The Fox and the Devil

by Kiersten White

An obsession with a beautiful serial killer entangles a vampire hunter’s daughter in an immortal sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires—up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to Anneke, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman, after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Vampires, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT

Audible Audio

First published March 10, 2026

About the author

Kiersten White is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning, and critically acclaimed author of many books for readers of all ages, including the And I Darken trilogy, the Sinister Summer series, the Camelot Rising trilogy, Star Wars: Padawan, Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying. She also has a very large tortoise named Kimberly, which isn't relevant, but she wanted you to know.

Visit her online at kierstenwhite.com.

Reviews

[Krysta ꕤ]

2.5 ★

”She’s the woman of my nightmares and dreams, my torment and my joy. My own personal demon.”

i really thought i would love this book, but the joke was on me cause it leaned way too much into the historical/detective side of things. all the characters were flat, especially the main two Anneke and Diavola. you’d think the idea of this cat and mouse type of dynamic they had going on would’ve been exciting, but it really wasn’t. Anneke and Diavola were also very randomly obsessed with each other and their reasoning made no sense. i spent most of my time reading this kind of bored tbh.

”You’re carved into my very bones, I’ll carry you with me into eternity.”

i usually love anything to do with the Dracula and Van Helsing lore.. that was not the case here though. i think the reveal of why Diavola was doing the things she did was pretty obvious too. the romance could’ve been completely left out and it wouldn’t have made a difference. this is petty, but i really didn’t like that Diavola’s nickname for Anneke was “little fox”.. i only accept that nickname from a certain apple eating scoundrel. i’m disappointed cause i always want to root for sapphic books so bad but this just wasn’t for me.

➳ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Del Rey for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Maeghan 🦋]

Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!!

I don’t know what I was expecting with the summary but it definitely wasn’t what was delivered. The concept was intriguing but the execution ultimately fell flat.

Let’s start with the positives. The late 1890s dark Victorian setting was well depicted. I think this would be a very nice Autumn read.

Now onto my thoughts about the characters. The fmc’s in this book are described as strong & independent women. What we are told isn’t what we see… Anneke is very impulsive and behaves like a 15yo rather than her 25 years. She’s very obsessive, acted brashly and was fickle. The side characters were sadly indistinguishable. It didn’t help that the writing made me feel very disconnected from the story and its characters and I found I didn’t particularly care for the tale.

With the blurb - I thought the fantastical elements would be prevalent… but this read more like a thriller than a fantasy. The ending was really rushed for a plot that was unnecessarily drawn out.

There’s a few sequences that felt out of place with the story and the letters came a little bit out no where. The string of murders became repetitive fast and I think it would’ve benefitted having multiple plots. The writing style sadly never made me curious about what was going on - which hindered my experience.

I was underwhelmed by this novel and I believe my expectations were too high. I would still recommend this if you’re in for a slower read.

[Montzalee Wittmann]

The Fox and the Devil
by Kiersten White
Wow, what a gem! Monsters of various types. A tenacious female detective who is tracking the devil in white that killed her father. This path takes her on a long gory hunt and she builds a team of friends. Non-stop action, suspense, and surprises along the way. Never a dull moment. Set in the 1880s to 1900s. Supernatural elements. LGBTQ hints of romance.

[Mika]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

The plot was dragging a lot. It wasn't as interesting as I initially thought and characters were flat and didn't develop throughout the story. I didn't feel connected to the plot or characters. I had to constantly remind myself that Anneke (but also other characters) were adults and not teenagers as their speaking patterns and general way how they dealt with their emotions and thoughts reminded me more of a teenager than an actual adult. Lastly, I also noticed that the writing style is probably not for me as there were details included that were unnecessary (and not relevant).

There was something interesting to discover, but the curiosity was killed by a dragging plot (and perhaps even pacing).

Final thoughts

I originally wanted to read Mister Magic by the same author next if I liked this one, but I no longer have the interest in reading this or any other works by this author.

I tried my best to enjoy The Fox and the Devil as much as possible, but in the end it just wasn't for me. The whole crime scenes, forensic work and investigations were really good, but everything else was lacking.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced reader copy of The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White.

