The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape

The Stephen Robbins Chronicles #3

by Terry Roberts

Walk the dark halls and threatening streets of 1920s Asheville in this thrilling third installment of The Stephen Robbins Chronicles, as fan-favorite Robbins confronts the dangerous contrast between appearance and reality at the exclusive Grove Park Inn.

It’s the autumn of 1924, and Benjamin Loftis has a problem. A college girl is discovered—naked and dead—in one of the finest rooms of his beloved Grove Park Inn. To prevent the sullied reputation of this jewel in the crown of North Carolina and all the Southern mountains, Loftis calls in Stephen Robbins, a local man famous in some circles for finding missing people and solving unsolvable crimes.

Robbins, now scarred and battered by life’s wars, would rather retreat from the world than dive headfirst into a new mystery. But he agrees to help and is quickly swept into the social hierarchy of Asheville’s complex and harshly stratified society, running head-on into the financial and political elite who control this mountain town—those who want a murderer caught but not necessarily the murderer.

With so many socialites focused on reputation over truth, will Robbins be able to find the devil walking among them and bring them to justice? Find out in The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape, a thrilling noir set against the backdrop of the jazz age in America.

Want more Stephen Robbins? Read more of his story in A Short Time to Stay Here and My Mistress’ Eyes are Raven Black.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

280 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Terry Roberts is the author of seven celebrated novels: A Short Time to Stay Here (winner of the Willie Morris Prize for Southern Fiction and the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction); That Bright Land (winner of the Thomas Wolfe Literary Award, the James Still Award for Writing About the Appalachian South and the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction); and, The Holy Ghost Speakeasy and Revival (a finalist for the 2019 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction), My Mistress’ Eyes are Raven Black (Finalist for the 2022 Best Paperback Original Novel by the International Thriller Writers Organization), The Sky Club (a finalist for the 2023 Thomas Wolfe Literary Award), The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape, and In the Fullness of Time (Shortlisted for Book of the Year by the Southern Literary Review).

Roberts is a lifelong teacher and educational reformer as well as an award-winning novelist. He is a native of the mountains of Western North Carolina—born and bred. His ancestors include six generations of mountain farmers, as well as the bootleggers and preachers who appear in his novels. He was raised close by his grandmother, Belva Anderson Roberts, who was born in 1888 and passed to him the magic of the past along with the grit and humor of mountain story telling.

Roberts is the Director Emeritus of the National Paideia Center and lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife, Lynn.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape, the new thriller to be published on October 1, 2024 brings us Terry Roberts at his finest. It is a great story and a page-turner which takes place at the the distinctive and imposing Grove Park Inn, in 1920s Asheville, North Carolina. The hallways and bedrooms, lounges and dining rooms are the backdrop for the mystery that Stephen Robbins, known for solving thorny mysteries, is enlisted to solve. He arrives to find the rich and powerful, who control the town, doing their sordid business, and a whole tapestry of characters at the hotel who are witness to the goings-on. The novel is compelling and enjoyable, and highly recommended.
I was provided an ARC by the publisher.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars, because I was able to predict major events in the plot a disconcerting number of pages from the book's end. I'm certain readers are divided about this, as we are divided about much else (the exception may be the appeal of books), but I enjoy surprise and unexpected road bumps in reading.

This takes place in nearby Asheville, N.C., and is the third entry in the Stephen Robbins Chronicles, an Appalachian noir series featuring a hard-boiled investigator and hotelier in the early years of the 20th century. I love the characters and local references and history (here it's race and class history and the complicity of journalists in those dynamics). There's a bubba of a southern sheriff, a judge more interested in wielding influence than dispensing justice and women who work on their backs for a living.

I enjoy Terry Roberts' writing, too. Am still on the fence about the other books in the series, but my list of books to read is long. I may re-read this, though. I do recommend Roberts without reservations.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry Roberts’ vivid descriptions of the Grove Park Inn are a highlight of The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape. The inn itself becomes a character, with its grand architecture and shadowy corners providing the perfect setting for a story steeped in mystery. Visiting the Grove Park Inn after reading The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape is an experience in itself. Walking through the Palm Court, you can almost feel the weight of Robbins’ investigation, as he seeks out room 341 where he stayed while hunting the killer. Sitting in the main lobby with a glass of dark, full-bodied red wine, it’s easy to imagine Robbins and the enigmatic Ella Loving strategizing to stop the killings. And when dining in the inn’s restaurant, you can almost see Michael, the fictional server, recommending a hearty steak dinner, bringing the narrative to life in a way few books can. (No one writes about the enjoyment of a delicious meal any better than Terry Roberts!)

Roberts has a talent for capturing the essence of a time and place, and The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape is no exception. His portrayal of Robbins’ internal struggle and the external forces at play is both gripping and poignant. The novel is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a richly textured story filled with suspense, intrigue, and historical detail. It’s a book that lingers with you long after the final page is turned, especially if you find yourself walking the same halls Robbins once did.

