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Six Stories #6
Demon
Scott King’s podcast investigates the 1995 cold case of a demon possession in a rural Yorkshire village, where a 12-year-old boy was murdered in cold blood by two children. Book six in the chilling, award-winning Six Stories series.
In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world. Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.
Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark and fanciful stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.
And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, King himself becomes a target, with dreadful secrets from his own past dredged up and threats escalating to a terrifying level. It becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun…
In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world. Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.
Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark and fanciful stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.
And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, King himself becomes a target, with dreadful secrets from his own past dredged up and threats escalating to a terrifying level. It becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun…
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2021
64 people are currently reading
1479 people want to read
About the author
Matt Wesolowski
24 books674 followersMatt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care.
'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2016 with follow-up ‘Hydra’ published in the winter of 2017, 'Changeling' in 2018, 'Beast' in 2019 and 'Deity in 2020
‘Six Stories’ has been optioned by a major Hollywood studio; ‘Changeling’ was longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, 2019 Amazon Publishing Readers’ Award for Best Thriller and Best Independent Voice.
'Beast' won the Amazon Publishing Readers' Award for Best Independent Voice in 2020
Matt is represented by Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq
Film/TV Rights - Luke Speed at Curtis Brown
'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2016 with follow-up ‘Hydra’ published in the winter of 2017, 'Changeling' in 2018, 'Beast' in 2019 and 'Deity in 2020
‘Six Stories’ has been optioned by a major Hollywood studio; ‘Changeling’ was longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, 2019 Amazon Publishing Readers’ Award for Best Thriller and Best Independent Voice.
'Beast' won the Amazon Publishing Readers' Award for Best Independent Voice in 2020
Matt is represented by Sandra Sawicka at Marjacq
Film/TV Rights - Luke Speed at Curtis Brown
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
October 25, 2022
It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to one of the best book series I have ever read. 😢
Demon, brings us back to 1995, to the village of Ussalthwaite, where two twelve year old boys, Robbie Hooper and Danny Greenwell, were accused and convicted of murdering a classmate, a 12 year old disabled boy named Sidney Parsons.
"It’s about now that I need to warn you that where we’re going is a dark place, a place of cruelty and violence. If this isn’t for you, I suggest you stop here. Turn back, return to a place of light."
Scott King is back with his podcast where he interviews six people that knew the perpetrators or the victim and all try to shed light on why the two did something so horrible. Whispers of witchcraft have haunted this small village for decades and some believe that this witchcraft has unleashed something beyond this world. Something unexplainable. Labeled the demonic duo, many believe that they were possessed by a demon. Did the devil make them do it? You'll have to read this to find out!
Six books, six stories and I, for one, would love six more. Ten more. Just give me MORE!!!! I can't believe that this will be it. That this will be the last time I spend with Scott King investigating all the dark and hidden corners of a persons mind. This is such an astounding accomplishment. Each book was as great as the next. Chills and thrills are guaranteed whenever you pick up one of these books. The entire series gets my highest recommendation!
Even the exquisite covers should be applauded. If you like things that go bump in the night then you need this series in your life....if you dare....😈
Demon, brings us back to 1995, to the village of Ussalthwaite, where two twelve year old boys, Robbie Hooper and Danny Greenwell, were accused and convicted of murdering a classmate, a 12 year old disabled boy named Sidney Parsons.
"It’s about now that I need to warn you that where we’re going is a dark place, a place of cruelty and violence. If this isn’t for you, I suggest you stop here. Turn back, return to a place of light."
Scott King is back with his podcast where he interviews six people that knew the perpetrators or the victim and all try to shed light on why the two did something so horrible. Whispers of witchcraft have haunted this small village for decades and some believe that this witchcraft has unleashed something beyond this world. Something unexplainable. Labeled the demonic duo, many believe that they were possessed by a demon. Did the devil make them do it? You'll have to read this to find out!
Six books, six stories and I, for one, would love six more. Ten more. Just give me MORE!!!! I can't believe that this will be it. That this will be the last time I spend with Scott King investigating all the dark and hidden corners of a persons mind. This is such an astounding accomplishment. Each book was as great as the next. Chills and thrills are guaranteed whenever you pick up one of these books. The entire series gets my highest recommendation!
Even the exquisite covers should be applauded. If you like things that go bump in the night then you need this series in your life....if you dare....😈
December 26, 2021
I received an uncorrected proof copy of Demon in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Matt Wesolowski and Orenda Books.
Demon is the sixth book in Wesolowski's Six Stories series and in this entry, enigmatic journalist Scott King interviews six witnesses of a horrendous crime that occurred 26 years ago at the quaint village of Ussalthwaite. On his podcast, the crime that the interviewer is looking back at is the ferocious murder of a 12-year-old child with learning difficulties who was killed by 2 other children of the same age. The "demonic duo" were released in 2002 with anonymity and new identities. Present-day, a member of the public claims to have discovered the identity of one or both of the murderers and is bargaining to sell the information to the highest bidder. Opinions and interest in this famous case have become intense, and now Scott King is raking over the grave of this old crime. Will the majority of the public believe in the rehabilitation of the pair or that retribution for the heinous crime is deserved? What will King unearth during his exchanges with these 6 individuals? Is it of importance that Ussalthwaite (a fictional town in Yorkshire) has a history that is shrouded in mystery including witches and the supernatural? Also intriguing, what are King's motives for talking about this case now?
All in all, I found Demon to be a gripping, engaging, and thought-provoking horror/mystery tale that is presented in an intriguing and addictive way. It's mostly written in the form of an interview with well-timed, informative, and realistic back-and-forths between interviewer and interviewees. The book has breaks that feature letters, e-mails, and social media updates which adds depth and consequence to unfolding events. My uncorrected proof copy was 225-pages long, with each episode being about a sixth of that length, making it perfect to read one chapter per evening and therefore devouring this short but packed novel within a week. Each episode adds layers and new angles to what we understand about the case so far. It's interesting to discover each guest's role in the story, and also what their motives are, and whether they have any demons themselves. Demon is dark, sometimes gruesome, occasionally featuring torturous happenings and Wesolowski himself warns readers that distress may be caused to some as there is fictional violence to children and animals.
I haven't read any of the other Six Stories books prior to reading this one and can confirm that it works perfectly as a standalone. I am sure I would have had a heightened reading experience if I had read the previous series entries but even without the back story about Scott King or how this links into the overarching Six Stories world, I'm still rating this an extremely positive 8.5/10. At some moments, King does allude to his dark past and events that have happened to him before, and I wasn't upset that I didn't understand the references, in fact, it intrigued me to the extent where I'll probably go back and work my way through the series.
Reading Demon was a captivating and rewarding experience especially as I'm sure I had my amateur sleuth hat on throughout my time reading, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together myself before King or a guest reveal something of importance. The novel doesn't wrap up neatly, leaving a lot to the reader's interpretation. What influence, if any, was down to the supernatural is something I was thinking about throughout but I won't mention how that sits at the conclusion. It isn't disappointing that it doesn't end neat and tidy but it means that you'll probably be thinking about this story and the possibilities long after finishing it. I can't get some of the characters and events out of my head. I was thoroughly impressed with Wesolowski's format, writing, and the complexity of this dark tale.