StoryGraph review

Started the book: 16. November 2025
Finished the book: 16. November 2025
Wrote the review: 16. November 2025

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️]

Amsterdam, 1895. The daughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Dracula fans…) is tracking down her father’s murderer, a woman, a devil, haunting her dreams and waking hours.
When a string of murders have a grisly connection, Anneke pursues crime scene and forensic detective work to track down the woman taunting her.

I started off adoring this, and then found more and more things niggling at me.

This is a combination of narrative and letters and changes in perspective. I think it was too ambitious and created this friction between Anneke and the reader.
This lacked the historical ambience of Europe despite being clearly well-researched with inventions and famous figures.

The sapphic romance is filled with yearning and tragedy. Everyone is very accepting of queerness in Anneke’s circles which was a nice change for historical fiction.

“You’re a delicate leaf, spinning down the surface of the river of time. You might swirl and eddy occasionally, but you’re always moving in the natural direction: from beginning to end. Birth to death. I’m a rock, sunk to the bottom. Time passes over and around me. I don’t move, but I do change. The current chips bits and pieces off me, reshaping me. If I had a reflection, would I know myself still? Or would everything that made me me be worn away?”

It was a compelling tale and I always enjoy White’s writing. Her female characters are always independent and ambitious.

I flew through it, but I think this had the potential to be a favourite, but fell apart.

If you are familiar with Lucy Undying, there is a cameo of The Lover. You truly do not have to have read that to read this.

Arc gifted by Del Rey.

Bookstagram
Tiktok

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?]]

A sapphic cat and mouse hunt between Van Helsings daughter and his undead killer.

And someday when I die, after everything else rots away, you'll remain.
You're not just written on my heart and soul.
You're carved onto my very bones,
and I will carry you with me into eternity."

The best thing about this book was not only this stunning cover or the sapphic devastating love story or the lovable characters itself, it was the otherworldly beautiful writing.

I'm the phantom in the dark, lingering in a world that I have no place in, looking at what was never meant for me.

Could I have read this book faster? Definitely.
But I didn’t want to, I wanted to savor it.
The writing is not only beautiful, but has a way of catching your interest in any way possible, how we switch between times, between Point of views and letters written.

I loved Diavola and Anneke - the combination of vampire hunters daughter and undead vampire?
Perfect! The yearning was exceptional.

God doesn't answer my prayers, though.
We abandoned each other long ago, and only the devil remains.

[❁lilith❁]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this eARC! All thoughts are my own.
____________

I was excited to see that this is from the same author as Lucy Undying (even if it is still just sitting on my shelf, unread) and The Fox and the Devil has made me even more excited to read LU.
This was a great twist on 'vampire' stories, and felt very fresh. The characters were great, including our MC whose head we spend most of our time in, so reading never felt like a chore. The plot all comes together well by the end, even if the 'battle' type moment at the end is over really quite quickly.
The emotional stakes worked well and I was never bored, which makes this a great read in my eyes.

PUB DATE: MARCH 10 2026

[thevampireslibrary]

THE FOX AND THE DEVIL is a deliciously mysterious gothic vampire story that I absolutely devoured (duh 🧛🏻‍♀️) it felt like Killing Eve but make it *gothic and vampires* ADORED IT

[°❀⋆.monica ೃ࿔*:･]

“the fox and the devil” had an interesting plot, but my dislike of the romance made it difficult to enjoy this book more than I did.

the story itself was good, I thought the gothic setting was very well done and the investigative plot was interesting. the world felt fleshed out and was very much the main thing that kept me reading.

unfortunately, I did not like the romance at all. I personally couldn’t understand any romantic connection between them. the reason for why they kept so compelled to each other didn’t make sense to me, especially given the conflict. the conflict felt big enough for me to be a reason these characters hate each other, but there wasn’t enough to understand why they’d overcome that to love each other. since the romance was such a big component, it made it difficult for me to fully connected with the story.

I wish I enjoyed this story more, there were definitely parts of it that stood out to me in a positive way, but the negative aspects unfortunately outweighed them.

thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey Publishing, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lucia]

This one is giving sapphic Hannibal (the TV show) in the 1900 Paris Exposition, with vampires.
Let’s just say I had high hopes for this book and I'm glad to report it lived up to my expectations!

Even if there is a romance sub plot, this is more of a police procedural than a romance book. The investigation and the cat and mouse chase are the main aspects of the story, with the supernatural elements interwoven throughout.

