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The Devil Himself
Southern Noir at its finest, The Devil Himself, sizzles with page-burning suspense and bewitching characters. Deep in the backwoods of South Georgia, eighteen-year-old Maya narrowly escapes a savage end. The victim of a vast human trafficking operation managed out of Mexico, Maya had the misfortune to discover the dark plans of a high-ranking client. Her fate seemed sealed, until Leonard Moye, a lonely eccentric who doesn't suffer fools or tolerate trespassers, takes the young woman under his protection. Both bearing the scars from personal tragedies, they soon develop a bond that makes them, as a pair, a formidable foe, even for hardened criminals and professional scumbags. Maya knows too much and the old man lives on land in the crosshairs of narco machinations. As the heavies seek to finish the job, they find they may be no match for the resourcefulness of a disturbed old man and a cunning young woman.
Farris has created a new classic in country noir, a novel of wicked, gritty action and heartfelt redemption. First published in France with enormous critical acclaim and winning multiple literary awards, The Devil Himself will mark Peter Farris as a major crime writer in America as well.
Farris has created a new classic in country noir, a novel of wicked, gritty action and heartfelt redemption. First published in France with enormous critical acclaim and winning multiple literary awards, The Devil Himself will mark Peter Farris as a major crime writer in America as well.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
99 people are currently reading
4680 people want to read
About the author
Peter Farris
12 books125 followersCalled a “serious new talent” by Barnes & Noble, Peter Farris is the award-winning author of Last Call for the Living, The Clay Eaters and The Devil Himself. Published in France to critical acclaim, The Devil Himself won Le Prix 813, Best Foreign Novel at the Beaune International Film Festival, Le Prix Totem Des Jeunes Libraires, was an official selection for the prestigious Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and named a finalist for Le Prix SNCF du Polar. Among other accolades the novel received starred reviews in Rolling Stone, Hebdo and Le Parisien, and was picked one of the best mysteries of the year by ELLE and L'OBS Magazine. Also published in France by Éditions Gallmeister, The Clay Eaters was praised in Le Monde, debuted on the Palmarès Livres Hebdo des libraires Bestseller List, selected a Bookseller Best of the Year by Palmarès Livres Hebdo, was shortlisted for le prix Libr'à Nous 2020 and was a finalist for the 2021 Le Prix Lire En Poche. In 2022, Arcade Crimewise published The Devil Himself in English worldwide and the novel saw an Italian translation courtesy Milan-based publisher NN Editore. The French translation of a new novel The Bone Omen ("Le Presage") was released this year by Éditions Gallmeister and named an Official Selection for the 2024 Prix Libr’à Nous. Peter lives with his family in Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 3, 2022
A really dark thriller set in South Georgia, The Devil Himself by Peter Farris is not for all readers. A young woman escapes the forest and manages to avoid a grizzly ending at the hands of human traffickers. She meets an eccentric loner who takes her under his protection. Together they must confront the narco criminals determined to finish what they began. Warning: some readers will find parts of the narrative triggering and unacceptable, even as fiction. A bloody and violent tale that rates only a single star and a why even bother rating. With thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
July 27, 2022
Sometimes the only response a critic has to a book is the most uncritical response possible: "Wow." And that's exactly what I said to myself after finishing THE DEVIL HIMSELF. Put simply, it's a novel that bristles with interestingness on every page, full of passages that feel the the most pleasant brain massage possible, and does it all with a greased-griddle glide that makes its heavy regional poetry and malignant darkness go by like the gracefully muscular prowl of a mountain cat.
That author Peter Farris has a delectably light touch with an original turn of phrase simply piles on the pleasure. Lines like "Under a previous owner the Bee had once been a great place to eat, a fish camp famous for shellcrackers fried in deep fat. Now the place inspired nothing but unwanted pregnancies and fistfights" and "He felt a knot in his gut, a rare twist of anxiety. Only the thought of bodies floating facedown in a backwoods pond soothed his discomfort" and “Gnats are considered a condiment in these parts" and "They passed roadside vendors advertising bait and tackle, produce stands with boiled peanuts, melons and lettuce and squash for sale. Countless service stations, many of them abandoned. Baptist churches. Cemeteries housing the Confederate dead. Creeks the color of weak coffee" induce little shivers of joy, as striking images pop up here and there like summer fireflies or tribal fireworks, and it's small wonder that THE DEVIL HIMSELF has been snapped up for film development. It is a feast for the mind's eye as much as the reader's eye.