Demon is the sixth book in Wesolowski's Six Stories series and in this entry, enigmatic journalist Scott King interviews six witnesses of a horrendous crime that occurred 26 years ago at the quaint village of Ussalthwaite. On his podcast, the crime that the interviewer is looking back at is the ferocious murder of a 12-year-old child with learning difficulties who was killed by 2 other children of the same age. The "demonic duo" were released in 2002 with anonymity and new identities. Present-day, a member of the public claims to have discovered the identity of one or both of the murderers and is bargaining to sell the information to the highest bidder. Opinions and interest in this famous case have become intense, and now Scott King is raking over the grave of this old crime. Will the majority of the public believe in the rehabilitation of the pair or that retribution for the heinous crime is deserved? What will King unearth during his exchanges with these 6 individuals? Is it of importance that Ussalthwaite (a fictional town in Yorkshire) has a history that is shrouded in mystery including witches and the supernatural? Also intriguing, what are King's motives for talking about this case now?
All in all, I found Demon to be a gripping, engaging, and thought-provoking horror/mystery tale that is presented in an intriguing and addictive way. It's mostly written in the form of an interview with well-timed, informative, and realistic back-and-forths between interviewer and interviewees. The book has breaks that feature letters, e-mails, and social media updates which adds depth and consequence to unfolding events. My uncorrected proof copy was 225-pages long, with each episode being about a sixth of that length, making it perfect to read one chapter per evening and therefore devouring this short but packed novel within a week. Each episode adds layers and new angles to what we understand about the case so far. It's interesting to discover each guest's role in the story, and also what their motives are, and whether they have any demons themselves. Demon is dark, sometimes gruesome, occasionally featuring torturous happenings and Wesolowski himself warns readers that distress may be caused to some as there is fictional violence to children and animals.
I haven't read any of the other Six Stories books prior to reading this one and can confirm that it works perfectly as a standalone. I am sure I would have had a heightened reading experience if I had read the previous series entries but even without the back story about Scott King or how this links into the overarching Six Stories world, I'm still rating this an extremely positive 8.5/10. At some moments, King does allude to his dark past and events that have happened to him before, and I wasn't upset that I didn't understand the references, in fact, it intrigued me to the extent where I'll probably go back and work my way through the series.
Reading Demon was a captivating and rewarding experience especially as I'm sure I had my amateur sleuth hat on throughout my time reading, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together myself before King or a guest reveal something of importance. The novel doesn't wrap up neatly, leaving a lot to the reader's interpretation. What influence, if any, was down to the supernatural is something I was thinking about throughout but I won't mention how that sits at the conclusion. It isn't disappointing that it doesn't end neat and tidy but it means that you'll probably be thinking about this story and the possibilities long after finishing it. I can't get some of the characters and events out of my head. I was thoroughly impressed with Wesolowski's format, writing, and the complexity of this dark tale.
July 20, 2022
4.5
What you send forth comes back to thee. Follow this in mind and heart.
It is a case that shocked the world.
In 1995 a twelve year old boy was beaten to death by two of his classmates. The child murderers which were later dubbed the 'Demonic Duo', were arrested and imprisoned and in 2002 after being rehabilitated, were released with new anonymous identities.
No one knows who they are or where they live.
They may be your next door neigbour; they may be the postman.
Morality is a murky place, a boggy swamp, and all of us stand somewhere in it.
Some say the duo were possessed by a demon. Some say they were cursed by a witch. One thing is for sure that in the weeks leading to the murder, some strange and inexplicable incidents took place in the village.
You can’t stop badness; you can’t stop the devil being the devil, can you?
What was the motive for the unspeakable act? What drove those two children to commit such a terrible crime?
Can evil be fixed?
Can it be rehabilitated?
Welcome to the Six Stories, where we look back at a crime, we rake over old graves, we speak to six different people with six different perspectives and look through six pairs of eyes in order to find answers to those unresolved questions.
What you send forth comes back to thee. Follow this in mind and heart.
It is a case that shocked the world.
In 1995 a twelve year old boy was beaten to death by two of his classmates. The child murderers which were later dubbed the 'Demonic Duo', were arrested and imprisoned and in 2002 after being rehabilitated, were released with new anonymous identities.
No one knows who they are or where they live.
They may be your next door neigbour; they may be the postman.
Morality is a murky place, a boggy swamp, and all of us stand somewhere in it.
Some say the duo were possessed by a demon. Some say they were cursed by a witch. One thing is for sure that in the weeks leading to the murder, some strange and inexplicable incidents took place in the village.
You can’t stop badness; you can’t stop the devil being the devil, can you?
What was the motive for the unspeakable act? What drove those two children to commit such a terrible crime?
Can evil be fixed?
Can it be rehabilitated?
Welcome to the Six Stories, where we look back at a crime, we rake over old graves, we speak to six different people with six different perspectives and look through six pairs of eyes in order to find answers to those unresolved questions.
August 5, 2022
The village of Ussalthwaite itself had a brief flirtation with ironstone mining in the mid-1800s, before the rock went dry. The industry finally left in the 1920s. Just a spatter of the mining cottages remain. There are remnants scattered in and around Ussalthwaite from its industrial past; the shadows of trams and railways wind past ruined chimneys and monolithic slag piles. Hay meadows now encroach on the remains of pump houses, and the metal grates that seal the ancient pits are grown over.
This land is good at forgetting.
Its people? They wish they were.
I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW GOOD THIS WAS!
What I totally can believe, though, is Wesolowski making it into my top 5 authors of all times.
I know it's basically just a little spit in the vast ocean that is fandom life, but seriously, I've never devoured or waited for a book to come out in my life like I do MW's.
Atmospheric, gothic, dark and twisty, Demon is another perfect work by one of the most talented storytellers of our generation.
Skipping the summary on this one because one of the best things about these books is that they're like small personal gifts you have to unwrap little by little and in the privacy of your own mind.
I still have a few questions but I admit I always do after finishing a book from this series. I think it's not the author being lazy or evasive, though. I think the fact that it's "inconclusive" has the purpose to make you think and make you draw your own conclusions. I, in fact, have some theories about certain things that happen and I like to think I'm right, and knowing the explanation would probably not be the same as the one I'm thinking, would definitely lower the quality of my experience.
So...Yeah, this is one of those rare occasions in which doubts and questions are a bonus.
All the kudos, Mr W! See you soon, maybe? probably? definitely? pretty please?????
ACTUAL RATINGS 4,5/5
----
I totally agree with what many other reviewers and Blair in particular said: it's not winter without a new Six Stories book coming out!
(check out Blair's review to get an idea of why I'm so pumped for this book!)
September 25, 2025
Reread December 2022, December 2023, September 2025. Original review (November 2021): I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it isn’t winter without a new Six Stories book to get my teeth into. Like its predecessor Deity, Demon deviates slightly from the established formula: rather than a deprived or run-down area, it’s set in a picture-perfect Yorkshire village. Yet this place, Ussalthwaite, has a chequered history, and some believe it to be cursed.
The crime Scott King chooses to reinvestigate is notorious: the murder of a 12-year-old boy by two classmates back in 1995. With the killers now released (under new identities), the story still stokes debate and controversy. Talking to locals and people close to those involved, King paints a more detailed picture of the victim, discovers tragedy in the past of both perpetrators, and considers questions around punishment and rehabilitation. But this small community is deeply superstitious: there’s much talk of witches as well as rumours of demonic possession.
While every book in this series contains suggestions of horror, I feel pretty sure Demon goes the hardest on that front (especially the climactic scenes of episode 3... shudder). At the same time, it also delves the deepest into the ethics of true crime – again, a thread that runs through the whole series, but never more prominent than it is here. Just as Changeling turned out to be about coercive control, or Deity about the corruptive nature of power, Demon explores the problem of what people do, think and say in response to a tragedy such as the Ussalthwaite murder.