I also really enjoyed the historical aspect of the story, I loved how detailed the author was about the setting, and in particular I really liked to read about the 1900 Paris Exposition. It was so interesting that I kept looking for images and real facts about it, to help me paint the image in my head.

The only thing I can criticize is that some parts dragged on for too long, but I persevered and I had a great time overall.

Thanks to Del Rey via NetGalley for providing an eARC

[lorenzodulac]

There’s something deeply romantic about the relationship between a woman and the supernatural entity that killed her father.
We’re following Anneke, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing, as she attempts to find and destroy her father’s killer, a woman who calls herself Diavola. She had been haunting her dreams for some time at that point.
This book was so eerie, in a good way. The yearning!! The conflicting feelings of hate v. adoration!! There’s so much folklore involved, it’s very ghosty, bloody with all the killing they were investigating. I LOVED the characters, Anneke in particular, she’s so determined. Her story tore me apart and pieced me back together by the end. And Diavola’s as well.
I’m also a sucker for nicknames and written letters in books and both were executed well in this one.
This might be my favorite Kiersten White book I’ve read. 4.5/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rhea]

I jumped into this and hoped for some vampire horror mystery novel with some relatable characters. It started off strong, very well, the dark Victorian setting is visually pleasant and genuinely immersive. I was immediately enthralled by the atmosphere; the author does a fantastic job of creating that brooding, gothic mood, and the setup of a supernatural murder mystery leaving behind a trail of gory, confusing and yet delicious horror crumbs.

Unfortunately, that momentum didn't last.
After the strong start, the plot just kept going on and on. It felt like it was dragging, and I found myself waiting for something else to happen beyond the murder mystery loop, which got repetitive fast. The story also jumps around in time a bit, which disrupted the flow for me.

But my biggest issue with this? The characters. Aside from the plot (which eventually started to drag anyway), there wasn't much holding this together because the characters felt underdeveloped. I honestly didn't feel much connection to them.

Specifically, Anneke, our FMC. She is introduced as this clever, determined detective in her thirties (therefore an adult woman), yet she behaves and talks sometimes like a reckless teenager with no perspective, no plan, no idea what to do and how to do it. Her actions were erratic and inconsistent for a woman in her position, just saying.

As for the romance, if you are here for the spice, this isn't it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not a selling point either even though the label is there. There is a sapphic romance, but it’s mostly in the background, this sort of silent, tense desire. It’s not the focal point.

Many, many thanks to Kiersten White, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for the ARC. This is a voluntary review, reflecting solely my opinion.

[Sarah Mac]

This was good & I enjoyed it. Allow me to state that outright, because what I’m about to say might make it seem as if I didn’t like the book…but I did. It just didn’t go as deep, dark, & full-throttle as it could’ve (& should’ve, imo). 🙃

Despite being an Adult novel, our MC/narrator Anneke’s voice & obsessions read as young—not YA precisely, because she’s perceptive enough to grow & correct herself, but still young compared to a 30-yr-old who does what she does for a living. Likewise, her interactions/dialogue with the non-Diavola side characters come off as equally young, & here is where the author’s YA roots show most prominently—the overly-pushy Found Family & diversity checklist (along with Straight White Men Suck attitude) in particular felt slathered on to the point of obscuring the book’s strengths (the sapphic yearning, the various murders, the curious nature of Diavola & The Watcher). To be clear: I’m NOT hating on diversity or found family—or even the suckitude of many males 😏—but rather the author’s flag-waving bulletin boards & signposts re: said topics, all of which feel very YA precisely because of their obviousness. Compare this novel to HUNGERSTONE, for example; they contain many similar themes (including a justified skewering of douchebag males & sexually charged sapphic atmosphere with a paranormal being), but HUNGERSTONE is a much more mature read, clearly written about & for Adult brains with Adult concerns & perceptions. And as I am an Adult (despite feeling otherwise at the grocery store), I loved that about it. Adults can have fun with moody gothic novels too, dammit! 🫠

…But I digress. *shuffles papers* I’m convinced publishers no longer understand the difference between Adult & NA/YA fiction, so take those gripes☝🏻with a grain of salt. *shrug* In any event I’m all for using the Victorian period to converse about contemporary subtexts as well as past wrongs—esp when it tells a good story—but there needs to be a level of maturity to the characters & discussion, whether via dialogue or omniscient prose, & that is why FOX gets only 4 stars compared to the aforementioned HUNGERSTONE.