I could break down the plot, but as good as it is, to me it's almost beside the point of this pure-delight reading flight, the experience of the page, the deliciousness of lightly seasoned servings of prime-filet prose for maximum explosions of flavor. I could go on about its place in Southern Lit, or Grit Lit, and its rich antecedents and peers, but to me that feels too limiting: THE DEVIL HIMSELF is less a part of a tradition than simply a great piece of storytelling that makes maximum use of its place. It is a triumph beyond category.
That author Peter Farris has a delectably light touch with an original turn of phrase simply piles on the pleasure. Lines like "Under a previous owner the Bee had once been a great place to eat, a fish camp famous for shellcrackers fried in deep fat. Now the place inspired nothing but unwanted pregnancies and fistfights" and "He felt a knot in his gut, a rare twist of anxiety. Only the thought of bodies floating facedown in a backwoods pond soothed his discomfort" and “Gnats are considered a condiment in these parts" and "They passed roadside vendors advertising bait and tackle, produce stands with boiled peanuts, melons and lettuce and squash for sale. Countless service stations, many of them abandoned. Baptist churches. Cemeteries housing the Confederate dead. Creeks the color of weak coffee" induce little shivers of joy, as striking images pop up here and there like summer fireflies or tribal fireworks, and it's small wonder that THE DEVIL HIMSELF has been snapped up for film development. It is a feast for the mind's eye as much as the reader's eye.
I could break down the plot, but as good as it is, to me it's almost beside the point of this pure-delight reading flight, the experience of the page, the deliciousness of lightly seasoned servings of prime-filet prose for maximum explosions of flavor. I could go on about its place in Southern Lit, or Grit Lit, and its rich antecedents and peers, but to me that feels too limiting: THE DEVIL HIMSELF is less a part of a tradition than simply a great piece of storytelling that makes maximum use of its place. It is a triumph beyond category.
June 11, 2022
Maya, an eighteen year old in this tale, is in danger from Lucio and all things connected to him including one troublesome entity The Mayor, one of title and status and a need for coverup due to corruption of the worst sense.
These sentences describe her conflict from the beginning pages of the tale:
“Over time Maya learned that it had always been the normal ones who were the greatest danger, these affluent masters of the universe with their warped senses of entitlement. The lawyers or congressmen, actors and athletes who fancied their reflections in a mirror, bewitched by what they saw. Maya couldn’t give a textbook definition of a sociopath, but she understood that they got ahead in life more often than most, and they had the darkest, deepest secrets to bear.
Men with appetites. Usually married. Most of them fathers.
Then there was The Mayor.
Maya was his favorite, at least according to Lucio. The Mayor called her Princess. Kitten. Let her sit on his lap and sniff powder off the nail of his pinky finger. After their first long, sweaty night together, The Mayor asked Lucio for exclusivity, and from that moment on he became her sole client. When he had paid extra to brand her, Lucio didn’t object. There was something peculiar about those two, Maya thought. Lucio and The Mayor shared a history, like half brothers raised in the same home, choosing different paths to reach the same goal—raw power.”
The devil himself is Lucio for his manipulation and putting young girls in harms way, danger and abuse, being used in exchange for currency.
Maya had been sold off by her drug addicted mother at the age of twelve.
Leonard is the main force to protect her in this corrupt wicked world in these pages, he develops a concern and care for her as one can read in this sentence: “She felt to him very much like a child, vulnerable, a pawn in the world of treachery and violence” and “He hadn’t given much thought to Maya’s secret, what it meant to the men determined to kill her.”
There are the ingredients that immerses one in this work, the content and right balance of details used has the story flow well.
You become a bystander in the fate of Maya and her search for safety, with characters reminiscent of the conjuring of a Cormac McCarthy and Harry Crews upon an equally devilish landscape, on the run from The Mayor and Lucio in Deep South terrain with a force of reckoning in the being of Leonard, a reader hooked to its final pages with empathic need for justice and redemption.
