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DeLaune Sisters #1
Spoor van het Kwaad
1922, Adamant, Arkansas
Een boer wordt wakker van een geluid. Wanneer hij gaat kijken, vindt hij overal in zijn met sneeuw bedekte tuin afdrukken van gespleten hoeven. Onmiddellijk gaat het gerucht dat door olieboringen een gat naar de hel is ontstaan: de duivel is ontsnapt.
De sporen verdwijnen met het smelten van de sneeuw, maar zeventig jaar later verschijnen ze opnieuw, vlak bij het lichaam van de op gruwelijke wijze vermoorde Rachel DeLaune. Haar zusje, Sarah DeLaune, wordt nog lang na de onopgeloste moord geplaagd door nachtmerries, en haar relatie is stukgelopen op haar angsten en haar geheimen uit het verleden. Ze is er altijd van overtuigd geweest dat een man die Ashe Cain heet haar zus heeft gedood, maar niemand anders dan zij heeft Ashe ooit gezien. Hij dook op uit het niets toen ze heel hard een vriend nodig had en verdween op de avond dat haar zus werd omgebracht.
De verschrikkelijke gebeurtenissen worden opnieuw opgerakeld wanneer twee verminkte lichamen worden gevonden in de buurt van Sarahs huis - en de plaats delict vergeven is van de sporen van gespleten hoeven...
Een boer wordt wakker van een geluid. Wanneer hij gaat kijken, vindt hij overal in zijn met sneeuw bedekte tuin afdrukken van gespleten hoeven. Onmiddellijk gaat het gerucht dat door olieboringen een gat naar de hel is ontstaan: de duivel is ontsnapt.
De sporen verdwijnen met het smelten van de sneeuw, maar zeventig jaar later verschijnen ze opnieuw, vlak bij het lichaam van de op gruwelijke wijze vermoorde Rachel DeLaune. Haar zusje, Sarah DeLaune, wordt nog lang na de onopgeloste moord geplaagd door nachtmerries, en haar relatie is stukgelopen op haar angsten en haar geheimen uit het verleden. Ze is er altijd van overtuigd geweest dat een man die Ashe Cain heet haar zus heeft gedood, maar niemand anders dan zij heeft Ashe ooit gezien. Hij dook op uit het niets toen ze heel hard een vriend nodig had en verdween op de avond dat haar zus werd omgebracht.
De verschrikkelijke gebeurtenissen worden opnieuw opgerakeld wanneer twee verminkte lichamen worden gevonden in de buurt van Sarahs huis - en de plaats delict vergeven is van de sporen van gespleten hoeven...
382 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2008
23 people are currently reading
926 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Stevens
261 books2,229 followersAmanda Stevens is the award-winning author of over fifty novels, including the modern gothic series, The Graveyard Queen. Her books have been described as eerie and atmospheric, “a new take on the classic ghost story.” Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas, where she enjoys binge-watching, bike riding and the occasional Horror Night with friends.
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The Graveyard Queen trailer:
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http://facebook.com/amandastevensbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 1, 2025
Volgens een oude legende was de duivel uit één van de olieboorputten gekomen en had de boerderij van Duncan bezocht. Want er waren sporen van bokkepoten gezien rondom de boerderij.
Zeventig jaar nadien werden deze sporen opnieuw gezien, bij het lijk van de vermoorde zestienjarige Rachel DeLaune. De moord werd nooit opgelost.
Veertien jaar later worden twee verminkte lichamen gevonden in de buurt van het huis van Sarah, Rachels zus. En weer is de plaats delict vergeven van de bokkepoten.
Sarah is de dood van haar zus nooit te boven gekomen. Zij was het die haar zusje vond, en besmeurd met bloed naar huis rende om hulp te halen, die te laat kwam. Sindsdien slaapt Sarah slecht, heeft ze last van nachtmerries en gebruikt ze Xanax, pillen die haar rust zouden moeten brengen.
Op het moment dat het eigenlijke verhaal start, heeft Sarah onlangs gebroken met haar vriend Sean, een politie-agent die het moeilijk vond om met Sarah te leven in haar geestestoestand, en die erop gebrand is alsnog de moord op Rachel op te lossen.
Nu vraagt Sean haar hulp, want Sarah is ondertussen een tatoe-artiste, en de slachtoffers hebben nieuw aangebrachte tattoes die misschien een aanwijzing kunnen zijn naar de dader.
Dit is voor Sarah emotioneel heel moeilijk.
We maken ook nog kennis met andere mensen die een rol spelen/speelden in Sarah's leven: behalve Sean is er nog de dokter Curtis, de zoon van de vroegere huishoudster Esme van de familie DeLaune, Lukas Clay, de zoon van de rechter waarmee Sarah's vader bevriend was, Dr. Michael Garrett, de therapeut van Sarah, de geheimzinnige Ashe, een soort gothic vriend van Sarah toen ze jong was, enz.
Wie is degene die alle moorden heeft gepleegd (want er vallen nog meer doden) en die Sarah voor de moorden wil laten opdraaien? Wie heeft het op haar gemunt, en zal het uiteindelijk zo ver komen dat ook haar leven op het spel staat?
Ik vond dit een heel spannende thriller, die je op het puntje van je stoel laat zitten.
Zeventig jaar nadien werden deze sporen opnieuw gezien, bij het lijk van de vermoorde zestienjarige Rachel DeLaune. De moord werd nooit opgelost.
Veertien jaar later worden twee verminkte lichamen gevonden in de buurt van het huis van Sarah, Rachels zus. En weer is de plaats delict vergeven van de bokkepoten.
Sarah is de dood van haar zus nooit te boven gekomen. Zij was het die haar zusje vond, en besmeurd met bloed naar huis rende om hulp te halen, die te laat kwam. Sindsdien slaapt Sarah slecht, heeft ze last van nachtmerries en gebruikt ze Xanax, pillen die haar rust zouden moeten brengen.