So far as the actual story goes, it was as advertised on the tin—a macabre fin-de-siecle romp blending Stoker, The Alienist, & Penny Dreadful with Alphonse Mucha aesthetics, sapphic angst, & a sprinkle of very mild steampunk. The author seems to be leaving the door open for a sequel, but don’t worry—there are no cliffhangers or unresolved arcs (THANK YOU), so it’s very much a standalone.

EDIT: I forgot to highlight the undead quilt-chewing fiend in München. That entire segment was fantastic & very creepy. 😈

4 stars for sheer entertainment value.

[Kat]

It’s almost impressive that The Fox and the Devil manages to execute such a slam-dunk of a premise in such a dull way. Sapphic cat and mouse games as the daughter of Van Helsing pursues a vampire serial killer across Europe? How can that possibly go wrong??

A couple ways, I think:

This book somehow manages to focus on all of the least interesting parts of everything going on. It’s quite long, but in retrospect, I can’t even tell you what all of those pages were spent on… because it certainly wasn’t the characters and their relationships, all of which are shallow and one-note. And it wasn’t supernatural worldbuilding, which similarly doesn’t really exist. (We don’t even find out supernatural creatures EXIST until the 50% mark.) And - most devastatingly of all - the time also isn’t spent on sapphic cat and mouse games, as promised. Those are all timeskipped over in a few pages. As a result, the obsession between Anneke and Diavola feels… unearned. Arbitrary. They throw around a lot of dramatic declarations clearly intended to be quoted, like: “I want to consume you, Anneke Van Helsing, and it terrifies me more than anything” and “I see you because you changed me… I know you down to my very bones.” But without context or development, they feel abrupt and melodramatic. It’s clear the author wanted to channel This is How You Lose the Time War with the letters, but it just doesn’t land when those letters are dumped on the reader all in one chunk rather than threaded organically through the story.


I did enjoy the way we flashed backward and forward through time, jumping between the 1900 Paris Exposition and the years leading up to the events that unfold there. I also appreciated the way this book tries to pick up the threads of people on the margins of history, including women sidelined by some of our most famous stories; however, I think the book was ultimately uninterested in interrogating those themes beyond acknowledging that they exist. Once again, the most interesting ideas are sidelined.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[ash (smokedshelves)]

this was a bit of a slow start for me but BOY did i get invested once it got going!! it was kind of like a lucy/dracula retelling but revenants instead of vampires.

[Patrycja]

3.5⭐️

"The Fox and the Devil" is a story of Anneke. After her father was murdered, she's promised herself that she'll find the one who did this to him. She follows a lead of a beautiful woman with no traces. However, it seems nobody else can see what Anneke sees. Will she be able to discover the monster that is behind the crime scene in Europe?

I did enjoy a lot the setting in which the book took place. We could see quite a few corners of XX'th century Europe through the eyes of a young detective. We could also collect lots of clues and solve yet another crime.

The whole book was also interwining the topic of technology, especially progress in the photograpy and film industry. I think the author did a great job showing how the world was changing along with the new inventions of modern engineering.

The thing that didn't grab me this time were characters. It felt a bit like Anneke was a modern woman and not a one from XX'th century. I also didn't feel the tension in the romance itself and some of its plot twists were too obvious for me. Basically the whole romantic part was not as original as the rest of the book.

However, I really liked the historical context and all the references to other literary work and some myths or legends.

Overall "The Fox and the Devil" was a pleasant and very atmospheric read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[amandathebookworm]

This is def 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! Sherlock Holmes x Supernatural in the late 1800s with a sapphic romantic subplot.


PLOT
She watched her father die at the hands of a mysterious woman, & now she’s in the hunt to find ber. Luckily she is a very trusted detective consultant, so her work helps her on this hunt while she tries to solve existing crimes. But she finds a trend in crimes she thinks ties to her father’s murderer, & she is as angry as she is intrigued.
- sapphic romantic historical crime solving fantasy
- lots of supernatural lore; vampires, demons, werewolves, zombies, etc.
- Van Helsing adaptation
- centered leading up to the 1900 Worlds Fair in Paris
- monster x monster hunter, detective novel
- no spice


PROS
- I really enjoyed the writing style. There were some beautiful lines & the world was richly described.
- I liked some of the story being told in the form of letters.
- I liked our lead FMC quite a bit. She was brilliant, she was flawed, she had major issues, but she learned as she went & her growth was great.
- Also I actually enjoyed the romantic subplot quite a bit. I was obsessed along with them & trying to figure out why.
- Big epilogue fan.
- Excellent found family. It felt honest.
- I liked the historical fiction aspect of this. It was fun to bounce around between locations to solve these crimes & I think the author did a solid job detailing cultural differences.


