What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil's Playbook
688 pages, Paperback
Published May 8, 2025
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Markus Heitz
221 books1,220 followersMarkus Heitz is a German fantasy, horror and science fiction author, most famous for his five-book Dwarves saga.
Markus Heitz was born in Homburg in 1971. He studied history, literature, and the German language. He now lives in the town of Zweibrücken.
Markus Heitz was born in Homburg in 1971. He studied history, literature, and the German language. He now lives in the town of Zweibrücken.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 27, 2025
If you've ever wondered what would happen if demonic forces, corporate greed, and a generous dash of dry wit collided in one fast-paced novel—The Devil’s Playbook is your answer. Markus Heitz, already well known for his fantasy chops, takes a thrilling sidestep into modern-day horror-thriller territory, and the result is devilishly entertaining.
The book follows a cast of characters who could each use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and razor-sharp dialogue. It’s like The Wolf of Wall Street got hijacked by The Exorcist—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves applause for his world-building. The supernatural elements are threaded through the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing rarely lets up, but it knows when to breathe, just long enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
Now, it’s not without its quirks. Some moments lean a bit hard on exposition, and a few characters could use more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. But even when the narrative flirts with over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, The Devil’s Playbook is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with sly commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows exactly what it’s doing. And that, ironically, is what makes it feel so devilishly goodIf you've ever wondered what would happen if demonic forces collided with corporate greed, all sprinkled with a generous dash of dry wit, then *The Devil’s Playbook* is your answer. Markus Heitz, already known for his fantasy works, takes an exciting leap into modern-day horror-thriller territory, and the result is devilishly entertaining.
The book follows a cast of characters who could all use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz expertly plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and sharp dialogue. It feels as if *The Wolf of Wall Street* were hijacked by *The Exorcist*—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves praise for his world-building. The supernatural elements are woven into the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing is relentless, yet it knows when to slow down just enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
That said, the book has its quirks. Some moments lean a bit heavily on exposition, and a few characters could benefit from more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. However, even when the narrative flirts with being over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, *The Devil’s Playbook* is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with insightful commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows precisely what it’s doing. Ironically, that awareness is what makes it feel so devilishly good.If you've ever wondered what would happen if demonic forces collided with corporate greed, all sprinkled with a generous dash of dry wit, then *The Devil’s Playbook* is your answer. Markus Heitz, already known for his fantasy works, takes an exciting leap into modern-day horror-thriller territory, and the result is devilishly entertaining.
The book follows a cast of characters who could all use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz expertly plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and sharp dialogue. It feels as if *The Wolf of Wall Street* were hijacked by *The Exorcist*—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves praise for his world-building. The supernatural elements are woven into the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing is relentless, yet it knows when to slow down just enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
That said, the book has its quirks. Some moments lean a bit heavily on exposition, and a few characters could benefit from more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. However, even when the narrative flirts with being over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, *The Devil’s Playbook* is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with insightful commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows precisely what it’s doing. Ironically, that awareness is what makes it feel so devilishly good..
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an Honest Review
The book follows a cast of characters who could each use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and razor-sharp dialogue. It’s like The Wolf of Wall Street got hijacked by The Exorcist—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves applause for his world-building. The supernatural elements are threaded through the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing rarely lets up, but it knows when to breathe, just long enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
Now, it’s not without its quirks. Some moments lean a bit hard on exposition, and a few characters could use more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. But even when the narrative flirts with over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, The Devil’s Playbook is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with sly commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows exactly what it’s doing. And that, ironically, is what makes it feel so devilishly goodIf you've ever wondered what would happen if demonic forces collided with corporate greed, all sprinkled with a generous dash of dry wit, then *The Devil’s Playbook* is your answer. Markus Heitz, already known for his fantasy works, takes an exciting leap into modern-day horror-thriller territory, and the result is devilishly entertaining.
The book follows a cast of characters who could all use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz expertly plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and sharp dialogue. It feels as if *The Wolf of Wall Street* were hijacked by *The Exorcist*—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves praise for his world-building. The supernatural elements are woven into the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing is relentless, yet it knows when to slow down just enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
That said, the book has its quirks. Some moments lean a bit heavily on exposition, and a few characters could benefit from more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. However, even when the narrative flirts with being over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, *The Devil’s Playbook* is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with insightful commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows precisely what it’s doing. Ironically, that awareness is what makes it feel so devilishly good.If you've ever wondered what would happen if demonic forces collided with corporate greed, all sprinkled with a generous dash of dry wit, then *The Devil’s Playbook* is your answer. Markus Heitz, already known for his fantasy works, takes an exciting leap into modern-day horror-thriller territory, and the result is devilishly entertaining.
The book follows a cast of characters who could all use a strong drink, a vacation, and probably a good exorcist—though not necessarily in that order. Heitz expertly plays with themes of temptation, ambition, and moral ambiguity, all while wrapping the story in sleek action and sharp dialogue. It feels as if *The Wolf of Wall Street* were hijacked by *The Exorcist*—and somehow, it works.
Heitz deserves praise for his world-building. The supernatural elements are woven into the modern setting with confidence and creativity. The pacing is relentless, yet it knows when to slow down just enough for you to think, “Wait, did that just happen?” (Yes, yes it did.)
That said, the book has its quirks. Some moments lean a bit heavily on exposition, and a few characters could benefit from more emotional depth to match the high-concept plot. However, even when the narrative flirts with being over-the-top, it never loses its charm—or its bite.
Ultimately, *The Devil’s Playbook* is a slick, smart ride that balances thrills with insightful commentary on power and corruption. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it knows precisely what it’s doing. Ironically, that awareness is what makes it feel so devilishly good..
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an Honest Review
Displaying 1 of 1 review