King struggles with this issue, and the book isn’t necessarily looking to establish a definitive answer. This ambiguous conclusion hints at Demon being the final Six Stories case, at least for now. This being the sixth book, it would, after all, be quite neat. I’d be sad – I’ll be rereading these books forever, and if there were 150 more of them I’d happily spend a year reading nothing else – but Matt Wesolowski probably doesn’t want to write 150 of them, and I’m excited to read whatever he writes next regardless.
(In case you’re not familiar with Six Stories: last year I wrote a review of Deity for Sublime Horror that also acts as an overview of/intro to the whole series.)
The crime Scott King chooses to reinvestigate is notorious: the murder of a 12-year-old boy by two classmates back in 1995. With the killers now released (under new identities), the story still stokes debate and controversy. Talking to locals and people close to those involved, King paints a more detailed picture of the victim, discovers tragedy in the past of both perpetrators, and considers questions around punishment and rehabilitation. But this small community is deeply superstitious: there’s much talk of witches as well as rumours of demonic possession.
While every book in this series contains suggestions of horror, I feel pretty sure Demon goes the hardest on that front (especially the climactic scenes of episode 3... shudder). At the same time, it also delves the deepest into the ethics of true crime – again, a thread that runs through the whole series, but never more prominent than it is here. Just as Changeling turned out to be about coercive control, or Deity about the corruptive nature of power, Demon explores the problem of what people do, think and say in response to a tragedy such as the Ussalthwaite murder.
King struggles with this issue, and the book isn’t necessarily looking to establish a definitive answer. This ambiguous conclusion hints at Demon being the final Six Stories case, at least for now. This being the sixth book, it would, after all, be quite neat. I’d be sad – I’ll be rereading these books forever, and if there were 150 more of them I’d happily spend a year reading nothing else – but Matt Wesolowski probably doesn’t want to write 150 of them, and I’m excited to read whatever he writes next regardless.
(In case you’re not familiar with Six Stories: last year I wrote a review of Deity for Sublime Horror that also acts as an overview of/intro to the whole series.)
April 9, 2022
There are more twists, turns, creepy, emotional, sad, scary things about this book than you can imagine...checking all your boxes if you are a fan of horror and crime, and physiological thrillers. The story the author weaves is addictive and cleverly joined together by the end of the book. His skill at doing this is nothing short of phenomenal. There's a positive message in this book. It's asking people to check facts. To take a step back and think, before commenting on a situation they don't fully know about, no matter how tragic. We are all sometimes too quick to judge. With social media the way it is it's a platform to allow people to take the role of judge, jury and executioner. It's way too easy to join in and hate, We can all sometimes use a little more kindness and understanding. The book asks us to think about all the possibilities and angles before hitting that "Send" button. You will likely find yourself pondering the whole nature versus nurture debate, and who wouldn't? The author has made sure that this story is far from that simple.
June 28, 2025
Well, here we are. The final installment of the Six Stories series.
In these episodes, King is raking over the grave of a 12 year-old boy named Sidney who was senselessly murdered by two classmates. Both of the boys were convicted and sent to a youth rehab rehabilitation center and released anonymously when they were 18. In the same town 26 years later, a man has committed suicide, which has struck the interest of podcaster Scott King. We hear six different stories from six different people to try and paint a picture of why Sidney was murdered and if it’s connected to the current suicide. As always, we get a sprinkle of local folklore, in this case it involves a witch and the possibility of demonic possession.
As always, it did not disappoint and I’m very sad it’s the last one in the series ☹️. All of the books were very original and I loved reading every episode, some a little bit more than others, but they all were good.
Hopefully our podcaster and author are just taking a small break and will come back soon with another installment. 🤞🤗
In these episodes, King is raking over the grave of a 12 year-old boy named Sidney who was senselessly murdered by two classmates. Both of the boys were convicted and sent to a youth rehab rehabilitation center and released anonymously when they were 18. In the same town 26 years later, a man has committed suicide, which has struck the interest of podcaster Scott King. We hear six different stories from six different people to try and paint a picture of why Sidney was murdered and if it’s connected to the current suicide. As always, we get a sprinkle of local folklore, in this case it involves a witch and the possibility of demonic possession.
As always, it did not disappoint and I’m very sad it’s the last one in the series ☹️. All of the books were very original and I loved reading every episode, some a little bit more than others, but they all were good.
Hopefully our podcaster and author are just taking a small break and will come back soon with another installment. 🤞🤗
January 12, 2022
Another "season" of Six Stories with Scott King and as ever it was excellent. I really could read one of these every week and never be bored.
Demon is darkly insightful and thought provoking whilst also being quietly terrifying, playing with concepts both real and imagined that may end up haunting your dreams.
The writing is sublime, the sense of the characters you only ever meet in passing is emotionally resonant and the central theme will get you thinking endlessly about crime, punishment and the meaning of the term justice.
Plenty of time to ponder all that while you are peering out from under your duvet wondering what might lurk in the darkness...
Highly Recommended.
Demon is darkly insightful and thought provoking whilst also being quietly terrifying, playing with concepts both real and imagined that may end up haunting your dreams.
The writing is sublime, the sense of the characters you only ever meet in passing is emotionally resonant and the central theme will get you thinking endlessly about crime, punishment and the meaning of the term justice.
Plenty of time to ponder all that while you are peering out from under your duvet wondering what might lurk in the darkness...
Highly Recommended.
July 31, 2022
Najlepsza w serii.
October 25, 2022
This might be one of the most consistently enjoyable series I’ve read. Every single book has delivered.
We want rhyme and reason, we want cause and effect, we want to be able to have strong opinions about simple things. But none of this is simple.
We want rhyme and reason, we want cause and effect, we want to be able to have strong opinions about simple things. But none of this is simple.
November 20, 2023
This is another good installment in the series. Many years ago, two school boys killed a mentally handicapped class mate. They have served their time and have secret new identities. Now one of them is being threatened with exposure. Scott King returns to the village where it all happened to try to understand more. Is there something evil lurking in the caves outside the village?
May 3, 2022
5 star review coming to Kendall Reviews!
January 8, 2022
You can read my full review on my blog, here: https://rebekahreads.ca/demon-by-matt...
You can find my bookstagram review, here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYdG73aLdB2/
huge thank you goes to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for putting together the blog tour for Demon by Matt Wesolowski, as well as to Orenda Books and Matt Wesolowski for the gifted digital copy, which publishes in June 2022 in Canada.
To put it simply, I LOVE this book and I cannot wait to go back to the beginning of this series and read every other book (which I’m slowly acquiring!). This is such a unique and well-crafted horror series that deserves to be both read and raved about.
Demon is the sixth and latest book the Six Stories series written by Matt Wesolowski, featuring journalist Scott King as he interviews six different witnesses of a cold case on his true-crime podcast, Six Stories. In this book, the focus is on what really happened to Sydney Parsons in 1995.
26 years ago, in the quaint, picturesque village of Ussalthwaite, Yorkshire (fictional location), twelve-year-old Sydney Parsons was heinously murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this crime, and the boys who killed him, known as the ‘Demonic Duo,’ were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were each given new identities and lifetime anonymity.