CONS
- I think this suffered from some pacing issues. I would get a little bored at times but then we’d pick back up. But overall these felt like they were dragging a bit.
- There were some POVs thrown in that maybe felt unnecessary? They felt less like they were impactful to the story & more like they were delaying it. The payoff wasn’t there for me personally on them.


Solid standalone read! Def recommend if you’re looking for a crime solving fantasy with some sapphic love!

[AndaReadsTooMuch]

This one started out so strong. The opening scene is a woman investigator at the scene of a grisly homicide. From there we are on a mad dash to solve murders and find a mysterious woman who may or may not be a vampire. Then we are lost to the details and a never ending cat and mouse game, just without the mouse. Halfway through the book and I’ve lost the desire to follow this weirdly immature group of late 20s crime experts to the end. I wanted to love this one. I adored the idea of making Anneke a Van Helsing right from the start. But this one loses steam in the chase so quickly I’m wondering where the fire went and why they are content to go from city to city and country to country solving crimes that never get closer to the mysterious vampiric woman. It’s billed as a slow burn and Ira definitely slow. Still waiting for the burn though. What a bummer.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Sabiha Younus]

After the phenomenal Lucy Undying, Kiersten White could keep writing only sapphic vamp novels for the entire rest of her career and I would eat every single one up. 🔪🩸✨

[Jessica]

☠ Nineteenth century Europe
☠ Van Helsing's daughter
☠ Murder investigations
☠ Found family
☠ Sapphic yearning
☠ Vampires!

It's so easy to think yourself hunter only to discover you've always been prey.

In late nineteenth century Amsterdam, a young Anneke Van Helsing spies a creature of unnatural beauty standing over the prone and bleeding form of her father. The rest of the world believes Abraham Van Helsing took his own life, but Anneke knows better. She devotes the next several years of her life to training in forensic detective work. When a spree of bizarre deaths begin cropping up all over Europe, she alone makes the connection with her own father's end. Finally she has caught scent of the mysterious woman, and the hunt she has long fixated on begins in earnest.

Have you been hunting me all this time? That makes me sad. He doesn't deserve your devotion.

Our main character teams up with a lovely crew who together investigate the trail of bodies, becoming like family to one another as they devote themselves to Anneke's search for her Diavola and vengeance for her father. Anneke spends just as much time pining for the beautiful woman she is pursuing across the continent as she does fantasizing about killing her. When Diavola begins sending her taunting letters, one wonders who is tracking whom? And as she learns more about her quarry, the question arises: have they been hunting the wrong monster all along?

"I thought I was doing the right thing," he whispered.

"Men always do."

The setting in this book is quite fetching--canal houses in Amsterdam, cafes in Budapest, an abandoned village of the Greek islands, and finally to the Paris world's fair, l'Exposition Universelle, for ultimate added flavor. Cinematographs, magnetic audio recorders, and the advent of the use of fingerprints in crime scene analysis further cement the reader in Anneke's world.

The characters are easy to root for. Anneke is a competent (albeit obsessed) woman in a male-dominated field, and her companions, though we don't dive too deep beneath the surface with them (the story is told almost entirely from Anneke's first person POV), are quite likable. There is romance, but mostly consisting of yearning and with no explicit spicy scenes. On the other hand, LOTS of horrifying murder and corpse examination scenes (the deaths are mostly relayed after the fact during the investigation phase rather than on the page).

There was a little while in the middle of this book when I wondered if it really needed to be as long as it is, but that isn't to say the plot dragged for me at any point. In the end, I was most definitely satisfied with the story that had unfolded. 4.5 stars!

Each of Kiersten White's books that I read I enjoy even more than the one before, but I'm not sure how long that trend can continue as her work at this point is pretty fantastic! I am intrigued to see where she'll go from here.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Blog

Bookstagram

[Jodie]

The Fox and the Devil is a gothic fantasy with horror elements, sapphic tension, and a cat and mouse dynamic that leans into obsession in a really compelling way.

