The only thing the Fountains appear to fear more than evil Satanists is having to pay their taxes, an issue that is raised with ludicrous frequency in the early part of the book.
Even the first meeting between John and the most evil man in France proves something of an anti-climax. The champions of good and evil spend a surprising amount of time complaining about having to pay their taxes, and how the money is spent on the idle poor. Not that we imagine any of these characters having to work hard for a living, their jobs being rather easy for the amount of money they appear to have.
Actually, this scene rather shows how much in common the Count and John have, since they are both idle, selfish rich people who feel the world owes them a living, and it is a bit rich to criticise the Satanists for their sexual freedom when John Fountain is himself a bit of a ladies’ man.
The nature of Satanism portrayed here is also subject to a lot of Wheatley’s political biases. The Satanists generally represent those sections of society that Wheatley dislikes, and he has no problem in blaming Satanism for the rise of Communism amongst other things.
Followers are inducted into Satanism by way of such shocking practices as drug-taking, sexual promiscuity and (apparently) yoga. Incidentally, if the person reading this review happens to be gay or lesbian, then I’m sorry to inform you that you are a prime candidate for becoming a Satan worshipper.
Since Wheatley has supposedly studied the subject, I must be careful in expressing any scepticism about this obvious farrago of nonsense. I cannot help imagining that most of the details are entirely fictional, however.
There is nothing wrong with making up your own world, and much that is here is certainly no worse than you would find in a Lovecraft story. Similarly, we may object to his portrayal of Satanism, but this is fiction after all.
I have spoken to Satanists on social media, and actually found their attitudes more puritanical than those of many Christians I have met. I am prepared to allow for the fact that these are more people who find the idea of Satanic rebellion trendy, but would run a mile at the thought of sacrificing animals, let alone humans.
The Satanists however are no worse than many other fictional portrayals of them, however, and the only thing that is really objectionable is that Wheatley ties it in with his political biases. He can link this to his Christian beliefs safely and deplore the rise of secularism and devil worship, since these opinions, right or wrong, do relate to the subject matter on display here.
However, he is less forgivable in tying Satanism to those political opinions he dislikes. I can only feel relieved that the leading Satanist turned out to be a corrupt clergyman and not a tax collector, as seemed likely. Wheatley wishes to lump Satanism in with any other subversive social or political elements he dislikes.
Yet curiously, his book unconsciously has more bad things to say about the wealthy and privileged that Wheatley is so dazzled by than it does about subversive secular or left-wing elements in society. For all the vapouring about communism, the leading Satanists are nearly all bored, wealthy men.
The exception is Christina’s father, an arriviste who acquired his wealth thanks to selling his soul. However, since his promotion into the upper echelons is achieved unscrupulously through blackmail and disregard for his own daughter, then we cannot really count him as being any different than the other Satanists.
I should probably stress that most of the book is not occupied with the more ridiculous elements described so far. Much of it is essentially the stuff of boy’s own adventure stories, laced with a little supernatural occurrence. There is in fact surprisingly little of this until the end, and the devil worshippers do not actually succeed in killing anyone. Actually it is the opponents of devil worship who do the killings.
As a result, much of this would fit perfectly well in a spy story. Wheatley’s style is not as stodgy as writers in that genre however (Jack Higgins, Alistair McLean etc). His writing is not especially brilliant, but it cheerfully breezes from one set piece to the next with a sensationalist cliffhanger at the end of each chapter to keep the reader interested. In this way, it resembles a serial as much as a novel.
This may explain the male emphasis in the book. It is the men who lead on both sides, and move the action forward. Christina is only there to be rescued by our heroes, and his mother is there to offer the necessary tea and sympathy to get our heroine to talk.
Admittedly Molly takes part in the final assault on the enemy, though being a woman she of course slows them down. In a rather odd twist, when she arrives on the scene, she proceeds to dispatch an explosive device in the room filled with Satanists, not only disposing of many of them but even killing Christina’s father who is belatedly helping our heroes. This is soon smoothed over however.