Demon, and the discussion that unfolds surrounding Sydney Parsons’ death, is divided into six episodes, predominantly written in interview format consisting of realistic back-and-forths between the interviewer, Scott King, and his interviewees: Penny Myers, Leo Corrin, Will Campbell, Terry Atkinson, Katie Rosen, and Kelly Valentine—who each provide a unique theory to what really happened leading up to Sydney Parson’s death. In between each episode, the reader will also find sections that feature letters and e-mails that add an extra layer of depth and tension to the overall story.
Once again, I love this book. Every single thing about it. Each character is unique in their own story, age, characteristics, and even in their connection to Sydney’s death. They all have their own distinct voice and manner of explaining events that make the entire story feel so real and believable.
Demon is engaging and thought-provoking, but also a short read that readers will find absolutely impossible to put down! A definite must-read for all crime fiction lovers, especially if you love your crime reads with elements of horror.
You can find my bookstagram review, here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYdG73aLdB2/
huge thank you goes to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for putting together the blog tour for Demon by Matt Wesolowski, as well as to Orenda Books and Matt Wesolowski for the gifted digital copy, which publishes in June 2022 in Canada.
To put it simply, I LOVE this book and I cannot wait to go back to the beginning of this series and read every other book (which I’m slowly acquiring!). This is such a unique and well-crafted horror series that deserves to be both read and raved about.
Demon is the sixth and latest book the Six Stories series written by Matt Wesolowski, featuring journalist Scott King as he interviews six different witnesses of a cold case on his true-crime podcast, Six Stories. In this book, the focus is on what really happened to Sydney Parsons in 1995.
26 years ago, in the quaint, picturesque village of Ussalthwaite, Yorkshire (fictional location), twelve-year-old Sydney Parsons was heinously murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this crime, and the boys who killed him, known as the ‘Demonic Duo,’ were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were each given new identities and lifetime anonymity.
Demon, and the discussion that unfolds surrounding Sydney Parsons’ death, is divided into six episodes, predominantly written in interview format consisting of realistic back-and-forths between the interviewer, Scott King, and his interviewees: Penny Myers, Leo Corrin, Will Campbell, Terry Atkinson, Katie Rosen, and Kelly Valentine—who each provide a unique theory to what really happened leading up to Sydney Parson’s death. In between each episode, the reader will also find sections that feature letters and e-mails that add an extra layer of depth and tension to the overall story.
Once again, I love this book. Every single thing about it. Each character is unique in their own story, age, characteristics, and even in their connection to Sydney’s death. They all have their own distinct voice and manner of explaining events that make the entire story feel so real and believable.
Demon is engaging and thought-provoking, but also a short read that readers will find absolutely impossible to put down! A definite must-read for all crime fiction lovers, especially if you love your crime reads with elements of horror.
January 7, 2022
Another excellent installment in the Six Stories series. It's a mystery/crime story told in the style of a true crime podcast.
Each book shares similar themes and so if you've liked any of the books in the series then this will be a winner!
If you don't know the series then I would recommend for fans of mystery / crime / psychological drama / true crime (even though it's fictional it feels very real)... oh and start at the beginning!
Each book shares similar themes and so if you've liked any of the books in the series then this will be a winner!
If you don't know the series then I would recommend for fans of mystery / crime / psychological drama / true crime (even though it's fictional it feels very real)... oh and start at the beginning!
October 17, 2022
I have so many feelings as I finish this series.
Maybe I'll come back to review it. For now I need to ruminate on those feelings.
Maybe I'll come back to review it. For now I need to ruminate on those feelings.
January 28, 2022
Demon's a book in the Six Stories series. Of course it’s great. Need I say more?
Well, I probably should for the benefit of those of you who haven’t (yet) read the series. Six Stories follows investigative journalist Scott King, who hosts a true crime podcast named – yep, you guessed it – Six Stories. Each six part series of the podcast focuses on a different case and in each episode, Scott interviews a different person connected to it, allowing it to be seen from six unique perspectives.
Each book in the Six Stories series reads like the transcript of a podcast, with supplementary material, such as letters and news articles, thrown in. It’s an unusual narrative style, but it works so well. I listen to a lot of podcasts, so whenever I’m reading the latest book in the series, Scott is usually voiced in my head by whatever podcaster I’ve been listening to the most at that particular time. For Demon, Scott was voiced by Danny Robins of BBC4’s Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist podcasts. Consequently, reading the Six Stories series feels like listening to an actual podcast and it’s this sense of realism that hooks and reels me in.
I’ll move away from the narrative style and discuss the actual story that Demon tells. In Demon, Scott delves into the tragic case of Sidney Parsons, a twelve year old boy who was murdered by two other boys of the same age in 1995. As with all books in the Six Stories series, there’s a supernatural undercurrent running throughout Demon, with ‘demon’ stones, curses and demonic possession. The horror element is subtle, though. The supposedly paranormal happenings recounted by Scott’s interviewees aren’t in-your-face scary. Instead, the tales of footsteps on walls and unexplained voices are quietly unnerving. Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but I always find horror of the unnerving variety far more terrifying. Unnerving gets under your skin in a way that a big, brash scare doesn’t. A big, brash scare – be it a zombie bursting through a boarded up window or a possessed person suddenly spewing pea soup around the room – lasts as long as it takes for your heart rate to return to normal. Something unnerving gets under your skin and stays with you, bleeding into your psyche and rising to the forefront of your consciousness when you’re home alone or staring into the darkness of your bedroom on a sleepless night. The next time I’m home alone at night, my only company the faint hum of the Playstation and the occasional squeak of my rats, my ears will be straining to pick up footsteps skittering across the neighbours’ side of our shared wall or otherworldly singing drifting along the hallway.
Another great thing about the horror element being subtle is that it doesn’t detract from what is a dark, tragic and heartbreaking story. The fictional case of Sidney Parsons mirrors real life cases such as that of two year old James Bulger, who was murdered by two ten year old boys in 1993. If Wesolowski had written a story in which a demon had committed murder using two children as its tools, it would have trivialised the real life cases that he obviously drew inspiration from. People don’t have to be possessed by an otherworldly entity to do bad things; sometimes they do bad things just because there’s an opportunity to.
Out of all the Six Stories books so far, I think Demon is by far the most thought-provoking. It poses a series of uncomfortable questions to its readers – When a person convicted of a crime has served their sentence, do they deserve the same treatment and opportunities as other members of society? What’s more important: punishment or rehabilitation? Do perpetrators of heinous crimes, having served their sentence, deserve to be granted a new identity and, consequently, a new life? To what degree are external influences – such as upbringing and trauma – to blame for a perpetrator’s crimes? I don’t know about other readers, but I like novels that grip me and make me think. I like to come away from a book with more than I went into it with, even if it’s just an opinion on a certain topic when I didn’t have one before.
In summary, Demon is many things. It’s disturbingly dark, but achingly sad. It’s gripping and thought-provoking. It’s well-written and, unlike many novels of a similar genre, it handles its subject matter with empathy and sensitivity. If you haven’t yet read Demon, or any book in the series for that matter, I implore you to remedy that. The Six Stories series is hands down one of my favourite book series.
Well, I probably should for the benefit of those of you who haven’t (yet) read the series. Six Stories follows investigative journalist Scott King, who hosts a true crime podcast named – yep, you guessed it – Six Stories. Each six part series of the podcast focuses on a different case and in each episode, Scott interviews a different person connected to it, allowing it to be seen from six unique perspectives.