It reminded me a little of Hannibal (the show), especially with the tense intensity between the characters.

The story follows Van Helsing's daughter Anneke as she hunts down her father's murderer. From there, it turns into this long chase across Europe (part historical detective fiction, part supernatural mystery) centred on a woman (Diavola) who might not be entirely human and who keeps sending Anneke unsettling, sometimes blood-soaked letters

The atmosphere is incredible right from the start, and the writing is so lyrical that I ended up highlighting so many lines.
I also liked the descriptions of the murder scenes and the brutality some of them came with.

At the heart of the story is the relationship between Anneke and Diavola. It's unsettling and eerie yet tender at the same time. Their dynamic is filled with obsession and a slowburn push and pull, which I liked reading about.
There's also some notable side characters, great found family moments, and an unexpectedly touching mother daughter relationship that added warmth to all the darkness.

My only complaint is that there seemed to be some pacing issues, as the ending felt rushed compared to the careful buildup, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment too much.

Overall, this was an addictive read with gorgeous atmosphere and complex characters. Definitely recommend if you like supernatural creatures and morally messy dynamics.

[Melissa]

4.5/5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White. It felt like the perfect blend of Killing Eve and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil—a true enemies-to-lovers story wrapped in a dark, gothic mystery.

From the moment Anneke discovers her father’s murder, the story pulls you into a haunting cat-and-mouse game across Europe. Determined to track down the killer, she builds a team of investigators and follows a trail of inexplicable deaths. But the closer she gets to the mysterious Diavola—the beautiful, blood-stained figure who sends her taunting letters—the more the world begins to unravel.

What starts as a hunt for vengeance slowly becomes something stranger, darker, and far more intimate.

The atmosphere in this book is incredible: lush, eerie, and soaked in gothic tension. The mystery unfolds alongside hints of magic and folklore, and the relationship at the center of the story is dangerous, obsessive, and strangely tender in all the best ways. Kiersten White perfectly balances suspense with emotional depth, and the result is a story that feels both haunting and addictive.

I loved every second of it. If you enjoy dark gothic settings, morally complicated characters, and enemies-to-lovers dynamics that are actually enemies, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

Thanks to the author, their publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[bee ⭑.ᐟ]

this book started off really strong, i loved the setting and the string of unknown murders popping up with strange outcomes. but then it just kept on going and whenever i felt like we’d find any kind of an answer we seemed to diverge and it ended up dragging. i felt the writing to not be as alluring as it was in lucy undying which is why i was interested in this book and wanted to give the author another chance. but i didn’t feel any connection to the characters and the plot really didn’t interest me enough, i think the pacing maybe was at fault and the plot not gripping me as much as i thought it would.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc.

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

I adored Kiersten White’s Dracula retelling Lucy Undying, so when I found out she was writing a story about the daughter of Van Helsing and her obsession with the serial killer who killed her father, I was over the moon. Vampires, forensic science, mutual obsession, and blood-soaked correspondence—that sounds like a supernatural story for the ages, and I absolutely can’t wait to read it! —Rachel Brittain

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading]

If Dracula and Sherlock Holmes wrote a book together, this story would be their literary baby.

Very interesting at times, I really liked the letter writing as we saw time elapse and events occur in a more flowing format. The detective procedural format became a bit dry after a while for me.

Can’t say I loved or hated this one either way. The main characters didn’t even feel that deep or memorable, but the side/supporting cast were incredibly intriguing. Strange how that worked out!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Del Ray/ Random House Worlds/ Inklore for a copy!

[Gie]

2.6/5

The GORGEOUS cover and intriguing premise are what pulled me in immediately.

At first glance, this felt like a supernatural twist on “Catch Me If You Can”or “Finding Eve”. A brilliant detective hunting an elusive, murderous monster with hypnotic powers.

The opening chapter delivered exactly what I hoped for, a chilling, brutal crime scene that hooked me immediately.

Unfortunately, everything after that was a letdown.