Op het moment dat het eigenlijke verhaal start, heeft Sarah onlangs gebroken met haar vriend Sean, een politie-agent die het moeilijk vond om met Sarah te leven in haar geestestoestand, en die erop gebrand is alsnog de moord op Rachel op te lossen.
Nu vraagt Sean haar hulp, want Sarah is ondertussen een tatoe-artiste, en de slachtoffers hebben nieuw aangebrachte tattoes die misschien een aanwijzing kunnen zijn naar de dader.
Dit is voor Sarah emotioneel heel moeilijk.
We maken ook nog kennis met andere mensen die een rol spelen/speelden in Sarah's leven: behalve Sean is er nog de dokter Curtis, de zoon van de vroegere huishoudster Esme van de familie DeLaune, Lukas Clay, de zoon van de rechter waarmee Sarah's vader bevriend was, Dr. Michael Garrett, de therapeut van Sarah, de geheimzinnige Ashe, een soort gothic vriend van Sarah toen ze jong was, enz.
Wie is degene die alle moorden heeft gepleegd (want er vallen nog meer doden) en die Sarah voor de moorden wil laten opdraaien? Wie heeft het op haar gemunt, en zal het uiteindelijk zo ver komen dat ook haar leven op het spel staat?
Ik vond dit een heel spannende thriller, die je op het puntje van je stoel laat zitten.
April 17, 2013
Super creepy, scary, and thoroughly enjoyable! I loved it!
June 25, 2011
A Sultry and Lyrical Horror
The legend tells a tale of a mysterious and bizarre horror. The year was 1922; the place, a small township in Arkansas. It was a frigid night, a night when snow blanketed the ground in a pristine carpet...a night when a man was jerked out of a sound sleep by what he first thought was a gunshot. When the sound came again, icy fingers of fear raked dissonant shudders down his spine and he realized that the loud, metallic noise actually sounded like a heavy footfall...on his roof. As he rushed from his house in the dead of night to investigate, he hurried out into the snow and was aghast to see footprints...of a sort. Easy to identify, impossible to understand, cloven hoof prints were everywhere. Everywhere. On his roof, across his porch, over his yard, down to the river and on the other side...everywhere he looked were the unmistakable signs of something unholy stalking the earth.
Seventy years later, those marks returned on and around the mutilated body of a sixteen-year-old girl. And this was no legend.
Sarah DeLaune was thirteen years old when she stumbled back to her house, covered in her sister's blood, unable to speak of the horror she'd witnessed. In the fourteen years since that monstrous, tragic night, Sarah had lost so much, including her memories of that night, the ability to sleep without drugs that kept nightmares from decimating her soul, and, she feared, her sanity.
Now making a living as a tattoo artist in New Orleans, she was as skilled as she was damaged, heavily scarred by what she'd seen, whatever it was. Then came the night that her ex-boyfriend, homicide detective Sean Kelton, called to ask her to visit the scene of a grisly crime, one that had so many similarities to her sister's murder that there was little doubt the murderer was one and the same.
With one glimpse of the fresh ink scrawled across the victim's back, Sarah is chilled to the marrow. Something, some tiny something in the hideous desecration that had been a young woman brings back a distant shadow of a long gone memory, a sense of old knowledge that almost shoulders its way back to consciousness. With it comes fear and self doubt, and the horrifying realization that there may be one very good reason the memories of her sister's murder are gone.
~*~
For fans of dark southern mysteries and thrillers, you can't do much better than The Devil's Footprints. Stevens has penned a stylized narrative that sweetly seeps a Gothic lyricism so poised and powerful that it can rip readers from their coziest reading nooks and thrust them into the humid and verdant Old South with such force that the heady scents of night-blooming jasmine and magnolia waft from the pages of their books. The plot is a wretched, twisted, and well laid reflection of family secrets and childhood disappointments, of psychosis and rage; a haunting, haunted epitaph for long-dead and newly-joined ghosts.
Main characters Sarah and Sean are deeply flawed and more human for those flaws. Complex and conflicted, frustrating and sympathetic at turns, they are ultimately believable, if not always likable. Sarah's traumatic childhood is the impetus for the plot, and there is a lot of meat in that backstory, though told with a miserly hand to keep readers guessing. As the book progresses and truths are slowly and carefully revealed, the tension takes a firmer and firmer grip, drawing into question everything from Sarah's obsession with her sister's murder to the deranged wickedness of ancient evil. This is a totally creepy and thrillingly atmospheric story that didn't disappoint in tone, plot, or pacing. There was just so much done right in this book that it's hard to be objective on the points I most favored.
Not everything totally worked for me, though. Every once in awhile I felt the conflict between Sarah and Sean was a bit too contentious, that it boiled over into the investigation and the hunt for a killer and spawned petulant behavior, most noticeably in Sarah's case. I was also bemused by Michael's backstory. It was interesting, but it had no consequence or bearing on the plot, nor was fleshed out enough to add any weight to his character, so it seemed superfluous.
A couple of other secondary characters, Sean's partner in particular, were sadly underused. Danny LeJeune wasn't even a footnote after the first third of the book. I would have preferred he be utilized more and Michael less, because I had some problems with Michael's lack of patient confidentiality during his meeting with Sean. I would have liked to see the book stick a little closer to a police procedural in some places, so Sean was saved from occasionally seeming like an obsessed loner cop with his own agenda who relied on too-convenient psychiatric insight to solve his crime.