Each book in the Six Stories series reads like the transcript of a podcast, with supplementary material, such as letters and news articles, thrown in. It’s an unusual narrative style, but it works so well. I listen to a lot of podcasts, so whenever I’m reading the latest book in the series, Scott is usually voiced in my head by whatever podcaster I’ve been listening to the most at that particular time. For Demon, Scott was voiced by Danny Robins of BBC4’s Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist podcasts. Consequently, reading the Six Stories series feels like listening to an actual podcast and it’s this sense of realism that hooks and reels me in.
I’ll move away from the narrative style and discuss the actual story that Demon tells. In Demon, Scott delves into the tragic case of Sidney Parsons, a twelve year old boy who was murdered by two other boys of the same age in 1995. As with all books in the Six Stories series, there’s a supernatural undercurrent running throughout Demon, with ‘demon’ stones, curses and demonic possession. The horror element is subtle, though. The supposedly paranormal happenings recounted by Scott’s interviewees aren’t in-your-face scary. Instead, the tales of footsteps on walls and unexplained voices are quietly unnerving. Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but I always find horror of the unnerving variety far more terrifying. Unnerving gets under your skin in a way that a big, brash scare doesn’t. A big, brash scare – be it a zombie bursting through a boarded up window or a possessed person suddenly spewing pea soup around the room – lasts as long as it takes for your heart rate to return to normal. Something unnerving gets under your skin and stays with you, bleeding into your psyche and rising to the forefront of your consciousness when you’re home alone or staring into the darkness of your bedroom on a sleepless night. The next time I’m home alone at night, my only company the faint hum of the Playstation and the occasional squeak of my rats, my ears will be straining to pick up footsteps skittering across the neighbours’ side of our shared wall or otherworldly singing drifting along the hallway.
Another great thing about the horror element being subtle is that it doesn’t detract from what is a dark, tragic and heartbreaking story. The fictional case of Sidney Parsons mirrors real life cases such as that of two year old James Bulger, who was murdered by two ten year old boys in 1993. If Wesolowski had written a story in which a demon had committed murder using two children as its tools, it would have trivialised the real life cases that he obviously drew inspiration from. People don’t have to be possessed by an otherworldly entity to do bad things; sometimes they do bad things just because there’s an opportunity to.
Out of all the Six Stories books so far, I think Demon is by far the most thought-provoking. It poses a series of uncomfortable questions to its readers – When a person convicted of a crime has served their sentence, do they deserve the same treatment and opportunities as other members of society? What’s more important: punishment or rehabilitation? Do perpetrators of heinous crimes, having served their sentence, deserve to be granted a new identity and, consequently, a new life? To what degree are external influences – such as upbringing and trauma – to blame for a perpetrator’s crimes? I don’t know about other readers, but I like novels that grip me and make me think. I like to come away from a book with more than I went into it with, even if it’s just an opinion on a certain topic when I didn’t have one before.
In summary, Demon is many things. It’s disturbingly dark, but achingly sad. It’s gripping and thought-provoking. It’s well-written and, unlike many novels of a similar genre, it handles its subject matter with empathy and sensitivity. If you haven’t yet read Demon, or any book in the series for that matter, I implore you to remedy that. The Six Stories series is hands down one of my favourite book series.
January 5, 2022
And that could be a wrap, excuse me why I get a tissue. The way this has ended, well it implies it. I really hope not!! What a way to end the series if it is!
I listened to the audiobook of this one and I will admit I didn’t fully concentrate at the beginning so missed a couple of bits. But I soon got back on track and became absorbed in this sad tale of Sidney, Robbie and Danny. You would think the case would focus on Sidney as it is his demise which is why we are here. However, we focus on Danny, predominantly, and Robbie as we look back to the way they were and the days leading up to the unfortunate day.
One thing I always love, are the people that Scott interviews. It’s not always people you would think that would have a say in the matter and you always wonder where they fit. Joe Bloggs down the road always has an opinion but just how important that opinion is, well you discover that when you look back at the story. Everyone is picked for a reason, and as a way to move the story along and give you new facts along the way.
There is a lot of talk about demons in this story and there are quite a few things that are there to unsettle you. The voices, the singing, the swarms of flies and those black stones. They were creepy and just add to the chill of the book. Things aren’t always what they seem. You have just enough to make you doubt whether this time it is the supernatural at play here. Just enough to question your sanity.
There is also the undercurrent of someone threatening Scott and his podcast. Someone does not want this story looked into. I was also hoping for more of a fallout from Deity, but we did have it mentioned, which had me cheering.
I really do hope Scott comes back and doesn’t disappear for too long, I am already having withdrawals from Scott and his podcast! Another belter and a strong way to finish the book, with a jaw-dropping revelation. It is beautifully written and as mentioned by other people, there are similarities with the James Bulger case, so this book hits you harder than you could imagine it would. Just fab!
I listened to the audiobook of this one and I will admit I didn’t fully concentrate at the beginning so missed a couple of bits. But I soon got back on track and became absorbed in this sad tale of Sidney, Robbie and Danny. You would think the case would focus on Sidney as it is his demise which is why we are here. However, we focus on Danny, predominantly, and Robbie as we look back to the way they were and the days leading up to the unfortunate day.
One thing I always love, are the people that Scott interviews. It’s not always people you would think that would have a say in the matter and you always wonder where they fit. Joe Bloggs down the road always has an opinion but just how important that opinion is, well you discover that when you look back at the story. Everyone is picked for a reason, and as a way to move the story along and give you new facts along the way.
There is a lot of talk about demons in this story and there are quite a few things that are there to unsettle you. The voices, the singing, the swarms of flies and those black stones. They were creepy and just add to the chill of the book. Things aren’t always what they seem. You have just enough to make you doubt whether this time it is the supernatural at play here. Just enough to question your sanity.
There is also the undercurrent of someone threatening Scott and his podcast. Someone does not want this story looked into. I was also hoping for more of a fallout from Deity, but we did have it mentioned, which had me cheering.
I really do hope Scott comes back and doesn’t disappear for too long, I am already having withdrawals from Scott and his podcast! Another belter and a strong way to finish the book, with a jaw-dropping revelation. It is beautifully written and as mentioned by other people, there are similarities with the James Bulger case, so this book hits you harder than you could imagine it would. Just fab!
September 24, 2022
As a series, despite the fact I've had my ups and downs as far as enjoyment goes, I always get weirdly excited when a new book in the Six Stories world is released. Maybe it's the podcast nut in me, as I certainly get hyped when a new episode of my favourite shows are released as well.
In Matt Wesolowski's Six Stories series, we are once again led through a dark and twisted crime via six instalments of Scott King's 'Six Stories' true crime podcast. This one, unusually, is prefaced by the author warning you of the book's disturbing content. And there certainly is that. Cruelty to children, murder of children (as mentioned in the blurb), so if those dark themes aren't what you want to read, it's best to avoid.
One thing I really enjoy about the Six Stories books is the fairly even blend between paranormal and realism. Sadly, in Demon, the paranormal seemed to take over. There was very little room to interpret the occurrences as anything other than something very out of the ordinary and, for me at least, that was somewhat of a turn off. It took me a long time to get through this book and I think that was a big contributing factor to the long read time.
I also feel that there was a bit too much repetition. For a book that falls just shy of three-hundred pages, I felt far too much of the case's points were gone over and over a couple times too many. It felt like padding in places and really hindered the flow. I don't know if this was just me in a reading funk or if others felt the same, but it felt like more a marathon than a two-hundred and seventy-seven page book should.
One thing I did like was how, as with several of the books now, the character of Scott King gets explored and built upon. Although, I am beginning to wonder just how much further his character can be built, but I'm happy to keep reading and reading to find out.