My biggest issue is the main character, Anneke. She’s introduced as this clever, determined detective in her thirties, but she behaves like a reckless teenager with no plan. The killer murdered her father, stages suicides through hypnosis, and is terrifyingly powerful; yet Anneke charges after them without once trying to understand or counter that ability. Her “investigation” repeatedly endangers herself and everyone around her. I struggled to believe she was as brilliant as the book kept insisting, especially when teenage Inge consistently acted more mature and intelligent.

Anneke’s constant flip flopping also drives me crazy. One minute she’s hiding Diavola’s letters because they feel private and special, the next she’s handing the latest one to all her colleagues. One chapter she cuts ties with everyone to “protect” them, the next she’s dragging them all back into her dangerous scheme. None of these abrupt changes are explained; they just happen.

The side characters didn’t do it for me as well. Almost every character felt flat and forgettable. The only one with any real layers was Diavola herself, until the big reveal around the 70% mark, anyway. When her full agenda finally came out, I was baffled.

Doesn’t the reveal completely undermine her own plan? Yet she carries on with it anyway? The inconsistency made no sense and pulled me out of the story.

I really wanted to love this book. A hypnotic supernatural serial killer, a determined detective, atmospheric murder cases etc. These are all tropes I usually love. Instead I found it surprisingly boring, dragged down by an unlikable protagonist, forgettable side characters, and shaky execution that the strong premise and beautiful cover couldn’t save.

This one sadly didn’t work for me (though that cover really is stunning).

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Denise Ruttan]

I loved the idea of Van Helsing's daughter becoming a monster hunter and falling in love with the monster she was chasing, but sadly this one was not for me.

Anneke has always been desperate for her controlling, misogynistic father's approval. Towards the end of his life he was obsessed with the supernatural and she thought him mad. She saw a woman at the crime scene of his death whom no one else can see and has spent a decade chasing her and obsessed with her.

Along the way she starts a detective agency dedicated to solving strange deaths. I enjoyed her motley crew and how she used modern scientific principles in forensic investigations. I liked how the book captured the changing attitudes and technologies of the time. She starts to believe in monsters but learns what she's really hunting.

But ultimately I felt the romance was squished out by the interminable cat and mouse game and buried in boring police procedural, my least favorite genre. Diavola sends her teasing, flirtatious letters which I found annoyingly cheesy, and I couldn't understand the monster's instant obsession with her. The romance didn't really develop until 85% but by that time I had stopped caring about those two and their desperate obsession. If the whole book had been like the last 15% I would have given it a higher rating, or if it had skipped the romance entirely.

The end I also found kind of rushed, mostly with the love story. Diavola spends the whole book flirting with her and then when she wants her she pushes her away. I just wanted to slap those two. Ugh, grow up. I really do love sapphic yearning but you have to get the tension just right and this missed the mark on that for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Samantha]

Rating: 4.25 stars

Part mystery, part horror, part supernatural love story, The Fox and the Devil weaves together a story of both revenge and healing. If you were a fan of Lucy Undying, I think you'll like this book too. It uses some similar narrative devices: alternating timelines and parts of the story are shared through letters. It's slow and introspective without being boring. And I was consistently drawn in by Anneke and Diavola's cat and mouse game and their intense cord of connection.

[Hannah⸝*.☘︎ ́˖]

༄˖°.🦊📜.ೃ࿔*:･
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy of The Fox and the Devil in exchange for an honest review!💖

I went into this expecting something far darker and more horrifying than what I got — and I mean that in the best possible way. I loved it. For a story involving vampire hunters, serial killings, blood-soaked letters, and immortal obsession, the horror elements are restrained, purposeful, and atmospheric rather than gratuitous. As someone who’s sensitive to gore and anything scary, I found the balance incredibly effective.

This is a gothic fantasy that prioritizes obsession, grief, intellect, and longing over shock value — and it works beautifully. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

🕵🏼‍♀️˖⌕ ۫ Anneke Van Helsing

Anneke is an immediately compelling protagonist — brilliant, driven, emotionally guarded, and haunted.

Her life fractures in a single moment. She’s on her way to tell her father, Abraham van Helsing, about her acceptance to college — hoping, finally, for his approval — when she finds him murdered, a beautiful woman standing over his body. That chance at acceptance is ripped away from her, creating some kind of idolized version of him in her head that makes the loss sharper, crueler, and deeply personal.