None of those minor complaints, however, detracted from the weighty beauty of the prose or the taut thrill of the horror, nor diminished in any way my appreciation for Stevens' writing style. Between this book and The Restorer, I have become a greedy fan intent on catching up on all the books I've missed. Decadent and delicious, they go down easy and strike deeply, and stand apart from the masses, as proud and stately as the moss-draped live oaks that populate the south...and just as imposing in the dark.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
The legend tells a tale of a mysterious and bizarre horror. The year was 1922; the place, a small township in Arkansas. It was a frigid night, a night when snow blanketed the ground in a pristine carpet...a night when a man was jerked out of a sound sleep by what he first thought was a gunshot. When the sound came again, icy fingers of fear raked dissonant shudders down his spine and he realized that the loud, metallic noise actually sounded like a heavy footfall...on his roof. As he rushed from his house in the dead of night to investigate, he hurried out into the snow and was aghast to see footprints...of a sort. Easy to identify, impossible to understand, cloven hoof prints were everywhere. Everywhere. On his roof, across his porch, over his yard, down to the river and on the other side...everywhere he looked were the unmistakable signs of something unholy stalking the earth.
Seventy years later, those marks returned on and around the mutilated body of a sixteen-year-old girl. And this was no legend.
Sarah DeLaune was thirteen years old when she stumbled back to her house, covered in her sister's blood, unable to speak of the horror she'd witnessed. In the fourteen years since that monstrous, tragic night, Sarah had lost so much, including her memories of that night, the ability to sleep without drugs that kept nightmares from decimating her soul, and, she feared, her sanity.
Now making a living as a tattoo artist in New Orleans, she was as skilled as she was damaged, heavily scarred by what she'd seen, whatever it was. Then came the night that her ex-boyfriend, homicide detective Sean Kelton, called to ask her to visit the scene of a grisly crime, one that had so many similarities to her sister's murder that there was little doubt the murderer was one and the same.
With one glimpse of the fresh ink scrawled across the victim's back, Sarah is chilled to the marrow. Something, some tiny something in the hideous desecration that had been a young woman brings back a distant shadow of a long gone memory, a sense of old knowledge that almost shoulders its way back to consciousness. With it comes fear and self doubt, and the horrifying realization that there may be one very good reason the memories of her sister's murder are gone.
~*~
For fans of dark southern mysteries and thrillers, you can't do much better than The Devil's Footprints. Stevens has penned a stylized narrative that sweetly seeps a Gothic lyricism so poised and powerful that it can rip readers from their coziest reading nooks and thrust them into the humid and verdant Old South with such force that the heady scents of night-blooming jasmine and magnolia waft from the pages of their books. The plot is a wretched, twisted, and well laid reflection of family secrets and childhood disappointments, of psychosis and rage; a haunting, haunted epitaph for long-dead and newly-joined ghosts.
Main characters Sarah and Sean are deeply flawed and more human for those flaws. Complex and conflicted, frustrating and sympathetic at turns, they are ultimately believable, if not always likable. Sarah's traumatic childhood is the impetus for the plot, and there is a lot of meat in that backstory, though told with a miserly hand to keep readers guessing. As the book progresses and truths are slowly and carefully revealed, the tension takes a firmer and firmer grip, drawing into question everything from Sarah's obsession with her sister's murder to the deranged wickedness of ancient evil. This is a totally creepy and thrillingly atmospheric story that didn't disappoint in tone, plot, or pacing. There was just so much done right in this book that it's hard to be objective on the points I most favored.
Not everything totally worked for me, though. Every once in awhile I felt the conflict between Sarah and Sean was a bit too contentious, that it boiled over into the investigation and the hunt for a killer and spawned petulant behavior, most noticeably in Sarah's case. I was also bemused by Michael's backstory. It was interesting, but it had no consequence or bearing on the plot, nor was fleshed out enough to add any weight to his character, so it seemed superfluous.
A couple of other secondary characters, Sean's partner in particular, were sadly underused. Danny LeJeune wasn't even a footnote after the first third of the book. I would have preferred he be utilized more and Michael less, because I had some problems with Michael's lack of patient confidentiality during his meeting with Sean. I would have liked to see the book stick a little closer to a police procedural in some places, so Sean was saved from occasionally seeming like an obsessed loner cop with his own agenda who relied on too-convenient psychiatric insight to solve his crime.
None of those minor complaints, however, detracted from the weighty beauty of the prose or the taut thrill of the horror, nor diminished in any way my appreciation for Stevens' writing style. Between this book and The Restorer, I have become a greedy fan intent on catching up on all the books I've missed. Decadent and delicious, they go down easy and strike deeply, and stand apart from the masses, as proud and stately as the moss-draped live oaks that populate the south...and just as imposing in the dark.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
October 5, 2013
I've read this author's other books and loved them, especially the The Restorer series which is soooo goood! So I thought I'd try some of her older books. This is a straightforward mystery thriller with no paranormal at all in it and it's almost right up there with the Graveyard Queen series. At the end of the book, I was wishing for an epilogue just so I could see what happens next to Sarah, with or without Sean.
August 10, 2020
I couldn't stand how Sean would gaslight Sarah and she would fall for it....every time. Glad this wasn't marked as a romance or it would have fared worse in my rating.
September 6, 2022
Al eerder de geweldige serie Het Dodenrijk van deze schrijfster gelezen. En dit boek is ook geweldig! Je weet niet waar het naar toe gaat, is het iets bovennatuurlijk of is het een psychologische thriller.....
Anyway het was zo intrigerend dat ik het gewoon heel snel moest uitlezen. Genoten!
Anyway het was zo intrigerend dat ik het gewoon heel snel moest uitlezen. Genoten!
July 24, 2011
*Rating* 3.5 stars
*Genre* Mystery, Suspense, Psychological
*Review*
The Devil’s Footprints, by Amanda Stevens, begins in 1922 when an oil rig worker in the small town of Adamant, Arkansas discovers cloven footprints in the snow. They disappear soon thereafter but the residents believe that the Devil himself escaped from Hell after the wells were drilled into the earth.