Review @ https://www.more2read.com/review/the-devil-himself-by-peter-farris/
These sentences describe her conflict from the beginning pages of the tale:
“Over time Maya learned that it had always been the normal ones who were the greatest danger, these affluent masters of the universe with their warped senses of entitlement. The lawyers or congressmen, actors and athletes who fancied their reflections in a mirror, bewitched by what they saw. Maya couldn’t give a textbook definition of a sociopath, but she understood that they got ahead in life more often than most, and they had the darkest, deepest secrets to bear.
Men with appetites. Usually married. Most of them fathers.
Then there was The Mayor.
Maya was his favorite, at least according to Lucio. The Mayor called her Princess. Kitten. Let her sit on his lap and sniff powder off the nail of his pinky finger. After their first long, sweaty night together, The Mayor asked Lucio for exclusivity, and from that moment on he became her sole client. When he had paid extra to brand her, Lucio didn’t object. There was something peculiar about those two, Maya thought. Lucio and The Mayor shared a history, like half brothers raised in the same home, choosing different paths to reach the same goal—raw power.”
The devil himself is Lucio for his manipulation and putting young girls in harms way, danger and abuse, being used in exchange for currency.
Maya had been sold off by her drug addicted mother at the age of twelve.
Leonard is the main force to protect her in this corrupt wicked world in these pages, he develops a concern and care for her as one can read in this sentence: “She felt to him very much like a child, vulnerable, a pawn in the world of treachery and violence” and “He hadn’t given much thought to Maya’s secret, what it meant to the men determined to kill her.”
There are the ingredients that immerses one in this work, the content and right balance of details used has the story flow well.
You become a bystander in the fate of Maya and her search for safety, with characters reminiscent of the conjuring of a Cormac McCarthy and Harry Crews upon an equally devilish landscape, on the run from The Mayor and Lucio in Deep South terrain with a force of reckoning in the being of Leonard, a reader hooked to its final pages with empathic need for justice and redemption.
Review @ https://www.more2read.com/review/the-devil-himself-by-peter-farris/
July 26, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Christ on a cracker was this an amazing book! I couldn't put it down and read it all in one go. Phenomenal writing. Fast-paced. An engaging, dark, and gritty plot. Two incredibly likable main characters and a plethora of secondary characters that round out the story. Run, don't walk, and get your hands on this one asap. This is southern noir at its best!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Christ on a cracker was this an amazing book! I couldn't put it down and read it all in one go. Phenomenal writing. Fast-paced. An engaging, dark, and gritty plot. Two incredibly likable main characters and a plethora of secondary characters that round out the story. Run, don't walk, and get your hands on this one asap. This is southern noir at its best!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
April 4, 2022
The Devil Himself by Peter Farris opens with the introduction of eighteen-year-old Maya. Maya finds herself gagged and bound in the trunk of a vehicle and is slated for murder. Maya is a sex trafficking victim and has outlived her usefulness because one of her politically powerful abusers coined “The Mayor” has told her too much information about Lucio Cottles and his criminal enterprise.
Lucio Cottles, a deadly and sociopathic street-wise savant, has created his depraved world by ruling with his amoral behavior and learning collected information truly is power and in more ways than one. Cottles is part of a larger criminal consortium secretly developing the woods of Southern Georgia for future criminal endeavors.
When Maya is able to escape and flee her pursuing captors into the deep Georgia woods, they encounter Leonard Moye on his wooded property. Moye, long from the culture of the hills, takes great offense to outsiders seeking to harm others upon his property and after dealing with Cottle’s men, he allows refuge for Maya. Maya and Leonard then develop a mentor/student relationship, with Leonard vowing to protect Maya, though she remains suspicious of Leonard's own motives.
Maya also makes it clear to Leonard that the man who wants her dead will certainly not be dissuaded from sending even more dangerous men to clean up the mess created by the failure of the previous two.
Throughout the region, Leonard is both feared and respected, with many questioning his sanity due to his frequent public appearances with a female mannequin he identifies as his believed deceased wife, Marjean.
While the main theme of The Devil Himself of an outsider entering an unknown world while being protected by a mysterious benefactor may seem familiar or even a crime/thriller trope, Farris still crafts an interesting tale with interesting characters and plot. Farris also tosses in new elements to a story where strangers from different worlds are thrown together in a time of turmoil in ways that distinct The Devil Himself from similarly plotted novels.