This was an enjoyable and dark read, but it just didn't quite hit the sweet spots for me as previous offerings had.
In Matt Wesolowski's Six Stories series, we are once again led through a dark and twisted crime via six instalments of Scott King's 'Six Stories' true crime podcast. This one, unusually, is prefaced by the author warning you of the book's disturbing content. And there certainly is that. Cruelty to children, murder of children (as mentioned in the blurb), so if those dark themes aren't what you want to read, it's best to avoid.
One thing I really enjoy about the Six Stories books is the fairly even blend between paranormal and realism. Sadly, in Demon, the paranormal seemed to take over. There was very little room to interpret the occurrences as anything other than something very out of the ordinary and, for me at least, that was somewhat of a turn off. It took me a long time to get through this book and I think that was a big contributing factor to the long read time.
I also feel that there was a bit too much repetition. For a book that falls just shy of three-hundred pages, I felt far too much of the case's points were gone over and over a couple times too many. It felt like padding in places and really hindered the flow. I don't know if this was just me in a reading funk or if others felt the same, but it felt like more a marathon than a two-hundred and seventy-seven page book should.
One thing I did like was how, as with several of the books now, the character of Scott King gets explored and built upon. Although, I am beginning to wonder just how much further his character can be built, but I'm happy to keep reading and reading to find out.
This was an enjoyable and dark read, but it just didn't quite hit the sweet spots for me as previous offerings had.
November 17, 2022
Finished reading: November 17th 2022
"We want rhyme and reason, we want cause and effect, we want to be able to have strong opinions about simple things. But none of this is simple."
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
February 3, 2023
“Demon” is the sixth, and currently final, book in the Six Stories series by British author Matt Wesolowski. Once again Wesolowski has written an exceptional book and, if it is to be the last book in this amazing series, an incredible finale.
Like the other books in the series the format of “Demon” is written as the transcript of a six part podcast series by Scott King. The particular “grave being raked over” this time is that of the tragic events in the small town of Ussalthwaite where the Demonic Duo, Danny Greenwall and Robbie Hooper who at the age of twelve, brutally murdered their classmate Sidney Parsons.
Each episode sees Scott King get a unique perspective from people with a connection to the case. These interviews provide context to what may have happened and why - from those who knew victim, the perpetrators, the feeling of the town, or other related insights (including those of a supernatural nature). Each episode is broken with an interlude showing letters from one of the murderers and news articles criticising King’s current podcast series.
“Demon” shows Scott King’s desire to explore why these tragic events occurred not to seek forgiveness for the killers nor additional sympathies for the victim. The interviews bring additional information, not known at the time, to light. Through these narratives Wesolowski brilliantly covers what was seemingly black and white in multiple shades of grey.
In “Demon” Wesolowski touches on the supernatural and folklore, of witchcraft and demons, but also recognised religions such as Wicca. It explores themes such as feelings of guilt and remorse, childhood innocence, the power of suggestion, demonic possession, small town narrow mindedness, troubled youth, childhood insecurities, rehabilitation and punishment, and of being different and not fitting in. Pointedly it also takes a thought provoking look at the age old question - are people evil or just do evil acts. The ending is one that will have the reader thinking well past the conclusion.
I’ve read many wonderful book series in my time. From the first book Wesolowski set himself a very high watermark and with each subsequent title in the Six Stories series he reached or bettered it every time. While this is the last book in the series (so far) I personally hope there are many more stories to be told by Scott King in the future.
“Demon” gets 5 shiny pure black stones of jet out of 5.
Like the other books in the series the format of “Demon” is written as the transcript of a six part podcast series by Scott King. The particular “grave being raked over” this time is that of the tragic events in the small town of Ussalthwaite where the Demonic Duo, Danny Greenwall and Robbie Hooper who at the age of twelve, brutally murdered their classmate Sidney Parsons.
Each episode sees Scott King get a unique perspective from people with a connection to the case. These interviews provide context to what may have happened and why - from those who knew victim, the perpetrators, the feeling of the town, or other related insights (including those of a supernatural nature). Each episode is broken with an interlude showing letters from one of the murderers and news articles criticising King’s current podcast series.
“Demon” shows Scott King’s desire to explore why these tragic events occurred not to seek forgiveness for the killers nor additional sympathies for the victim. The interviews bring additional information, not known at the time, to light. Through these narratives Wesolowski brilliantly covers what was seemingly black and white in multiple shades of grey.
In “Demon” Wesolowski touches on the supernatural and folklore, of witchcraft and demons, but also recognised religions such as Wicca. It explores themes such as feelings of guilt and remorse, childhood innocence, the power of suggestion, demonic possession, small town narrow mindedness, troubled youth, childhood insecurities, rehabilitation and punishment, and of being different and not fitting in. Pointedly it also takes a thought provoking look at the age old question - are people evil or just do evil acts. The ending is one that will have the reader thinking well past the conclusion.
I’ve read many wonderful book series in my time. From the first book Wesolowski set himself a very high watermark and with each subsequent title in the Six Stories series he reached or bettered it every time. While this is the last book in the series (so far) I personally hope there are many more stories to be told by Scott King in the future.
“Demon” gets 5 shiny pure black stones of jet out of 5.
November 23, 2021
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Discover the locations in Demon set in Yorkshire
Whoah Matt W - what are you doing to me? This was the most chilling episode yet I think. It had all the horror elements and more. Swarms of flies, unexplained noises and something dark shrouding a small Yorkshire village in mystery and murder. The murder of course is described on the book cover as being one of the most disturbing that has ever occurred. When a child murders another child.
It will take some of you back to the early 1990s when James Bulger made headlines in the news. The crime in the novel is bad enough but it's the outpouring of grief and media interest that fuels what happens all those years later. It makes for some very interesting conversations and interviews on Scott King's podcast. Such a great way to tell a story and have events unfold. Each character voice is distinct and chilling. Boy, when you realise what someone knows, what someone else is hiding....my nerves were in bits.
This had all the excellent hallmarks of the previous episodes but was even more disturbing. The foreboding of darkness, the flies, the unexplained events, the confessions, admissions and what they are not saying...You can hear the fear in their voices. There's such a strong overtone of the occult, witches and dark spells, the unknown and the demon within a person's soul.....
In Demon, the podcast presenter takes more of a role if that's the right way of putting it. He is accused of raking up an old case, causing more pain and more besides. But the seed of this crime has roots which twist and burrow deep inside the villagers, those who remember and that dark place in the caves on the hill......
The setting is one of the most graphic and unsettling I have read about in a long while. I might never look at a stone in the same way again. Nor will I ever enter a cave in Yorkshire....
Discover the locations in Demon set in Yorkshire
Whoah Matt W - what are you doing to me? This was the most chilling episode yet I think. It had all the horror elements and more. Swarms of flies, unexplained noises and something dark shrouding a small Yorkshire village in mystery and murder. The murder of course is described on the book cover as being one of the most disturbing that has ever occurred. When a child murders another child.
It will take some of you back to the early 1990s when James Bulger made headlines in the news. The crime in the novel is bad enough but it's the outpouring of grief and media interest that fuels what happens all those years later. It makes for some very interesting conversations and interviews on Scott King's podcast. Such a great way to tell a story and have events unfold. Each character voice is distinct and chilling. Boy, when you realise what someone knows, what someone else is hiding....my nerves were in bits.
This had all the excellent hallmarks of the previous episodes but was even more disturbing. The foreboding of darkness, the flies, the unexplained events, the confessions, admissions and what they are not saying...You can hear the fear in their voices. There's such a strong overtone of the occult, witches and dark spells, the unknown and the demon within a person's soul.....