Flash forward seventy years where the body of 16 year old Rachel DeLaune is found and once again, investigators find cloven footprints at the scene of the murder along with her 13 year old sister Sarah covered in her blood.
Sarah is soon shipped off to a boarding school by her overbearing father who just happens to also be a county Judge and who blames Sarah for Rachel’s death. Rachel was his daughter in every way possible and hates the very sight of Sarah because of something her mother did.
For fourteen years, Rachel’s murder has gone unsolved, and her death haunts Sarah. Sarah now lives in New Orleans where she is a tattoo artist trying to make her way in the world. She is broken, but not totally down and out. Her very essence is shattered, and she can’t forget the past no matter how hard she tries including seeing a psychiatrist named Michael who has skeletons of his own to deal with.
Sarah suffers from ongoing nightmares about a boy named Ashe Cain who she believes may have had something to do with Rachel’s death. She pops Xanax like M&M’s to keep her stress and anxiety levels from reaching unbearable levels and has fallen into self-destructive behavior as well as depression especially after being dumped by Sean Kelton without any particular reason.
So, when Kelton, a New Orleans Homicide Detective, walks back into her life and asks for Sarah’s help in identifying tattoos on a dead woman, as well as possible satanic symbols at the scene; Sarah realizes that something looks hauntingly familiar to Rachel’s murder. Additional murders are soon discovered and they are all within a short distance of Sarah’s New Orleans home which leads Sean to believe that Sarah may play an important role in solving these murders if not the reason behind them.
After having been disappointed with the Dollmaker’s ending, I wanted to give Amanda Steven’s work another try. I’m glad I choose this book first. This story mixes psychological thriller with mystery and suspense to give you a story that keeps you on your toes until the very end. My only disappointment was not finding out who Sarah’s real father was, or why her mother basically gave up on life after Sarah was sent to boarding school against her wishes. The answer was hinted at, but never named as truth.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read The Dollmaker or The Graveyard Queen.
*Genre* Mystery, Suspense, Psychological
*Review*
The Devil’s Footprints, by Amanda Stevens, begins in 1922 when an oil rig worker in the small town of Adamant, Arkansas discovers cloven footprints in the snow. They disappear soon thereafter but the residents believe that the Devil himself escaped from Hell after the wells were drilled into the earth.
Flash forward seventy years where the body of 16 year old Rachel DeLaune is found and once again, investigators find cloven footprints at the scene of the murder along with her 13 year old sister Sarah covered in her blood.
Sarah is soon shipped off to a boarding school by her overbearing father who just happens to also be a county Judge and who blames Sarah for Rachel’s death. Rachel was his daughter in every way possible and hates the very sight of Sarah because of something her mother did.
For fourteen years, Rachel’s murder has gone unsolved, and her death haunts Sarah. Sarah now lives in New Orleans where she is a tattoo artist trying to make her way in the world. She is broken, but not totally down and out. Her very essence is shattered, and she can’t forget the past no matter how hard she tries including seeing a psychiatrist named Michael who has skeletons of his own to deal with.
Sarah suffers from ongoing nightmares about a boy named Ashe Cain who she believes may have had something to do with Rachel’s death. She pops Xanax like M&M’s to keep her stress and anxiety levels from reaching unbearable levels and has fallen into self-destructive behavior as well as depression especially after being dumped by Sean Kelton without any particular reason.
So, when Kelton, a New Orleans Homicide Detective, walks back into her life and asks for Sarah’s help in identifying tattoos on a dead woman, as well as possible satanic symbols at the scene; Sarah realizes that something looks hauntingly familiar to Rachel’s murder. Additional murders are soon discovered and they are all within a short distance of Sarah’s New Orleans home which leads Sean to believe that Sarah may play an important role in solving these murders if not the reason behind them.
After having been disappointed with the Dollmaker’s ending, I wanted to give Amanda Steven’s work another try. I’m glad I choose this book first. This story mixes psychological thriller with mystery and suspense to give you a story that keeps you on your toes until the very end. My only disappointment was not finding out who Sarah’s real father was, or why her mother basically gave up on life after Sarah was sent to boarding school against her wishes. The answer was hinted at, but never named as truth.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read The Dollmaker or The Graveyard Queen.
August 19, 2017
Let's request a ten-star feedback scale. I would grade this novel with seven stars. It is superior to “The Dollhouse”, a more sinister, less-engaging horror from 2007. One year later, Amanda Stevens' writing is less repetitious and we befriend this cast. I finished its 377 pages fast, even though it takes a while to clarify the protagonist, Sarah. Books or films about evil are drawbacks for me, even in the background. What I glommed to is a compelling human story about a lady whose Father never cared for her. She is written as sullen but revealed to be caring and very sturdy.
Her bubbly sister didn't have it easy either and their Mom tried to knock sense into the man, who also resented his wife. A happy future is implied, even if we close with the mystery. I appreciate an ending that doesn't culminate in a couple. That shows maturity and healing, which we want for Sarah. She had nightmares for years, wondering what she repressed about her sister's murder. She knew a goth boy committed it, who only appeared to her. When her police officer ex-boyfriend consults her about murders in New Orleans, they are similar.
The tour of Sarah's Arkansas town is as dark as she was supposed to be. I could imagine misery rubbing off on a perplexed child. A weakness I loathe is a character with answers, mumbling “It's best not to know”. People are going to trouble to know. The police should have subpoenaed her to answer. Not least, everyone has the right to know about family. There are suspenseful segments and it was timely that Patricia Cornwell toughened me for crime scene gore. The moody portions are amply rewarded by the hope of answers, as Sarah explores the physical buildings that posed the questions.