Similarly, the action is firmly based around white heroes. If we see a black character, he will be a servant for a prominent devil worshipper, certainly not a leading Satanist, or (Heaven forfend!) one of our heroes.
While I have a certain fondness for bad movies and bad songs, I cannot feel the same enthusiasm for bad books, since they require a level of time and energy that I generally do not like giving. However, To the Devil a Daughter comes closest to being an enjoyably bad book, until even that gets lost in endless action set pieces.
Overall though, this book is more likely to inspire howls of laughter rather than howls of terror.
’I feared as much!” Molly said grimly.’ And now we know the worst! Every night when darkness falls, you become possessed by the Devil.”
I do not usually provide quotations from the books that I review. I am not writing a literary essay, but merely providing a few impressions that I formed while reading the book. However, I could not resist giving you the cliffhanger paragraphs that close Chapters 4 and 5.
These should give you a fair sample of some of the risible dialogue that can be found in Dennis Wheatley’s supernatural adventure story, To the Devil a Daughter. Does anybody really talk like this? Do people suddenly announce that someone is the most evil person in a country or make sudden deductions about Satanic possession? They do in Wheatley stories, it seems.
The novel is a sequel of sorts to The Devil Rides Out, which was made into a passable Hammer horror movie. However, while there are allusions to the earlier book, no particular knowledge of it is required, as this one deals with entirely different characters. I cannot remember the film too clearly and have not read the earlier book, but had no problems following this one.
The story opens with a novelist called Molly Fountain who is living in France. Her new neighbour is a young lady called Christina Mordant. This is not her real name, but it is the one that is used throughout the book so I will use it. She is in hiding at her father’s request, but uncertain why, and exhibits certain odd characteristics. Animals dread her, churches make her sick, and she becomes less prudish and more bold, sensual and wicked at night.
Actually, she is not possessed by the Devil, as the quotation at the beginning of this review suggested, but her father became a Satanist and has signed away his soul and involved her in the initial rites, so that she is influenced by them. Now the devil worshippers wish to sacrifice Christina on her twenty-first birthday, according to a previous agreement, in order to revive a sinister creature called a homunculus.
Standing between Christina and the Satanists is Molly’s son, John, and a representative from the intelligence services called C.B. who has investigated devil worshippers and other subversive elements. I won’t go into the rest of the story which is a series of episodic adventures, leading to a fairly inevitable conclusion.
Wheatley probably imagines his tale as a traditional battle between the forces of evil and those of good. Personally I see it more as a fight between the evil and the odious, since Wheatley’s heroes are a fairly detestable bunch.
Of course if you like heroes who sit around by the pool in their second home moaning about the socialist government and how hard done by they feel, and a hero who calls his mother Mumsie, then this may be for you. Even our heroine’s pitiable status as a future sacrificial victim is somewhat muted by the fact that she is the kind of privileged gal who, when she gets bored, is sent to finishing school by daddy.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with posh people per se, and they can make very sympathetic heroes, but this is not the case here. The only thing the Fountains appear to fear more than evil Satanists is having to pay their taxes, an issue that is raised with ludicrous frequency in the early part of the book.
Even the first meeting between John and the most evil man in France proves something of an anti-climax. The champions of good and evil spend a surprising amount of time complaining about having to pay their taxes, and how the money is spent on the idle poor. Not that we imagine any of these characters having to work hard for a living, their jobs being rather easy for the amount of money they appear to have.
Actually, this scene rather shows how much in common the Count and John have, since they are both idle, selfish rich people who feel the world owes them a living, and it is a bit rich to criticise the Satanists for their sexual freedom when John Fountain is himself a bit of a ladies’ man.
The nature of Satanism portrayed here is also subject to a lot of Wheatley’s political biases. The Satanists generally represent those sections of society that Wheatley dislikes, and he has no problem in blaming Satanism for the rise of Communism amongst other things.
