Devil's Play

by Sarah Sheridan

A secret society's dark truths come to light when murder disrupts their circle in this riveting psychological mystery by the author of The Convent.

Four troubled students have come together as an unlikely group of friends after joining an underground society at university--based around the celebration and practices of New Satanism. It is run by a charismatic and beautiful sociopath named Dillon, who exerts a strange power over Eleanor, Hunter, Natalie, and Seth.

Now their unhealthy bond has set in motion a chain of events that no one could have seen coming. When one of the friends dies unexpectedly, the police initially believe it's accidental. But the victim's father is convinced otherwise, and a spotlight is turned on the secret society and its members. The question is not only who is responsible for the murder, but exactly what sort of darkness lies behind it . . .

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2021

About the author

Sarah was born in London and now lives in a village in South Northamptonshire. She gained a Masters degree in Eighteenth-Century French and English art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, before teaching art in secondary schools for thirteen years. After working with human rights organisations that protect minority groups from institutional abuse, Sarah worked towards a PhD at The Open University, researching the effect of secrecy on marginalised people, specifically the biological children of Roman Catholic priests. She has spoken about her research on various news programmes for the BBC and other media outlets around the world. It was this sense of secrecy and silencing that became the inspiration for her first crime novel, The Convent.

Sarah is hugely obsessed with reading and is amassing such an unrealistically large book collection that some of it is now in storage. She is also addicted to writing, and after inventing stories (mostly in secret) from a young age and having various articles and short stories published, she wrote a children's book, The Top Secret Diary of Davina Dupree - inspired by her daughter - in 2013. Overjoyed to hear that young readers were enjoying the story, she went on to write a series about Davina Dupree.

When she is not looking after her three children and menagerie of pets, or going for long walks with her wonderful partner Rich, Sarah can be found writing, while consuming large amounts of chocolate.

Reviews

[victoria stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devil's Play was a really interesting and well paced murder mystery. The characters were well introduced and developed and I found myself speculating alongside the PI as to who the murderer might be. I read the book in a day as the story flowed effortlessly from one plot point to the next, the narrative told from the perspective of multiple characters each with their own agenda's and identities which could place them under suspicion. The main character is a flawed but likeable detective with a lack of self belief whose life is grounded by the presence of her teenage nephew. It would be interesting to see that dynamic unfold in subsequent books and I feel this could be the beginning of an addictive and popular saga, with some of the tropes of a typical detective story inverted to attract modern readers.

[Louise Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The story was well developed. The characters were real and believable with well drawn back stories that made them interesting. The story included the murder of a beautiful university student and a satanic cult, with a private detective and her inexperienced assistant trying to figure out “whodunnit”. The pace of the last few chapters was great as the detective worked to find out who the murderer was and tried to prevent another murder.

[Rock Chick Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like the cover of the book linked to the Satanic Storyline. However…

The book itself was very readable & I enjoyed it & will definitely read more of this authors books in the future. Definitely worth Reading

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, thoroughly enjoyed.

Very dark and sinister, creepy and downright scary at points.

Good characters, great plot, plenty of intrigue and suspense.

Really enjoyed, 4 stars from me

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was another episode of « let me show you how trashy and disgusting men can be » but with a solid and interesting plot.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very readable and I enjoyed it. I will definitely read more of this authors books in the future. Definitely worth Reading!

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and the style of writing made me read it quite quickly. Despite the number of characters, it didn't make things confusing.

I thought the characters were well done and I particularly like the dishevelled Shirley and her cleanliness-obsessed nephew characters. I particularly the nephew's attempts to try to organise Shirley's life and private investigation agency. It just added to the humour in the story despite the 2 murders. What could have been a gruesome book had just the right touch of humour to lighten things. I think this made it easier to read.

I hope this is going to be the start of a series as I'd like to see what this duo get involved in next.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! It kept you on your toes!
I wasn’t 100% onboard with Shirley (the protagonist) for the most part, I didn’t like her demeanor but that’s just me.
She got the job done and she did what she had to do. I wish they didn’t leave a cliff hanger about the lone file she kept away…

Maybe a sequel in the future?!

I’d definitely suggest this book to a friend!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has their secrets

When Shirley's nephew came to live with her and dropped out of college she was doubtful about his wish to help her with her struggling private investigator business. As it turned out Noah was the perfect one to organise Shirley and help move the business forward.
In a nearby University a group of friends were about to encounter worrying times. Eleanor dating the hum drum Seth wanted excitement that she thought she would find with Dillon leader of the new satanism group.
Natalie, girlfriend of the mysterious cannabis smoking, 31 year old Hunter  quickly became jealous of Eleanor. Hunter had a secret to hide, he was not the only one!
When a murder is committed Shirley is commissioned to investigate and peoves that she and Noah are a worthy team.
The structure of the plot is very good but what the book lacks ( in my opinion) is depth of character of  protagonists. The language used and opinions expressed are very wooden and lack personality. There are a lot of assumptions in regards to police and university procedures.  I did not feel as though the characters or the story were reflective of plausible real life scenarios, this spoiled the book for me.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an easy read and an unusual murder mystery that was nicely paced and although the narrative was told from the perspective of multiple characters, which is sometimes confusing, it was easy to follow. Good characterisations; the main character, Shirley, was by her own admission marmite, and I wasn’t over enamoured by her, but that didn’t matter. She got the job done.

Briefly, a student is found dead in the grounds of a university in Buckingham but the police have judged it to be an accidental death. However the father is determined to find the truth so hires Shirley Butterworth, a rookie private investigator. From the beginning she has her suspicions. The investigation centres around the university friends of the victim, who are all members of a satanic Club. Matters take a new turn when the man who runs the club is found gruesomely murdered.