Her bubbly sister didn't have it easy either and their Mom tried to knock sense into the man, who also resented his wife. A happy future is implied, even if we close with the mystery. I appreciate an ending that doesn't culminate in a couple. That shows maturity and healing, which we want for Sarah. She had nightmares for years, wondering what she repressed about her sister's murder. She knew a goth boy committed it, who only appeared to her. When her police officer ex-boyfriend consults her about murders in New Orleans, they are similar.
The tour of Sarah's Arkansas town is as dark as she was supposed to be. I could imagine misery rubbing off on a perplexed child. A weakness I loathe is a character with answers, mumbling “It's best not to know”. People are going to trouble to know. The police should have subpoenaed her to answer. Not least, everyone has the right to know about family. There are suspenseful segments and it was timely that Patricia Cornwell toughened me for crime scene gore. The moody portions are amply rewarded by the hope of answers, as Sarah explores the physical buildings that posed the questions.
April 29, 2019
Wow, this was like no other M&B romance I’ve ever read before. If you’re looking for the usual romantic suspense with a happy ending, then this is so not it. For the first time, there is no happy ending, no lovers embracing their HEA. There is just emotional pain, horror, and I suspect a good dose of guilt.
The ex-love interest, Sean, is a pathetic and manipulative asshole. He dumps Sarah, marries his childhood sweetheart four months later, and after three months of marriage he’s moved out and ready to call it quits and is looking to try an rekindle his relationship with a very pissed off Sarah. He uses a freaky murder as an excuse to see her, and this is the match that lights the flame to the story.
The ending was great for any murder suspense story, but completely misses the boat for a M&B romance. However, it looks like this is only the first part in this story, so fingers crossed we get a happier ending next time.
3.5 stars
The ex-love interest, Sean, is a pathetic and manipulative asshole. He dumps Sarah, marries his childhood sweetheart four months later, and after three months of marriage he’s moved out and ready to call it quits and is looking to try an rekindle his relationship with a very pissed off Sarah. He uses a freaky murder as an excuse to see her, and this is the match that lights the flame to the story.
The ending was great for any murder suspense story, but completely misses the boat for a M&B romance. However, it looks like this is only the first part in this story, so fingers crossed we get a happier ending next time.
3.5 stars
September 1, 2019
So much potential.
The story started off great. It was chilling and intriguing and I was flying through the pages. I was really enjoying it. But then the last few chapters came, and it all fell apart. There was so much left unresolved and unexplained. It just felt like the whole ending was just thrown together at the last minute without any regard for the actual story. It just left a huge bleh taste to the whole book.
The story started off great. It was chilling and intriguing and I was flying through the pages. I was really enjoying it. But then the last few chapters came, and it all fell apart. There was so much left unresolved and unexplained. It just felt like the whole ending was just thrown together at the last minute without any regard for the actual story. It just left a huge bleh taste to the whole book.
May 1, 2018
I enjoyed the author's The Restorer and expected something similar here, but it was more PNR than mystery, which is not my preference. I skimmed over the angsty parts and descriptions of memories and feelings (blah).
June 27, 2019
This book is absolutely awesome. I wish someone would turn it into a movie. Amanda has to be one of the most brilliant storytellers. Bravo!!
September 22, 2014
This was a smooth read for me. I quite enjoyed element of not knowing whether or not there was a supernatural force meddling with the events, and in this book you don’t really KNOW until the end. It had a lively cast, slightly predictable twists, grim atmosphere, and a wintry backdrop (although descriptions of winter in that part of the USA still boggle my mind).
Pro:
1. MC – I loved her as a character. She’s cold and intense and wears her armour well.
I found it simple to assume her point of view and get inside her head. She is a critical thinker and doesn’t go easy on herself. She claims she doesn’t know herself well, but I doubt her assessment is correct, as she is able to predict how certain situations might play out, as well as examine and dismiss different possible explanations for certain mysteries, based on her knowledge of herself.
Bonus: She did not fall into stereotypical tough-chick-Anita-Blake angstiness.
2. The chemistry between MC and Love Interest. I could read them arguing all day – the emotional luggage and bitterness was glorious.
3. All of the drama (what fun).
4. Realistic, organic relationships. Nothing felt contrived, every personality bounced off each other in exactly the way I imagine they would in reality.
5. I actually felt dread and a sense of danger in the appropriate moments while reading this. The buildup that’s there to create tension wasn’t boring for a change.
6. Atmosphere. The environment and circumstances surrounding it are well elaborated on, without giving unnecessary, wordy details. The locations felt populated and real, and real-life events were included in the world. You get not only the description of a place, but the feeling of it as well. I suppose there was history as well, but for some reason I didn’t find it as meaty as the present of any given location.
7. Unless you’re reading this to be shocked specifically, the moments where you know what’s about to happen are pretty amusing
Con:
1. Sometimes dialogue read like, “Hey, I’m character so-and-so, allow me to impart this piece of character background/rehash of events/exposition in a very tidy manner.”
Hey, it got the information across, but it also made sure that instead of thinking, “Oh snap, what’s going to happen next”, I thought, “So we’ve arrived at another factoid I must memorize for the duration of this read.”
(One specific example would be a veteran coroner improbably rattling off a definition of a bruise to veteran homicide investigators, another would be one of the said investigators launching into an unprompted and unwanted therapy session for his partner a few paragraphs later so that we could be introduced to the partner’s tragic backstory.)
Took me out of the story a little bit.
2. Every major character has a tragic/semi-tragic backstory. Every. Single. One.
(By major, I mean POV character)
I get that people in general are messed up and that perfectly happy characters don’t present interesting gawking opportunities, but it can get overwhelming at times.