The Devil Himself is highly recommended to those readers that enjoy “rural noir” novels and novels from such authors as David Joy, Brian Panowich, and Kimi Cunningham Grant.
Netgalley provided an advanced reader copy of The Devil Himself for the promise of a fair review and is set to be released in May of 2022.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.
Lucio Cottles, a deadly and sociopathic street-wise savant, has created his depraved world by ruling with his amoral behavior and learning collected information truly is power and in more ways than one. Cottles is part of a larger criminal consortium secretly developing the woods of Southern Georgia for future criminal endeavors.
When Maya is able to escape and flee her pursuing captors into the deep Georgia woods, they encounter Leonard Moye on his wooded property. Moye, long from the culture of the hills, takes great offense to outsiders seeking to harm others upon his property and after dealing with Cottle’s men, he allows refuge for Maya. Maya and Leonard then develop a mentor/student relationship, with Leonard vowing to protect Maya, though she remains suspicious of Leonard's own motives.
Maya also makes it clear to Leonard that the man who wants her dead will certainly not be dissuaded from sending even more dangerous men to clean up the mess created by the failure of the previous two.
Throughout the region, Leonard is both feared and respected, with many questioning his sanity due to his frequent public appearances with a female mannequin he identifies as his believed deceased wife, Marjean.
While the main theme of The Devil Himself of an outsider entering an unknown world while being protected by a mysterious benefactor may seem familiar or even a crime/thriller trope, Farris still crafts an interesting tale with interesting characters and plot. Farris also tosses in new elements to a story where strangers from different worlds are thrown together in a time of turmoil in ways that distinct The Devil Himself from similarly plotted novels.
The Devil Himself is highly recommended to those readers that enjoy “rural noir” novels and novels from such authors as David Joy, Brian Panowich, and Kimi Cunningham Grant.
Netgalley provided an advanced reader copy of The Devil Himself for the promise of a fair review and is set to be released in May of 2022.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.
July 23, 2022
Farris has officially cemented his place among the Southern fiction greats with this dark, twisted, yet redemptive tale of power and corruption. Leonard Moye is easily one of my all time favorite unlikely heroes. It’s easy to understand why this loner so hates the outside world that has been ever-changing around him, but also why he sees that some folks are still worthy of saving. Five stars across the board for this one.
May 4, 2022
Peter Farris writes as though Flannery O’Connor passed him the torch of Southern Gothic fiction. You’ll see THE DEVIL HIMSELF on all of the best of lists for 2022. The French already know what Americans are going to find out. No one is writing better Southern fiction than Peter Farris is today.
May 7, 2022
This is southern noir that moves at a blistering pace. Dark doesnt even begin to describe this headlong dive into trafficking, drug running, greed, justice, survival, and surprisingly- found family. Somehow this barn-burner full of violent, evil men manages to include an inter-generational friendship that stole my heart. Leonard & Maya are an unlikely pair that will not soon be forgotten. There are some gut wrenching scenes that I had to skim over. Trigger warnings are all over this one. 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ overall.
July 25, 2022
Brutal and intriguing, The Devil Himself is a fast-paced thriller involving sex-trafficking, the depravity of the privileged class, backwoods justice, and, a surprisingly poignant friendship between two unique characters. Maya knows only the world of sexual slavery, drugs, and violence, but she is whip smart with a photographic memory, not to mention amazingly adaptable and practical, and a born survivor. Leonard, the meanest man in the county, is psychologically damaged, morally upright, and has a heart of gold beneath his imposing and rugged exterior.
It is Leonard who makes this book so memorable. A loner in a hidden home overrun by cats and guarded by scarecrows, the fearsome Leonard is a backwoods Bible-reading moonshiner who occasionally rides into town with a mannequin that he introduces as his wife. His story is much more complex than we are first led to believe, and I love the way it unfolded.
The Devil Himself is southern noir with enough thrills and suspense to keep you turning the pages late into the night, but it is the unique friendship of Maya and Leonard that will keep this story in your memory.