In Demon, the podcast presenter takes more of a role if that's the right way of putting it. He is accused of raking up an old case, causing more pain and more besides. But the seed of this crime has roots which twist and burrow deep inside the villagers, those who remember and that dark place in the caves on the hill......
The setting is one of the most graphic and unsettling I have read about in a long while. I might never look at a stone in the same way again. Nor will I ever enter a cave in Yorkshire....
July 23, 2022
Demon’s the sixth book in the Six Stories series and one I’ve been very eager to read. If you’re new to the series I can only tell you that each novel can be read as a standalone because the only constant is the podcast presenter Scott King, who brings a new case each time to the reader’s attention where he interviews 6 people trying to gain more insight and to perhaps give a satisfying answer to why and what happened in the past. He’s not exactly trying to prove someone’s innocence like in many other novels, but still, by interviewing and hearing about the cases from different people there are always other viewpoints, other things they know and have seen and it changes things significantly. You start out with a very broad perspective but as you go on you start to see more nuance. It’s a wonderful journey how he peels back all these layers each time, twisting and turning the story as he goes, and – for lack of a better name – brings a sort of enlightenment in the end.
I do love finding out each time who the people are that he has lined up for the interviews, and this time around there were some unexpected guests on the show. He starts with a woman who lives in the village of the victim and the two teenage murderers. There’s never only a murder when Scott King is involved, there’s always some sort of legend involved, history that plays its own role, and certainly, again, there’s an atmosphere of creepiness and evil in the small rural town of Ussalthwaite predating the murders for decades.
Wesolowski really went all the way in this novel and for me it’s one that goes most deeply into the supernatural. It’s great but also the reason why it’s maybe not my favourite of the six books of the series. In the other novels there were clear answers and explanations in the end that satisfied me and in this case some of it remains rather trivial. I never thought I could get the heeby jeebies from the mention of a black stone that fits the palm of your hand. Such a stone is mentioned in relation to events in the seventies, the nineties and even in the present where it plays even a role in the life of someone who has nothing to do with Ussalthwaite. This person – for some reason – has summoned the wrath of the flies over herself too in the process and it was the first time ever I felt it was a little over the top, there was just too much of it you know?
I do hope this isn’t the last novel of the series although if it is, I think he did a brilliant job in every one of them. His writing is stellar in every novel! It’s also a great achievement for me that I read an entire series. If you need confirmation about the quality of the series, I think this tells you how great they are.
I do love finding out each time who the people are that he has lined up for the interviews, and this time around there were some unexpected guests on the show. He starts with a woman who lives in the village of the victim and the two teenage murderers. There’s never only a murder when Scott King is involved, there’s always some sort of legend involved, history that plays its own role, and certainly, again, there’s an atmosphere of creepiness and evil in the small rural town of Ussalthwaite predating the murders for decades.
Wesolowski really went all the way in this novel and for me it’s one that goes most deeply into the supernatural. It’s great but also the reason why it’s maybe not my favourite of the six books of the series. In the other novels there were clear answers and explanations in the end that satisfied me and in this case some of it remains rather trivial. I never thought I could get the heeby jeebies from the mention of a black stone that fits the palm of your hand. Such a stone is mentioned in relation to events in the seventies, the nineties and even in the present where it plays even a role in the life of someone who has nothing to do with Ussalthwaite. This person – for some reason – has summoned the wrath of the flies over herself too in the process and it was the first time ever I felt it was a little over the top, there was just too much of it you know?
I do hope this isn’t the last novel of the series although if it is, I think he did a brilliant job in every one of them. His writing is stellar in every novel! It’s also a great achievement for me that I read an entire series. If you need confirmation about the quality of the series, I think this tells you how great they are.
April 11, 2022
The previous book in the Six Stories series Deity was one of my top reads of last year, so I jumped at the chance to read Demon.
If you don't know this series, each book is told like a true crime podcast from six different viewpoints, through a mix of interviews, news articles and letters/emails. This case concerns the death of a 12-year-old boy, Sidney Parsons, by two other boys his own age, nicknamed the demonic duo.
Yet again I have another book hangover thanks to Matt Wesolowski. I'm not complaining though!
Demon is a masterful mix of mystery, horror, and suspense that pulls you in from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
With every episode in the six stories series, nothing is as straightforward as it first seems. Each interview reveals some new shock or revelation that makes you wonder what will happen next.
As always, there's a supernatural element to the story. This time its demons, witches and possible demonic possession. I love the way it's so cleverly entwined into the story to make it seem so believable.
The town of Ussalthwaite was almost a character in itself. A former mining village, it's plagued by folklore, strange happenings and tragedy. The question hovers over you as you read, is the place cursed or is it just people's imaginations running away with them?
I felt this episode, for me anyway, felt a lot heavier emotionally than the previous books I've read. It reminded me of the James Bulger case back in the 1990s, which happened in the town I grew up in. I was only a kid, but I remember vividly the media frenzy at what had happened and how it happened. Demon also reminded me of the fear and, in many ways, shame that hovered over Bootle for years afterwards.
Demon is clever, captivating, and, at times downright chilling. Fingers crossed, we won't have to wait too long for more!
If you don't know this series, each book is told like a true crime podcast from six different viewpoints, through a mix of interviews, news articles and letters/emails. This case concerns the death of a 12-year-old boy, Sidney Parsons, by two other boys his own age, nicknamed the demonic duo.
Yet again I have another book hangover thanks to Matt Wesolowski. I'm not complaining though!
Demon is a masterful mix of mystery, horror, and suspense that pulls you in from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
With every episode in the six stories series, nothing is as straightforward as it first seems. Each interview reveals some new shock or revelation that makes you wonder what will happen next.
As always, there's a supernatural element to the story. This time its demons, witches and possible demonic possession. I love the way it's so cleverly entwined into the story to make it seem so believable.
The town of Ussalthwaite was almost a character in itself. A former mining village, it's plagued by folklore, strange happenings and tragedy. The question hovers over you as you read, is the place cursed or is it just people's imaginations running away with them?
I felt this episode, for me anyway, felt a lot heavier emotionally than the previous books I've read. It reminded me of the James Bulger case back in the 1990s, which happened in the town I grew up in. I was only a kid, but I remember vividly the media frenzy at what had happened and how it happened. Demon also reminded me of the fear and, in many ways, shame that hovered over Bootle for years afterwards.
Demon is clever, captivating, and, at times downright chilling. Fingers crossed, we won't have to wait too long for more!
April 17, 2022
Oh wow, this was amazing. I read this on a whim, I mean this is sixth (potentially last? Idk) book in a series that I've never heard of before. But I'm glad to have read it. I enjoyed it immensely, I enjoyed the message, I was outraged when the book wanted me to, and I was drawn into it without even realising.
A little aside. I find true crime genre thoroughly distressing. I understand morbid curiosity, but I don't understand being entertained by it. Sooner or later I realise that I'm trying to be entertained by a horrible thing that has happened to a real person and my day is ruined. I find it baffling how so many people can mindlessly consume true crime content without getting exhausted or shaken.
So, this kind of format appeals to me. Fake true crime. I get all the fun of following along an investigation from an outsider pov without feeling as bad for the victims. I mean it still breaks my heart about the victims of these books, but it is not the same as feeling sad about real people.