3. I WANTED the guy in chapter one to call his peers sheep SO MUCH (he came sooo close). After the first impression he left, I couldn’t look past his angstiness afterwards, even when he got creepier and creepier. Although the clues to his identity were there, I still felt a bit disappointed by who he was. Out of the four people I suspected, he placed at the number four spot, because I believed the other three possible killers had more of a first-hand personal-relationship-based connection to the other characters, while this guy seemed removed from them in a way.
4. A gripe that I have with serial-killer stories is that the eponymous villain somehow end up being almost omniscient and all-powerful, even though anyone operating within the confines of our reality shouldn’t be capable of pulling off half the crap these uber- monsters do.
5. At one point I thought there were too many shocking revelations crammed in. After the third or fourth secret came out about the MC’s family alone, I just shrugged and started to ignore them. I’d have preferred more exploration of what went on behind closed doors at the killer’s house instead.
Pro:
1. MC – I loved her as a character. She’s cold and intense and wears her armour well.
I found it simple to assume her point of view and get inside her head. She is a critical thinker and doesn’t go easy on herself. She claims she doesn’t know herself well, but I doubt her assessment is correct, as she is able to predict how certain situations might play out, as well as examine and dismiss different possible explanations for certain mysteries, based on her knowledge of herself.
Bonus: She did not fall into stereotypical tough-chick-Anita-Blake angstiness.
2. The chemistry between MC and Love Interest. I could read them arguing all day – the emotional luggage and bitterness was glorious.
3. All of the drama (what fun).
4. Realistic, organic relationships. Nothing felt contrived, every personality bounced off each other in exactly the way I imagine they would in reality.
5. I actually felt dread and a sense of danger in the appropriate moments while reading this. The buildup that’s there to create tension wasn’t boring for a change.
6. Atmosphere. The environment and circumstances surrounding it are well elaborated on, without giving unnecessary, wordy details. The locations felt populated and real, and real-life events were included in the world. You get not only the description of a place, but the feeling of it as well. I suppose there was history as well, but for some reason I didn’t find it as meaty as the present of any given location.
7. Unless you’re reading this to be shocked specifically, the moments where you know what’s about to happen are pretty amusing
Con:
1. Sometimes dialogue read like, “Hey, I’m character so-and-so, allow me to impart this piece of character background/rehash of events/exposition in a very tidy manner.”
Hey, it got the information across, but it also made sure that instead of thinking, “Oh snap, what’s going to happen next”, I thought, “So we’ve arrived at another factoid I must memorize for the duration of this read.”
(One specific example would be a veteran coroner improbably rattling off a definition of a bruise to veteran homicide investigators, another would be one of the said investigators launching into an unprompted and unwanted therapy session for his partner a few paragraphs later so that we could be introduced to the partner’s tragic backstory.)
Took me out of the story a little bit.
2. Every major character has a tragic/semi-tragic backstory. Every. Single. One.
(By major, I mean POV character)
I get that people in general are messed up and that perfectly happy characters don’t present interesting gawking opportunities, but it can get overwhelming at times.
3. I WANTED the guy in chapter one to call his peers sheep SO MUCH (he came sooo close). After the first impression he left, I couldn’t look past his angstiness afterwards, even when he got creepier and creepier. Although the clues to his identity were there, I still felt a bit disappointed by who he was. Out of the four people I suspected, he placed at the number four spot, because I believed the other three possible killers had more of a first-hand personal-relationship-based connection to the other characters, while this guy seemed removed from them in a way.
4. A gripe that I have with serial-killer stories is that the eponymous villain somehow end up being almost omniscient and all-powerful, even though anyone operating within the confines of our reality shouldn’t be capable of pulling off half the crap these uber- monsters do.
5. At one point I thought there were too many shocking revelations crammed in. After the third or fourth secret came out about the MC’s family alone, I just shrugged and started to ignore them. I’d have preferred more exploration of what went on behind closed doors at the killer’s house instead.
May 12, 2013
För 14 år sedan blev Sarahs syster Rachel brutalt mördad. Man hittade djävulens fotspår över hela stället och kroppen var helt tatuerad och uppskuren.
Nu hittas när nästa kropp hittas på ett likadant sätt, blir Sarah återigen indragen. Hennes ex, Sean, vill hela tiden ha Sarah med på utredningen trots de känslor båda har för varandra.
De kommande offren är mördade på precis samma sätt som rachel, men värre är: alla är kopplade till Sarah. Gamla barndomsvänner, ungarna som mobbade henne, folk hon hatat.... Alla mördade.
Och ingen vill tro att Sarah är oskyldig. Som tatuerare med ångestattacker och depressivt beteende verkar hon vara den perfekta mördaren. Hon går i terapi konstant, käkar piller som bara den och kommer sällan ihåg vad hon gjort.
Men Sarah vet att hon inte är mördaren. Mördaren heter Ash Caine. Men ingen har någonsin sett honom. Bara Sarah. Han försvann den kvällen Rachel blev mördad. Men ändå kan Sarah ibland känna hans närvaro. Trots att alla tror att Ash bara är hennes alter ego.
Efter många diskussioner och tilltyglade kroppar bestämmer Sean, sarah och hennes terapeft Michael att bege sig till Sarahs gamla hem, där Rachel mördades. vad som än hände de natten måste Sarah försöka komma ihåg dom minnen hon förträngt.
Även om det betyder att hennes liv aldrig mer kommer vara sig likt.
Djävulens Fotspår kanske inte var den bästa boken inom sin genre men läskighets graden var hög och jag låg sömnlös i många timmar.
Nu hittas när nästa kropp hittas på ett likadant sätt, blir Sarah återigen indragen. Hennes ex, Sean, vill hela tiden ha Sarah med på utredningen trots de känslor båda har för varandra.