Followers are inducted into Satanism by way of such shocking practices as drug-taking, sexual promiscuity and (apparently) yoga. Incidentally, if the person reading this review happens to be gay or lesbian, then I’m sorry to inform you that you are a prime candidate for becoming a Satan worshipper.
Since Wheatley has supposedly studied the subject, I must be careful in expressing any scepticism about this obvious farrago of nonsense. I cannot help imagining that most of the details are entirely fictional, however.
There is nothing wrong with making up your own world, and much that is here is certainly no worse than you would find in a Lovecraft story. Similarly, we may object to his portrayal of Satanism, but this is fiction after all.
I have spoken to Satanists on social media, and actually found their attitudes more puritanical than those of many Christians I have met. I am prepared to allow for the fact that these are more people who find the idea of Satanic rebellion trendy, but would run a mile at the thought of sacrificing animals, let alone humans.
The Satanists however are no worse than many other fictional portrayals of them, however, and the only thing that is really objectionable is that Wheatley ties it in with his political biases. He can link this to his Christian beliefs safely and deplore the rise of secularism and devil worship, since these opinions, right or wrong, do relate to the subject matter on display here.
However, he is less forgivable in tying Satanism to those political opinions he dislikes. I can only feel relieved that the leading Satanist turned out to be a corrupt clergyman and not a tax collector, as seemed likely. Wheatley wishes to lump Satanism in with any other subversive social or political elements he dislikes.
Yet curiously, his book unconsciously has more bad things to say about the wealthy and privileged that Wheatley is so dazzled by than it does about subversive secular or left-wing elements in society. For all the vapouring about communism, the leading Satanists are nearly all bored, wealthy men.
The exception is Christina’s father, an arriviste who acquired his wealth thanks to selling his soul. However, since his promotion into the upper echelons is achieved unscrupulously through blackmail and disregard for his own daughter, then we cannot really count him as being any different than the other Satanists.
I should probably stress that most of the book is not occupied with the more ridiculous elements described so far. Much of it is essentially the stuff of boy’s own adventure stories, laced with a little supernatural occurrence. There is in fact surprisingly little of this until the end, and the devil worshippers do not actually succeed in killing anyone. Actually it is the opponents of devil worship who do the killings.
As a result, much of this would fit perfectly well in a spy story. Wheatley’s style is not as stodgy as writers in that genre however (Jack Higgins, Alistair McLean etc). His writing is not especially brilliant, but it cheerfully breezes from one set piece to the next with a sensationalist cliffhanger at the end of each chapter to keep the reader interested. In this way, it resembles a serial as much as a novel.
This may explain the male emphasis in the book. It is the men who lead on both sides, and move the action forward. Christina is only there to be rescued by our heroes, and his mother is there to offer the necessary tea and sympathy to get our heroine to talk.
Admittedly Molly takes part in the final assault on the enemy, though being a woman she of course slows them down. In a rather odd twist, when she arrives on the scene, she proceeds to dispatch an explosive device in the room filled with Satanists, not only disposing of many of them but even killing Christina’s father who is belatedly helping our heroes. This is soon smoothed over however.
Similarly, the action is firmly based around white heroes. If we see a black character, he will be a servant for a prominent devil worshipper, certainly not a leading Satanist, or (Heaven forfend!) one of our heroes.
While I have a certain fondness for bad movies and bad songs, I cannot feel the same enthusiasm for bad books, since they require a level of time and energy that I generally do not like giving. However, To the Devil a Daughter comes closest to being an enjoyably bad book, until even that gets lost in endless action set pieces.
Overall though, this book is more likely to inspire howls of laughter rather than howls of terror.
August 4, 2025
I found this exciting in parts where it's a straight 1950s adventure novel/spy thriller. I came expecting it to be scary. But while I can imagine some scenes being frightening for it's target audience at the time, today the book's talk of devil worship and ritual magic sounds parochial and laughably alarmist.
The book wants us to believe it is grounded in reality (Wheatley makes clear where he stands on taxation of the rich and Capitalism vs Communism) but sometimes magic powers, of both light and dark, are described as real, and so casually that you might be reading a thinly-written modern fantasy novel.