Anneke’s grief manifests as obsession, but not in a way that feels unhinged or romanticized. Her fixation on her father’s killer is methodical, intellectual, and fueled by a need for validation of the truth more than revenge. She is a detective at heart — one who believes in evidence, patterns, science and reason — and watching her try to reconcile logic with the increasingly supernatural reality around her is one of the book’s strongest threads.

She is also refreshingly human: stubborn, arrogant at times, emotionally closed off, and deeply lonely. Her need to understand Diavola is as much about understanding herself as it is about solving a crime.

༘⋆♡⸝⸝💌⊹ Diavola

Diavola is one of the most fascinating immortal figures I’ve read in a long time.

She is terrifying and alluring in equal measure — a suspected serial killer who leaves no physical trace, communicates through conveniently timed letters, and plagues Anneke’s dreams like a living myth. But what makes Diavola SO compelling isn’t just her danger — it’s her restraint.

Her obsession with Anneke is patient, deliberate, and deeply intimate. She doesn’t chase. She waits. She watches. She writes. And through those letters, a strange, unspoken relationship begins to form — one rooted in curiosity, challenge, and recognition rather than immediate desire.

As Anneke uncovers more of Diavola’s past, it becomes increasingly clear that she is far more than a serial killer. She is ancient and cursed, making her existence tragic rather than monstrous. The question slowly shifts from “How do I kill her?” to “Should I?” — and eventually to “Can I?”

The slow burn between them is exquisite and agonizing. This is yearning in its purest form. There was no spice, no physical intimacy, just relentless emotional gravity.

⋆.˚🫂༘⋆🧠 The Found Detective Family

Anneke does not work alone, and her investigative team adds depth and warmth to an otherwise cold pursuit.

Davíd, her former lover, challenges Anneke intellectually and emotionally. Their history is complicated, unfinished, and never overshadows the central story but adds texture to Anneke’s emotional world.

Maher, the photographer, brings both technical skill and moral grounding, helping bridge the gap between art, evidence, and interpretation.

Inge, daughter of Anneke’s mentor Joren, adds a generational contrast — someone still learning the costs of devotion. At first they sheild her from the actual crime scenes, but she ultimately grows into a mind that can rival Anneke's

This group doesn’t just chase a killer; they represent the life Anneke dreams she could have— collaboration, connection, respect, admiration and shared purpose.

｡°🚂༄｡° Setting & Plot

The late-1800s European setting is exceptionally well done. The forensic science, investigative methods, academic ambition, and societal limitations placed on women all feel period-accurate without being suffocating.

The worldbuilding unfolds slowly and deliberately, mirroring Anneke’s understanding of the supernatural. The vampire mythology is layered, restrained, and grounded in folklore rather than spectacle.

One structural choice that didn’t fully land for me was the inclusion of intermittent chapters featuring various individuals at the Paris Exposition Universelle. While some eventually connect to the central conflict, others felt more atmospheric than necessary. I kept expecting these threads to converge more meaningfully, and while a few do, several felt like missed opportunities rather than essential pieces.

✎ᝰ. Final Thoughts

The Fox and the Devil is a slow, cerebral, emotionally rich gothic fantasy that thrives on obsession, restraint, and intellectual intimacy.

It won’t work for readers looking for fast pacing, high spice, or straightforward answers. But for those who love:

morally complex women, sapphic gothic tension, slow-burn immortal romances, letters soaked in blood and longing, detectives chasing monsters who may not deserve to die

this book is absolutely worth the journey.

Tropes / What to Expect
🦊 Gothic Sapphic Fantasy
🩸 Obsessive Cat-and-Mouse Dynamic
📜 Epistolary Elements (letters, puzzles, challenges)
🕯️ Slow-Burn Immortal Romance
🕰️ Historical Setting (late 1800s Europe)
💔 Grief, Obsession & Longing
❌ No Spice (emotional intensity instead)

[Erin]

Word perfect. I suspect that in another author's instance, this would be their magnum opus, but after Hide, Mister Magic, and most obviously comparative, Lucy Undying, we know that that's not the case with Kiersten White.

I lost count of how many plots/novels/stories White switches up in 'The Fox and the Devil'. Like 'Lucy Undying', she continually pulls between expectations and unpredictability.

Transporting in ways I can't begin to articulate.

I'll be happy to say that I'm going to use this as my high-water mark for 2026 novels. (How can I say that after Wolf Worm, you ask? You'll just have to read both and decide!)