De kommande offren är mördade på precis samma sätt som rachel, men värre är: alla är kopplade till Sarah. Gamla barndomsvänner, ungarna som mobbade henne, folk hon hatat.... Alla mördade.
Och ingen vill tro att Sarah är oskyldig. Som tatuerare med ångestattacker och depressivt beteende verkar hon vara den perfekta mördaren. Hon går i terapi konstant, käkar piller som bara den och kommer sällan ihåg vad hon gjort.
Men Sarah vet att hon inte är mördaren. Mördaren heter Ash Caine. Men ingen har någonsin sett honom. Bara Sarah. Han försvann den kvällen Rachel blev mördad. Men ändå kan Sarah ibland känna hans närvaro. Trots att alla tror att Ash bara är hennes alter ego.
Efter många diskussioner och tilltyglade kroppar bestämmer Sean, sarah och hennes terapeft Michael att bege sig till Sarahs gamla hem, där Rachel mördades. vad som än hände de natten måste Sarah försöka komma ihåg dom minnen hon förträngt.
Även om det betyder att hennes liv aldrig mer kommer vara sig likt.
Djävulens Fotspår kanske inte var den bästa boken inom sin genre men läskighets graden var hög och jag låg sömnlös i många timmar.
January 27, 2014
I found The Devils Footprints because it was paired with Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris (Dead of Night: Dancers in the Dark\The Devil's Footprints paperback). Not wanting to spend $ on a short story, and knowing nothing at all about Amanda Stevens, I borrowed it from the library. Harris' story was good, I enjoyed it. I decided to skim through Stevens' story to get a feel for it. Soon I found myself reading instead of skimming. Turns out it’s not really a short story (384 pages) and it’s an engaging tale. Concerned that I had missed too many details while skimming through the first chapters, I returned to the beginning. By this time it was due back at the library so I decided to buy it (audio version) and I am now enjoying it in my preferred format. I may have found a new author – I’m still not very familiar with her other work and my predilection is for the paranormal genre, though I’m not rigid about what form the paranormal takes.
Update: Upon finishing this story I was disappointed to find that the paranormal aspects were dropped toward the end; with the somewhat hurried wrap up basically a straight mystery/crime/psychological thriller. I still give the author kudos for penning a tale that kept me riveted for 85 to 90 percent of the story. Her style is refreshing - I just don't go for the straight non-paranormal genres. If she writes any paranormal genre novels I'll buy them.
Update: Upon finishing this story I was disappointed to find that the paranormal aspects were dropped toward the end; with the somewhat hurried wrap up basically a straight mystery/crime/psychological thriller. I still give the author kudos for penning a tale that kept me riveted for 85 to 90 percent of the story. Her style is refreshing - I just don't go for the straight non-paranormal genres. If she writes any paranormal genre novels I'll buy them.
October 30, 2010
Having read Ms Steven's first book, I fully expected her second novel to be fully entertaining. Upon finishing this book 5 minutes ago, I can say that I was completely blown away! While her first book had one or two minor flaws to it (mostly with pacing), this book is pretty much perfectly done. The characters are compelling, the plotline is tight & flows well from one scene to the next, & I found myself truly wondering 'whodunit'. While one or two of the elements can be guessed at ahead of time, the main surprises are the ones that take you by surprise.
The story surrounds Sarah DeLaune, a young tattoo artist who is struggling to come to terms with her past as a mysterious killer is murdering young women in a manner similar to that of her dead sister. Mingled into the story is the legend of cloven footprints in the snow, footprints that make their reappearance with the new murders, forcing Sarah to try to remember her haunted past.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes! Yes! Yes! Not only would I get the satisfaction of recommending a blossoming author (who I guarantee will become as famous as Patterson, Higgins Clark, or Cornwell), but I'd also get the satisfaction of watching someone tear through a book at the fevered pace with which I went through Stevens's novels.
The story surrounds Sarah DeLaune, a young tattoo artist who is struggling to come to terms with her past as a mysterious killer is murdering young women in a manner similar to that of her dead sister. Mingled into the story is the legend of cloven footprints in the snow, footprints that make their reappearance with the new murders, forcing Sarah to try to remember her haunted past.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes! Yes! Yes! Not only would I get the satisfaction of recommending a blossoming author (who I guarantee will become as famous as Patterson, Higgins Clark, or Cornwell), but I'd also get the satisfaction of watching someone tear through a book at the fevered pace with which I went through Stevens's novels.
January 17, 2009
I'm in two minds about this.
For a start, I bought it for $4 because I wanted something to read. Its a Mills & Boon book but its more of a suspense/thriller than romance. If any romance at all.
The main character Sarah is a character I can relate to almost completely in her emotional aspect; I have the same problems she does mentally and it actually hit a sensitive part of me that taught me some ways to deal with some of the emotional trauma I have.
Aside from that, the plot was predictable, especially when the main antagonistic character was introduced. I was more interested in the dark past of Sarah's dead sister than the murders themselves. Not to mention the relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
Well, at least I got something good from it. More satisfying than other books that cost me at least $20 more.
For a start, I bought it for $4 because I wanted something to read. Its a Mills & Boon book but its more of a suspense/thriller than romance. If any romance at all.
The main character Sarah is a character I can relate to almost completely in her emotional aspect; I have the same problems she does mentally and it actually hit a sensitive part of me that taught me some ways to deal with some of the emotional trauma I have.
Aside from that, the plot was predictable, especially when the main antagonistic character was introduced. I was more interested in the dark past of Sarah's dead sister than the murders themselves. Not to mention the relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
Well, at least I got something good from it. More satisfying than other books that cost me at least $20 more.