Anyway, this book was about as perfect as it could have been. I love the voice and the prose. Some narrations are a little cheesy, but I believe that's intentional. Despite minor pacing issues, I finished this entire book in a single sitting and I recommend it to everyone. And yes, you don't need to read rest of the series to read this book.
4.5/5
A little aside. I find true crime genre thoroughly distressing. I understand morbid curiosity, but I don't understand being entertained by it. Sooner or later I realise that I'm trying to be entertained by a horrible thing that has happened to a real person and my day is ruined. I find it baffling how so many people can mindlessly consume true crime content without getting exhausted or shaken.
So, this kind of format appeals to me. Fake true crime. I get all the fun of following along an investigation from an outsider pov without feeling as bad for the victims. I mean it still breaks my heart about the victims of these books, but it is not the same as feeling sad about real people.
Anyway, this book was about as perfect as it could have been. I love the voice and the prose. Some narrations are a little cheesy, but I believe that's intentional. Despite minor pacing issues, I finished this entire book in a single sitting and I recommend it to everyone. And yes, you don't need to read rest of the series to read this book.
4.5/5
April 27, 2022
I have read the Six Stories series from the start and every single one is shudder inducing. Whilst there is always a human "explainable" element to the stories you will still be left wondering if that is the actual truth?
Demon is about the murder of a boy by two other boys, a story that sadly we are accustomed to reading especially with the case of Jamie Bulger. Were the boys evil or were darker forces in play...
There is always a place that as a child there were rumours of ghosts, for me it was an abandoned railway tunnel that was supposed to house the devil - the thought alone was enough to keep me away! But take a similar place with a history of witchcraft/paganism and add a few vulnerable boys with troubled backgrounds and you soon have a recipe for unsettling events. Chuck in small village mentality and you have a ticking time bomb waiting to explode!
I love how there are six narrators/contributors to the podcast and how the story unfolds slowly with new compelling details being added at each episode.
Wesolowski does not hold back on the horror; there may not a lot of gore but there is a TON of unease and ick!!
Demon is about the murder of a boy by two other boys, a story that sadly we are accustomed to reading especially with the case of Jamie Bulger. Were the boys evil or were darker forces in play...
There is always a place that as a child there were rumours of ghosts, for me it was an abandoned railway tunnel that was supposed to house the devil - the thought alone was enough to keep me away! But take a similar place with a history of witchcraft/paganism and add a few vulnerable boys with troubled backgrounds and you soon have a recipe for unsettling events. Chuck in small village mentality and you have a ticking time bomb waiting to explode!
I love how there are six narrators/contributors to the podcast and how the story unfolds slowly with new compelling details being added at each episode.
Wesolowski does not hold back on the horror; there may not a lot of gore but there is a TON of unease and ick!!
October 4, 2023
Scared the shit out of me, which means I now need to dig out the rest of the serious. Old curses, creepy kids and demonic ambiguity, a story that has you questioning absolutely everything from start to finish. I LOVED IT!
February 25, 2022
Another cracking entry into this series. Some of the best horror and/or crime books around. I'm sincerely hoping this isn't the last entry in the series.
November 17, 2021
This is one of my favourite times of year, forget Christmas! It’s all about Six Stories, and it’s time for another thrilling instalment in this dark series from one of the most exciting and original voices in crime fiction. Demon is book six in the chilling Six Stories series, and Scott King’s investigates the 1995 cold case of a demon possession in a rural Yorkshire village, where 12-year-old Sidney Parsons was murdered in cold blood by two children. Part mystery with a hefty dose of the supernatural thrown in, Demon is a creepy, suspense filled novel that captures the reader’s imagination from the off.
The thing that makes this series such an original read is the fact the story is narrated as episodes of a true-crime podcast. Each post cast comprises of six episodes, each one features their perspectives of the crime Each story takes you to the darkest place and raises more questions than answers. The authors unique writing brings each voice to life, you feel you’re listening too rather than reading about the pod casts. Tales of folklore passed down through generations, strange occurrences within the village, changes in children’s behaviour, whispers of possession and witches add credence to the supernatural element of this book.
From the first page of Demon, a frisson of horror trickled down my spine, but as the story unfolded my horror turned to fear, as an intense feeling of something dark and evil lurking within in its pages grew. You're desperate to learn more, but you nervously wonder what dark, twisted path Wesolowski is leading you down. The author always creates the perfect creepy backdrop for his book. Here it’s the Kilns at Ussel Back, a place that’s shrouded in mystery and supernatural tales, a place where evil seems to radiate from within the gouged rocks.
The author has created an atmosphere that’s thick with malevolence, unnerving the reader at every turn of the page. The supernatural elements of the book provide the creep factor, but it’s the subject of young children committing the most heinous crimes that make it such a chilling and desperately sad read. This series goes from strength to strength thanks to the authors’ exceptionally descriptive writing and his vivid imagination. His plots are original, terrifying, disturbing and deliciously dark. Demon consumed my every waking moment, and I absolutely loved every page of this compelling read. Would I recommend it? You bet I would! It’s made my list of top reads of 2021!
The thing that makes this series such an original read is the fact the story is narrated as episodes of a true-crime podcast. Each post cast comprises of six episodes, each one features their perspectives of the crime Each story takes you to the darkest place and raises more questions than answers. The authors unique writing brings each voice to life, you feel you’re listening too rather than reading about the pod casts. Tales of folklore passed down through generations, strange occurrences within the village, changes in children’s behaviour, whispers of possession and witches add credence to the supernatural element of this book.
From the first page of Demon, a frisson of horror trickled down my spine, but as the story unfolded my horror turned to fear, as an intense feeling of something dark and evil lurking within in its pages grew. You're desperate to learn more, but you nervously wonder what dark, twisted path Wesolowski is leading you down. The author always creates the perfect creepy backdrop for his book. Here it’s the Kilns at Ussel Back, a place that’s shrouded in mystery and supernatural tales, a place where evil seems to radiate from within the gouged rocks.
The author has created an atmosphere that’s thick with malevolence, unnerving the reader at every turn of the page. The supernatural elements of the book provide the creep factor, but it’s the subject of young children committing the most heinous crimes that make it such a chilling and desperately sad read. This series goes from strength to strength thanks to the authors’ exceptionally descriptive writing and his vivid imagination. His plots are original, terrifying, disturbing and deliciously dark. Demon consumed my every waking moment, and I absolutely loved every page of this compelling read. Would I recommend it? You bet I would! It’s made my list of top reads of 2021!
October 26, 2023
I have absolutely adored the Six Stories series and I'm so sad it has ended.
While Demon is not among my favourites of the series, I still very much enjoyed it. In this book, Scott King tries to unravel the brutal murder of a young boy by two other children his own age.
What I most appreciated was the central theme of the story: despite their horrific actions, can the two culprits be justified or understood? The thematic is, as usual, seen through opposite perspectives, and Wesolowski definitely succeeds in making the two children complex characters. I found the book very thought-provoking.
As I said, this series has been a fantastic journey and I'm sad I don't have any books left. I can't help but hoping the author will come back to it in the future...
While Demon is not among my favourites of the series, I still very much enjoyed it. In this book, Scott King tries to unravel the brutal murder of a young boy by two other children his own age.
What I most appreciated was the central theme of the story: despite their horrific actions, can the two culprits be justified or understood? The thematic is, as usual, seen through opposite perspectives, and Wesolowski definitely succeeds in making the two children complex characters. I found the book very thought-provoking.
As I said, this series has been a fantastic journey and I'm sad I don't have any books left. I can't help but hoping the author will come back to it in the future...
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