There are some effective moments, especially where he demonstrates that something unseen is scarier than something described in detail. And some sequences feel like modern action set-pieces.
Not really a disappointment, just not what I expected. Not without merit, just not great.
The book wants us to believe it is grounded in reality (Wheatley makes clear where he stands on taxation of the rich and Capitalism vs Communism) but sometimes magic powers, of both light and dark, are described as real, and so casually that you might be reading a thinly-written modern fantasy novel.
There are some effective moments, especially where he demonstrates that something unseen is scarier than something described in detail. And some sequences feel like modern action set-pieces.
Not really a disappointment, just not what I expected. Not without merit, just not great.
September 24, 2025
A very bad but entertaining 1950s occult thriller.
Thriller writer/former Secret Service woman Molly Fountain wants to save her Riviera neighbor, young and sad Christina, from being used by a gang of communist satanists (!) bent on taking over the world with DIY homunculi, and enlists the help of her former Secret Service colleague (an elderly James Bond/exorcist mashup) and her son, who falls in love with Christina, and is eventually aided by the French police. There are car chases, seaplanes, yachts, fights, black masses, hypnotists, a disgusting black chapel/laboratory, animals, and assorted other fireworks. Wheatley apparently knew Aleister Crowley well, so there is a whole chapter describing him, and lots of details about black magic, of which he also was an authority. The writing is pretty bad, sensationalist and plodding at the same time. Wheatley was very, laughably reactionary, but he does give us spunky Molly and Christina, who at least shows some spirit while possessed.
The basis of a 70s B-movie. Also reprinted in the 1980s as a Paperback of Horror. My version was a battered library copy in Swedish translation, which just added to the fun.
Thriller writer/former Secret Service woman Molly Fountain wants to save her Riviera neighbor, young and sad Christina, from being used by a gang of communist satanists (!) bent on taking over the world with DIY homunculi, and enlists the help of her former Secret Service colleague (an elderly James Bond/exorcist mashup) and her son, who falls in love with Christina, and is eventually aided by the French police. There are car chases, seaplanes, yachts, fights, black masses, hypnotists, a disgusting black chapel/laboratory, animals, and assorted other fireworks. Wheatley apparently knew Aleister Crowley well, so there is a whole chapter describing him, and lots of details about black magic, of which he also was an authority. The writing is pretty bad, sensationalist and plodding at the same time. Wheatley was very, laughably reactionary, but he does give us spunky Molly and Christina, who at least shows some spirit while possessed.
The basis of a 70s B-movie. Also reprinted in the 1980s as a Paperback of Horror. My version was a battered library copy in Swedish translation, which just added to the fun.
June 28, 2023
I had heard great things about Dennis Wheatley. So I was excited to start this. It was so slow and boring. It got a tiny bit better about half way through when it finally got to some of the occult stuff. I thought the entire novel was weak. I certainly didn't see what others have saw. Perhaps this is not one of his better books? I may or may not return to him.
May 17, 2019
As I have mentioned here a number of times, I take the name of “GoodReads” literally. So, if I cannot give a book a rating of at least 3-stars, I don’t list it as one of my completed books. TO THE DEVIL, A DAUGHTER came very, very close to not being listed.
Of the Dennis Wheatley novels I’ve read so far, this has been the weakest one. I became interested in the writer because of Christopher Lee’s recommendations. (I’ll admit that I’ve since wondered whether or not Lee’s enjoyment with Wheatley’s work came from identifying parts he could play.) I’m told that Lee warned his fans in an interview that the Evil depicted in Wheatley’s Black Magic series is very real, and that Wheatley is a master at describing the dangers involved when people toy with Evil.
Now, I’m not someone who is so certain of the different influences in this world as to readily dismiss such warnings. However, in TO THE DEVIL, A DAUGHTER, there is plenty of evidence that Good is just waiting to intervene at the most desperate moments ... and, at least on one occasion, from Heaven itself! That certainly lightened some of the tense moments as I was anticipating a favorable appearance to save the day. It also significantly reduced my emotional involvement.