It is Leonard who makes this book so memorable. A loner in a hidden home overrun by cats and guarded by scarecrows, the fearsome Leonard is a backwoods Bible-reading moonshiner who occasionally rides into town with a mannequin that he introduces as his wife. His story is much more complex than we are first led to believe, and I love the way it unfolded.
The Devil Himself is southern noir with enough thrills and suspense to keep you turning the pages late into the night, but it is the unique friendship of Maya and Leonard that will keep this story in your memory.
April 7, 2022
Peter Farris's second novel finally arrives in English following it's prize winning run in France. Farris is an author revered on the crime scene and he shows just why in this book, which is a rare blend of literary and crime writing for which Ron Rash is an apt comparison.
He skewers the existing power structures and the transparent line between politics and corruption in such a way that the book does not get bogged down in the malaise of it instead pushing his plot forward in exciting and unexpected ways.
At the heart of the novel, we have the relationship between Maya and Leonard. Maya is an 18 year old sex slave who's life is saved when she escapes onto Leonard's property during the course of what should be her execution. Leonard is an elderly recluse hiding out on his scarecrow covered farm who fiercely protects his land and in turn, Maya. Maya knows too much and those that want her dead will stop at nothing.
Leonard and the novel's antagonists are themselves an interesting study into what a bad person truly is as Leonard carries out despicable acts in the name of protecting Maya, but his past as a bootlegger saw him carrying out violence in his own name and vying to make his criminal enterprise powerful and fear inducing, yet in the face of something bigger he becomes the hero.
In the early part of the novel, we are introduced to many characters, but each are given distinct life and etched in enough detail to stand on their own without being complete cliches.
Farris has written an excellent novel that displays why he's had issues getting this over the line with an English language publisher as it is not clearly one thing or another. It's noir, but there is lightness to it and it is literary, but it wanders in the noir tradition of skewering the power structures we are bound to.
He skewers the existing power structures and the transparent line between politics and corruption in such a way that the book does not get bogged down in the malaise of it instead pushing his plot forward in exciting and unexpected ways.
At the heart of the novel, we have the relationship between Maya and Leonard. Maya is an 18 year old sex slave who's life is saved when she escapes onto Leonard's property during the course of what should be her execution. Leonard is an elderly recluse hiding out on his scarecrow covered farm who fiercely protects his land and in turn, Maya. Maya knows too much and those that want her dead will stop at nothing.
Leonard and the novel's antagonists are themselves an interesting study into what a bad person truly is as Leonard carries out despicable acts in the name of protecting Maya, but his past as a bootlegger saw him carrying out violence in his own name and vying to make his criminal enterprise powerful and fear inducing, yet in the face of something bigger he becomes the hero.
In the early part of the novel, we are introduced to many characters, but each are given distinct life and etched in enough detail to stand on their own without being complete cliches.
Farris has written an excellent novel that displays why he's had issues getting this over the line with an English language publisher as it is not clearly one thing or another. It's noir, but there is lightness to it and it is literary, but it wanders in the noir tradition of skewering the power structures we are bound to.
May 26, 2022
Corrupt government officials, an eccentric moonshiner, a young woman on the run from human traffickers, family secrets, violent deaths, a spark of humanity in the midst of darkness. The Devil Himself has all the ingredients and mixes them together well for a page-turning crime thriller that is also a literary Southern Gothic novel. Highly recommended. Looking forward to reading more from Peter Farris.
June 10, 2024
⭐️4.5⭐️
Awesome read. Finished it in two days. Couldn’t put it down. A lot of depth in a contained world. The characters were fun, flawed, arced well, the writing smooth. The chapters a perfect length and crafted with careful attention. Everything moves the story forward. Each page left you wanting more and that’s exactly what you got. Shotgun blast beginning, high-stakes, simple yet purposeful plot, and a cathartic ending. I really enjoyed this one. Farris is a great storyteller.
Awesome read. Finished it in two days. Couldn’t put it down. A lot of depth in a contained world. The characters were fun, flawed, arced well, the writing smooth. The chapters a perfect length and crafted with careful attention. Everything moves the story forward. Each page left you wanting more and that’s exactly what you got. Shotgun blast beginning, high-stakes, simple yet purposeful plot, and a cathartic ending. I really enjoyed this one. Farris is a great storyteller.