[Mystica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Robbins is rather introverted but a reputation for finding missing persons and solving unsolvable crimes precedes him. It is the 1920s and he lives with his three year old son Luke and a couple who are like family to him. He would like life to continue like this.



The appearance of Benjamin Loftis put paid to that. Owner of a famous and old hotel, the discovery of a naked girl murdered in Room 340 does not do much for the image he is wanting to portray. Business is down and he wants the murderer found. Not easy in a town where racism is high, and tensions run high too.



Fast forward to Stephen’s appearance in town, his investigation which are quiet, but do not go unnoticed by the powers that be aka the local Sheriff who does not like outsiders and has got his suspect all tied up and ready for execution. The discovery of a second body and a third does not affect the Sheriff even though his suspect is behind bars, because he wants the problem to just go away. Stephen is only interested in getting justice and when nothing works because his suspect is too powerful, Stephen’s takes matters into his own hands.



A very powerful story, very realistic of conditions in the 1920s, epitomizing the hold the rich, powerful and white community had over their neighbours.

[David Gramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my signed copy of this book, Terry Roberts writes “I hope you have enjoyed your time with Stephen Robbins.” I have, from his time in the WWI German internment camp, to his Ellis Island adventure, and here at the Grove Park Inn. He is not liked by many. He is a “red neck”, a “hillbilly”, a “man, no, a thing, not of my social class”. But he has respect of others, a “tough son of a bitch”. Robbins is a truth seeker. It is just that many people wish for the truth to stay hidden. Prostitution should be hidden. The women killed are prostitutes and the true murderer must be hidden. And the murderer cannot be one of their own. It’s just not possible. Stephen pursues the truth. And, over these three books, Stephen has loved three women. In this third book, his love is more like a good friend, Ella Loving to most, and she leaves Stephen with the advice of finding his true love once again, and living life once again, as a man who is younger than his body shows. The three women we get to know, Anna and Lucy and Ella, are each remarkable in their own ways. And though Anna is not in this third Stephen Robbins novel, if, as I hope, there is a fourth, Anna will become the star attraction. I have gotten to know Stephen Robbins quite well. Is it time to know Anna Ulmann just as well?

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry Robert’s is a master of description and word selection! As a self-admitted logophile, I appreciate his surgical, precise selections and curated elucidation. One of my favorites is from the last page: “The water was frigid. Trout cold, aged in ice. It burned against the sheath of my skin. Nothing would do but immersion. Complete and wrenching. I sank deep at first, curling inside a womb of water.” Wow - for someone who loves words, that’s the only one I have for my total enjoyment and marvel…wow and “thank you, Terry”.

This book was also special in that it pulled a smattering of references from the series, reminding us of Stephen’s remarkable journey. What I love best about Stephen Robbins is that he is true to himself and his friends - he refuses to entertain imposed constraints/boundaries of the time and really sees people, especially Esther and Prince. I raise a glass to these amazing characters and celebrate their immortality!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great historical thriller. It is definitely a page tuner. I was always eager to know what was going to happen next. A great representation of life in the 1920s.

Robbin’s is called in to investigate a murder at a hotel in North Carolina. He meets resistance his whole time trying to investigate. The local sheriff is more interested in catching a murderer instead of the actual murderer.

I rate this book 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Emily Migliazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read exactly one other noir novel in my life and that one was about lesbians. I didn’t expect to like this at all but was pleasantly surprised by the characters and its progressive politics. I did solve it in the first 60ish pages, so I didn’t find it particularly compelling outside of the aforementioned items. I also didn’t know this was the 3rd in a series, but that mattered less.

“It was as if the whole place was run by a tribe of male librarians who seldom saw the light of day” (24).

“…carrying morning in his chubby arms” (61).

[yumoh · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.25] I liked the ambience of this book. It was American noir to its core with all the bells and whistles of the genre. The mystery aspect of the book could definitely be called lacking as there was truly ever only one or two viable suspects and I guessed who it was before the halfway mark of the book. I had a good time reading this book and it was a fast read.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping and well plotted historical thriller. It kept me hooked and I enjoyed it.
It' the first I read in this series and appreciated the vivid historical background, the plot, and the fleshed out characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Terry Robert’s book. Stephen Robbins has been hired to find out who murdered a young woman in The Grove Park Inn. But as the murderer becomes more apparent, it’s decided they don’t want to oust one of their own. Robbins will have his way in the end.

[Cori Greer-Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s like Da Vinci Code in Asheville. Very engaging read.

[Gary Apple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tale. Quick read while travelling

[John Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

[Ronnie Gottilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew who the killer was immediately ?? Really not a mystery

[Michael N · Rating 1 out of 5]

Strangely structured, thin mystery, read like a first or second draft.