The Devil Himself: A Novel

by Peter Farris

Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2022

About the author

Called a “serious new talent” by Barnes & Noble, Peter Farris is the award-winning author of Last Call for the Living, The Clay Eaters and The Devil Himself. Published in France to critical acclaim, The Devil Himself won Le Prix 813, Best Foreign Novel at the Beaune International Film Festival, Le Prix Totem Des Jeunes Libraires, was an official selection for the prestigious Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and named a finalist for Le Prix SNCF du Polar. Among other accolades the novel received starred reviews in Rolling Stone, Hebdo and Le Parisien, and was picked one of the best mysteries of the year by ELLE and L'OBS Magazine. Also published in France by Éditions Gallmeister, The Clay Eaters was praised in Le Monde, debuted on the Palmarès Livres Hebdo des libraires Bestseller List, selected a Bookseller Best of the Year by Palmarès Livres Hebdo, was shortlisted for le prix Libr'à Nous 2020 and was a finalist for the 2021 Le Prix Lire En Poche. In 2022, Arcade Crimewise published The Devil Himself in English worldwide and the novel saw an Italian translation courtesy Milan-based publisher NN Editore. The French translation of a new novel The Bone Omen ("Le Presage") was released this year by Éditions Gallmeister and named an Official Selection for the 2024 Prix Libr’à Nous. Peter lives with his family in Georgia.

Reviews

[MM Suarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Maya couldn’t give a textbook definition of a sociopath, but she understood that they got ahead in life more often than most, and they had the darkest, deepest secrets to bear."

I found Peter Farris when I read his novel Last Call for the living which was excellent, and this one was not any different. Maya is a very unlucky young woman who lead a hard life to far, sold into prostitution at an early age, she is working for a dangerous man who is involved in a side hustle with a Mexican Cartel.
One of Maya's clients, a very important man falls for her hard, and apparently has a bad case of loose lips. Maya hears some stuff that she shouldn't which has placed her in in grave danger. Narrowly escaping death by out running the goons sent to kill her, she runs right into the path of Leonard Moye, a reluctant hero who is also the town crazy. Needless to say the bad guys won't stop until they kill Maya and anyone else who's in the way, but Leonard has other ideas. If you love Southern Noir check this one out!

[Jane Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

I loved this book sweet redemption and peace from the ashes. A must read full of pain and suffering but also the rainbow.