May 18, 2025
I enjoyed this novel, but was not too impressed. The protagonists, Maya and Leonard were drawn pretty well, though their relationship flowered in such a way that I couldn’t convince myself to believe it. The bad guys were vicious, egotistical and very self-assured, but were completely one-dimensional. Overall, this seemed to be an average debut novel than something written with the sure hand of a pro.
June 19, 2022
I can't remember the last time a book grabbed ahold of me strong enough to read it in two sessions.
I heard Peter Farris was good, but I didn't expect to be blown away. Peter has sewn a tale of Southern Goth that had me dreaming of the characters. He brings them to the page with such vivid clarity, that there is no question they are real. I fell in love with Leonard, despite his dystopian mind and couldn't help but root for Maya, the young girl he must save from her own "fool's hell" - a hell that treads fast on their heals. Stitched together the way Southern Crime stories should be written - the read was crucifying - in a good way - page turning, nail biting, sitting on the edge of my seat - My god, Child - gratifying. I have a feeling the Devil Himself is still out there - because it's far from being over. Well, done, Peter!!
I heard Peter Farris was good, but I didn't expect to be blown away. Peter has sewn a tale of Southern Goth that had me dreaming of the characters. He brings them to the page with such vivid clarity, that there is no question they are real. I fell in love with Leonard, despite his dystopian mind and couldn't help but root for Maya, the young girl he must save from her own "fool's hell" - a hell that treads fast on their heals. Stitched together the way Southern Crime stories should be written - the read was crucifying - in a good way - page turning, nail biting, sitting on the edge of my seat - My god, Child - gratifying. I have a feeling the Devil Himself is still out there - because it's far from being over. Well, done, Peter!!
July 6, 2024
Il diavolo in persona 8/10
Thriller che inizia subito in modo avvincente e non si mette mai giù senza dispiacersi di doverlo fare. Trasmette un messaggio positivo senza mai sottolinearlo o farlo pesare. I personaggi sono sia buoni che cattivi, sfaccettati e molto diversi tra loro. Era quello che stavo cercando: qualcosa di incalzante e potente, sincero, concreto e anche cattivo. Non è unico nel suo genere ma molto valido. Consigliato!
Thriller che inizia subito in modo avvincente e non si mette mai giù senza dispiacersi di doverlo fare. Trasmette un messaggio positivo senza mai sottolinearlo o farlo pesare. I personaggi sono sia buoni che cattivi, sfaccettati e molto diversi tra loro. Era quello che stavo cercando: qualcosa di incalzante e potente, sincero, concreto e anche cattivo. Non è unico nel suo genere ma molto valido. Consigliato!
March 12, 2022
Wow! Loved it. Fast paced , linear , well written-exciting , dark and dirty. Not quite noir in my opinion—just a tough crime thriller. Farris, son of great writer , John Farris, gets you right into the action and tells a story(the most important thing a writer can do in my humble opinion) that makes you want to know what happens next. Quite simply, you will enjoy it. Highly recommended..
June 7, 2024
un roman noir qui nous entraîne dans un univers sombre, sinistre et violent, tout en révélant une dualité poignante entre l’espoir et des relations humaines étonnamment touchantes et attachantes.
grosse vibe daddy issues
TW : proxénétisme ; vi*l
grosse vibe daddy issues
TW : proxénétisme ; vi*l
July 11, 2022
This Book is dark, heartfelt, and charismatic. Leonard is one of the southern locals who's been living a lone-wolf life. He rescues a girl who's been tied up and chased to her death. The bond between these two unlikely characters was fascinating to watch and we get to witness how the two save each other's lives in the end. The pace is great, and the conversation felt true and smooth, I just love this book! I want more, please!
June 27, 2022
This is a great story. It grabs you right off and doesn't let go.
March 16, 2022
This is a thriller with break neck speed but has time to let it all sink in for the reader. That’s the southern hospitality of this book. It lets you sit down and stay awhile. The author’s character development is on point with this one. They slowly let you in on the inner workings of both Leonard and Maya. I would categorize this book as a crime thriller. Typically I get bored with crime thrillers but this one was written in a way where you have to know what comes next. It just goes to show you that even if you don’t get to choose your family, people can weave their way into your heart. Family really is the F word here. The history that Leonard and Marjean had was heartbreaking. Maya begs the reader to see her for more than a prostitute. The reader has a vested interest in the characters from page 1.