There are a number of threads to the tale involving previous histories of some of the students friends and indeed their professors. With a few twists and some surprising turns the story moves along in a nice and entertaining way to an satisfying end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and I look forward to the sequel.

[Reaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Relatable lead character and good story.

Blurb somewhat misleading, I expected Young Adult Fiction but was confused when the novel opened with Shirley Butterworth, a middle-aged woman who likes a drink and swears like that proverbial sailor. Found her relatable and I warmed to her. She’s in a bit of a predicament in her life when the book starts, and though I’ve not been there, I could definitely empathise.

There are lots of characters in Devil's Play and Sheridan introduces them well. Not every chapter was a cliffhanger page-turner, but I mostly wanted to read on. The chapters are very short so I felt I was getting through the book even if I only read a little at a time. It’s nice to feel that achievement in a busy day.

A good yarn that held my attention. I loved that the protagonist was a woman and a private detective. Her character is well drawn and realistic - she drinks, swears, has a sex life and career troubles. She’s not that perfect woman that I’ve met in a lot of other books who just leaves me cold because of her lack of depth.

Thanks to Bloodhound for an advanced copy.

[Kristen A Bettcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an easy-to-read murder mystery that takes place in the setting of a college campus, where precipitating events occur surrounding a society called the New Satanists and their leader, an attractive and charismatic personality who does odd jobs on campus. The highlight of the story is a hot mess of a PI and her nephew with OCD tendencies—the perfect odd couple—who were hired to investigate the crime. These two characters really fill out the story, as the rest of the characters are not very well-developed and somewhat interchangeable.

The plot develops in a straightforward manner and includes a few red herrings with convincing motives. The ending is satisfying but does drag a little, with the author essentially telling the reader how the characters have grown from their experiences, instead of letting us determine this for ourselves. (I prefer a bit more reader autonomy.)

Overall I would recommend this book as an easy and quick read for those who want a murder mystery with some dark and twisted elements but told in a less serious, lighthearted style.

[Liz T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Sarah Sheridan’s Sister Veronica series I looked forward to reading her new book. Instead of an amateur sleuth, this story introduces Shirley, a private detective with a number of personal issues that are standing in the way of her business. She couldn’t be more different than Sister Veronica, her language is definitely the opposite! When her nephew comes to live with her and decides to leave his college course, Shirley’s business gets the makeover it desperately needs. Noah persuades Shirley to let him join her when a new case comes in and this leads them both to an investigation of a death on campus at a local university. The police decide that the death is accidental but Shirley is asked to investigate further and
when it becomes apparent that the victim had joined a satanic society on campus things seem to take a much more sinister turn.
Shirley and Noah make a good team and I thoroughly enjoyed their first case. Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound books for an ARC of Devil’s Play.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With thanks to Bloodhound for the ARC.
Shirley Butterworth is struggling, at home and at work. But she's still ended up with her nephew Seth living with her in hope that she can keep him in college.

With Seths help she gets her business rebranded and relaunched which leads to the case covered in this book. A student at a small university dies, the police quickly rule it accidental but her father disagrees and hires Shirley.

At one point she describes herself as marmite, which is pretty apt. I can't say I liked her much but she isn't a bad person.

Well paced after a slowish start introducing Shirley, Seth and the campus cast, I read it in a couple of sittings. It's a solid but not incredible book, I definitely plan to keep an eye out for more featuring Shirley and Seth as I often find the first of a series isn't the best of it.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Thriller
The first book I have read from this author. The main character Shirley has a struggling private investigator business and due to a recent relationship break up is drowning her sorrows in drink. Her nephew Noah is currently staying with her to attend college but drops out after persuading Shirley to give him a trial as her assistant. After promoting her business, they are hired to investigate the death of a student Eleanor within the grounds of a nearby university. Eleanor, her boyfriend and friends have joined a new age satanic group lead by Dillon. Is he or a member of the group responsible for her death?
Really likeable characters and likes the relationship between Shirley and her nephew Noah. An enjoyable read

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidental death or murder? The police believe the former however the victim's father, the latter . Enter then 'wet behind the ears' PI Shirley Butterworth. What is interesting about this book, is that most of the main characters, who all take their part in telling the story, are either likeable or not - there is no grey areas with them. There are quite a few layers to the story however Sarah pulls them all together neatly and without too much confusion with a few twists and turns to a satisfactory conclusion. A good read and look forward to the nxr one.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me which I enjoyed her writing style and her attention to details. Her story has a realistic feel which kept me turning pages fast. This is a well written story that I really enjoyed. The characters not only pulled me into the story but also are relateable. They made me want to know more about what would happen next. I enjoyed the growth of the characters as well as the plot throughout the story. The twists and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat. This is a fast paced story that is full of action and has great suspense. I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book.

[Jude Srivalsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shirley is a struggling Private Investigator, drinking too much after the break up of her relationship. When her 17 year old nephew, Noah comes to stay, drops out of school, confiscates her alcohol and announces he’s going to be an apprentice with her, her life and business turn around!
She is hired to find the killer of soneone’s daughter, who had joined a Satanic group at the nearby university and was obsessed with its leader, Dillon.
I found this book easy to read with a good storyline and believable characters.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a really promising storyline. I enjoyed Shirley’s PI character and her nephew Noah. I think these two make a great investigative duo. I did find that although the book was a really easy read there was a lot of filler that was not necessary to the overall storyline.

[valerie gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Fantastic read,keeping you turning the pages,marvellous characters first-class plot believable,keeping you guessing just who had done it and why VERY good