There are also a number of extended sequences that would be much more at home in a spy thriller or one of the John Buchan novels like THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS (which I did enjoy). I expected many more confrontations with the occult requiring faith or rituals to succeed rather than fisticuffs.
Wheatley also introduces the Reader to Molly Fountain, a writer whose behind-the-scenes work during the War caused her to wonder what it would be like to be working out in the field. This is presented with a quaintness akin to what would be found in an Agatha Christie mystery. This has its good and bad points in this story.
There were four elements that made this worth reading for me:
* The strange nighttime behavior of Fountain’s next door neighbor is intriguing;
* The relating of one of the famous mythic incidents surrounding Aleister Crowley is captivating reading;
* The visits to the villain’s crypt sanctuary are exactly what I imagined would be found in plenty throughout the book;
* The climactic final confrontation is exciting (despite a return of the issue I mentioned earlier).
For those who remember the Hammer Film made of this story, TO THE DEVIL, A DAUGHTER is worth the read for comparison purposes. For other Readers, be aware that there are multiple styles combined here ... and if you become frustrated, hang around for the more enjoyable scenes.
Of the Dennis Wheatley novels I’ve read so far, this has been the weakest one. I became interested in the writer because of Christopher Lee’s recommendations. (I’ll admit that I’ve since wondered whether or not Lee’s enjoyment with Wheatley’s work came from identifying parts he could play.) I’m told that Lee warned his fans in an interview that the Evil depicted in Wheatley’s Black Magic series is very real, and that Wheatley is a master at describing the dangers involved when people toy with Evil.
Now, I’m not someone who is so certain of the different influences in this world as to readily dismiss such warnings. However, in TO THE DEVIL, A DAUGHTER, there is plenty of evidence that Good is just waiting to intervene at the most desperate moments ... and, at least on one occasion, from Heaven itself! That certainly lightened some of the tense moments as I was anticipating a favorable appearance to save the day. It also significantly reduced my emotional involvement.
There are also a number of extended sequences that would be much more at home in a spy thriller or one of the John Buchan novels like THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS (which I did enjoy). I expected many more confrontations with the occult requiring faith or rituals to succeed rather than fisticuffs.
Wheatley also introduces the Reader to Molly Fountain, a writer whose behind-the-scenes work during the War caused her to wonder what it would be like to be working out in the field. This is presented with a quaintness akin to what would be found in an Agatha Christie mystery. This has its good and bad points in this story.
There were four elements that made this worth reading for me:
* The strange nighttime behavior of Fountain’s next door neighbor is intriguing;
* The relating of one of the famous mythic incidents surrounding Aleister Crowley is captivating reading;
* The visits to the villain’s crypt sanctuary are exactly what I imagined would be found in plenty throughout the book;
* The climactic final confrontation is exciting (despite a return of the issue I mentioned earlier).
For those who remember the Hammer Film made of this story, TO THE DEVIL, A DAUGHTER is worth the read for comparison purposes. For other Readers, be aware that there are multiple styles combined here ... and if you become frustrated, hang around for the more enjoyable scenes.
December 11, 2019
A lifetime of reading horror, and I've never read Dennis Wheatley.
What a bumptious arse he was. The plot is pompous reactionary drivel, the sort of thing where young heiresses laze around all day and then spend the night gambling, drinking and flirting (conclusion: "Possessed by the Devil!"), where the female protagonist is sidelined immediately in favour of male friends, and a son who loses all respect because he constantly refers to her as 'Mumsie', and then some fluffy idea that Communism is simply Satanism in disguise, and in any case caused by Lesbianism and yoga, possibly not in that order.
Along the way, Wheatley manages to rail against taxation (equating it with the idle poor benefiting from the industrious rich), a couple of minor rants about writers not being paid as well as everyone assumes (calm down, Den - your arse is showing), and an inability to not show his research by having every character spout off authoritatively on every subject under the sun, even if they patently would have no cause to take the slightest interest in it.