January 19, 2012
Well, it seems Amanda Stevens is light on the romance in all her books; I was hoping for a bit more heat than the Graveyard Queen has, but no lack here. However, that's the only complain I have about this book; the suspense and dark atmosphere were simply perfect! It's one of those rare cases where I couldn't guess the killer and there were points were everyone seemed a suspect to me. The plot was fast with many unexpected twists, a beautiful -if dark- description of New Orleans, and the characters, even the secondary ones, were engaging and unique. I'm looking forward to read more of her books.
January 4, 2016
Heerlijk om weer eens een goede thriller te lezen!!! Echt als van ouds een thriller waarbij je helemaal in het verhaal word meegezogen. Wat is er gebeurd, wie heeft het gedaan?! En waarom wilt niemand gewoon vertellen wat ze weten? Wat heeft ze gezien? En wat is er mis met haar vader (die had ik het liefst toch een pak rammel gegeven!!?). Ja, echt een heerlijk boek!!! Gelukkig heb ik er nog een paar van deze schrijfster in huis :)
Want to read
August 17, 2012I grew up devouring tales/lore of things that go bump in the night. The Jersey Devil left marks in the fresh morning snow in an area-witnessed by many, the track path making no logic. Meaning that it went up and down houses-leaving hoof prints on roofs and over walls=no other disturbances in the snow-noted again by many. I think I might try this book out.
May 29, 2017
This book was a mix: it had some creepy parts and it had some maddeningly stereotypical parts. Some of the stereotypical parts worked well, and some didn't. The supernatural aspects frame the story in confusing, frightening, paranoia-inducing level where what's real and what's not have no real dividing line between them.
The main character, Sarah DeLaune is a psychological mess after a vicious childhood: her sister was brutally murdered. The killer was never caught. Sarah suspects it was her friend Ashe Cain. The problem is she's not sure Ashe Cain was even real. One of the noteworthy clues of the murder was the "devil" hoofmarks found around the body as well as other stereotypical occult signs. The appearance of the hoofmarks look similar to the footprints that were found one snowy night in the 1920s.
Years later, Sarah lives in New Orleans. Her ex, Sean Kelton, calls her to the scene of a crime so she can help identify the tattoo on the body. She finds several symbols that remind her of her sister's death. Sarah begins to face more reminders of the murder, and when someone breaks into her house, Sarah takes Sean's suggestion to leave town for a while.
She goes to her home. Her father -- with whom she shares a bitter relationship with -- is dying, and a neighbor has sighted a strange shadow on the roof of the DeLaune home. The new sheriff harbors doubts that the most likely suspect of Rachel DeLaune's death was responsible, and he believes the killer may still be hanging around.
The characterization is pretty thin, though some characters stand out as more likable than others. The ones that are not likable are almost caricatures of evil, jealousy, and malice, and more often than not, they seem more pathetic than frightening. The Satanic Panic of the nineties is still in full force in this fictional small town, and that adds to the atmosphere of paranoia and prejudice that Sarah and other "bad" kids have faced growing up. The ending was satisfying enough, but not mind-blowingly brilliant, and when the story ends, there are still plenty of loose ends that need to be tied up. The biggest disappointment was
The main character, Sarah DeLaune is a psychological mess after a vicious childhood: her sister was brutally murdered. The killer was never caught. Sarah suspects it was her friend Ashe Cain. The problem is she's not sure Ashe Cain was even real. One of the noteworthy clues of the murder was the "devil" hoofmarks found around the body as well as other stereotypical occult signs. The appearance of the hoofmarks look similar to the footprints that were found one snowy night in the 1920s.
Years later, Sarah lives in New Orleans. Her ex, Sean Kelton, calls her to the scene of a crime so she can help identify the tattoo on the body. She finds several symbols that remind her of her sister's death. Sarah begins to face more reminders of the murder, and when someone breaks into her house, Sarah takes Sean's suggestion to leave town for a while.
She goes to her home. Her father -- with whom she shares a bitter relationship with -- is dying, and a neighbor has sighted a strange shadow on the roof of the DeLaune home. The new sheriff harbors doubts that the most likely suspect of Rachel DeLaune's death was responsible, and he believes the killer may still be hanging around.
The characterization is pretty thin, though some characters stand out as more likable than others. The ones that are not likable are almost caricatures of evil, jealousy, and malice, and more often than not, they seem more pathetic than frightening. The Satanic Panic of the nineties is still in full force in this fictional small town, and that adds to the atmosphere of paranoia and prejudice that Sarah and other "bad" kids have faced growing up. The ending was satisfying enough, but not mind-blowingly brilliant, and when the story ends, there are still plenty of loose ends that need to be tied up. The biggest disappointment was
October 3, 2024
I thought the book became more spooky more towards the middle-end of the book, but I felt that there was too much lingering around the point and didn’t get to the scary part. I wish we knew a little more about Luke and what ended up happening with Sarah and Sean because a lot was said about the two but didn’t end up getting no where. I will say it was creepy in parts but some times said unnecessary info lol. But I definitely did start thinking Sarah was actually the killer for a long time! But other than that the book was pretty interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2019
Not bad. The ending was a little lame but it kept my interest. No real clues as to the murderer or the connection till the very end. I had no clue & even if I had made a guess I would have been wrong.
November 29, 2019
I would have to say after reading the Graveyard Queen Series I was disappointed. The book started out with a strong story line, but went completely left towards the end. I am not sure how the prologue even tied into the book.
September 23, 2017
A dark book.
No romance, not an ounce.
A super suspenseful read that leaves you guessing until the end.
No romance, not an ounce.
A super suspenseful read that leaves you guessing until the end.
February 15, 2018
A solid 3.5 stars
April 28, 2019
I have no words to explain how awesome this book is! Great suspense, so many twists and turns, another really really good book from a great author.
October 3, 2019
Just superb
October 30, 2021
A very, intriguing good read!
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