Prose-wise, there isn't a scene in this that isn't dissected and discussed in advance by all characters, examined from every alternate angle, and then discussed again as it's happening, and often afterwards analysed for mistakes.
I didn't finish this. It's too laughable.
What a bumptious arse he was. The plot is pompous reactionary drivel, the sort of thing where young heiresses laze around all day and then spend the night gambling, drinking and flirting (conclusion: "Possessed by the Devil!"), where the female protagonist is sidelined immediately in favour of male friends, and a son who loses all respect because he constantly refers to her as 'Mumsie', and then some fluffy idea that Communism is simply Satanism in disguise, and in any case caused by Lesbianism and yoga, possibly not in that order.
Along the way, Wheatley manages to rail against taxation (equating it with the idle poor benefiting from the industrious rich), a couple of minor rants about writers not being paid as well as everyone assumes (calm down, Den - your arse is showing), and an inability to not show his research by having every character spout off authoritatively on every subject under the sun, even if they patently would have no cause to take the slightest interest in it.
Prose-wise, there isn't a scene in this that isn't dissected and discussed in advance by all characters, examined from every alternate angle, and then discussed again as it's happening, and often afterwards analysed for mistakes.
I didn't finish this. It's too laughable.
January 7, 2012
Christina seemed no different from any other young girl - polite, attractive and a little shy. But every evening, as darkness fell, Christina changed amazingly. Dark, demonic power rose inside her and threatened all around her. As that terrible power began to emerge, it called out to the mist and rain of the Essex marshes. Hidden away beneath the stones of Bentford Priory, a hideous monster created by a satanic priest awaited a virgin sacrifice to bring it to life.
I have to say that I requested this book because I enjoy occult novels. I had never actually heard of Dennis Wheatley as an author before and never realized that he was such a prolific writer. I do think that I remember reading somewhere that this particular novel was made into a Hammer Films movie sometime in the 1970s along with another one or two of Dennis Wheatley's novels.
Anyway, I think that I will give this book a B+! I did enjoy the premise of the novel and found that there were parts that moved along quite quickly. I found that it finished very well, but it did rather drag in other parts. It was sometimes too detailed for me. Overall, I think this was a good Dennis Wheatley book to introduce me to the author, but I don't think that Dennis Wheatley will be an automatic add on author to my TBR pile.
I have to say that I requested this book because I enjoy occult novels. I had never actually heard of Dennis Wheatley as an author before and never realized that he was such a prolific writer. I do think that I remember reading somewhere that this particular novel was made into a Hammer Films movie sometime in the 1970s along with another one or two of Dennis Wheatley's novels.
Anyway, I think that I will give this book a B+! I did enjoy the premise of the novel and found that there were parts that moved along quite quickly. I found that it finished very well, but it did rather drag in other parts. It was sometimes too detailed for me. Overall, I think this was a good Dennis Wheatley book to introduce me to the author, but I don't think that Dennis Wheatley will be an automatic add on author to my TBR pile.
March 12, 2018
I loved The Devil Rides Out, and I bet Dennis Wheatley has written many other top class books, sadly for me To the Devil, a Daughter had nothing to keep the pace of the story moving. It seemed as though I was reading a James Bond book which had been written by Ian Fleming but with out an inch of action, murder, twists and so on.
All was there but for me it seemed flat, boring and dull.
No book is read more than halfway; and is still getting no where, so I bailed out halfway.
All was there but for me it seemed flat, boring and dull.
No book is read more than halfway; and is still getting no where, so I bailed out halfway.
October 4, 2012
Read as a teenager. Off it's head, completely mad and authored by someone with dodgy Right wing autocratic and aristocratic sympathies. What a ripping yarn though!
July 9, 2017
I read this in my teens, when I read everything in the local library that was SF or fantasy. (not enough.)
Garbage.
Garbage.
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