October 24, 2023
Why do the French get all the good stuff first? They loved this book. They’ve always been known for their impeccable taste and style and a passion for crime fiction. The Devil Himself is something special. Fresh and original beautifully written novel that just happens to fall into the crime category but goes so much further in characterization and pure charm resulting in a story that will touch your heart. Absolutely must read. Perfect.
December 6, 2022
Great read, enjoyed it so much -WOW !
August 22, 2022
I'll be Looking for More
This is a new author to me. The blurb intrigued me since I'm a fan of thrillers, especially Southern Noir. Having just finished this brilliant tale, I can say without a doubt I will be looking for more from this author.
The characters are all fascinating in their unique ways. Maya seems like a helpless victim who allows the storms of life to toss her wherever they will. Leonard seems like a crazy old back woods revenuer. In truth, both are so much more than what they appear to be. Leonard is "crazy like a fox." Maya wasn't able to receive much of an education, but she's highly intelligent and stronger than anyone gives her credit for being. Together, they can give the cartel a run for their money...literally.
Fans of strong suspense/thriller novels will find this to be a great read. It is fast-paced and very well written with a great sense of restoration and the concept that it's never too late for a second chance. While most of the characters seem to be monochromatic in nature (they're pretty much either good guys or bad guys), the story itself is built on the subtlety of gray tones as each person relies on their personal moral compass. Very enjoyable story.
This is a new author to me. The blurb intrigued me since I'm a fan of thrillers, especially Southern Noir. Having just finished this brilliant tale, I can say without a doubt I will be looking for more from this author.
The characters are all fascinating in their unique ways. Maya seems like a helpless victim who allows the storms of life to toss her wherever they will. Leonard seems like a crazy old back woods revenuer. In truth, both are so much more than what they appear to be. Leonard is "crazy like a fox." Maya wasn't able to receive much of an education, but she's highly intelligent and stronger than anyone gives her credit for being. Together, they can give the cartel a run for their money...literally.
Fans of strong suspense/thriller novels will find this to be a great read. It is fast-paced and very well written with a great sense of restoration and the concept that it's never too late for a second chance. While most of the characters seem to be monochromatic in nature (they're pretty much either good guys or bad guys), the story itself is built on the subtlety of gray tones as each person relies on their personal moral compass. Very enjoyable story.
April 16, 2022
In The Devil Himself we follow a cast of characters in the town of Trickum, Georgia including an overload/pimp, the Mayor and his circle, the police, and, most importantly, the withdrawn and off grid town weirdo who takes in one of the overlord/pimp’s “girls” after she is ordered to be killed and disposed of. This girl is Maya. I was smitten with Maya and her strength, humility, intelligence, and even gracefulness. She was an extremely well developed character. Speaking of well developed characters, the town weirdo is also one of the most complex and amazing characters I’ve ever read in a book. Read it, you’ll see what I mean. Still so conflicted as to how I feel about him.
This book is equal parts mystery, thriller, crime, southern. A few good twists in this book as well. I enjoyed every minute that I read it. Peter Farris expertly created the atmosphere of this book - I felt like I was there.
Recommended for lovers of the movie Gran Torino and anything Tarantino. Plenty of gun action and bloodiness.
Also, so honored to have won this in a Goodreads giveaway only to discover it was signed by Peter and he left a nice note. Thank you.
This book is equal parts mystery, thriller, crime, southern. A few good twists in this book as well. I enjoyed every minute that I read it. Peter Farris expertly created the atmosphere of this book - I felt like I was there.
Recommended for lovers of the movie Gran Torino and anything Tarantino. Plenty of gun action and bloodiness.
Also, so honored to have won this in a Goodreads giveaway only to discover it was signed by Peter and he left a nice note. Thank you.
May 15, 2022
Absolutely loved The Devil Himself. From the first sentence this novel races out of the chute and dares you to close that cover until the very last sentence. It is dark, violent, exciting, and packed with surprises at every turn. Even though the storyline is very dark, the two main characters, Maya and Leonard, are likable. I found myself reading faster from fear that something was going to happen to one of my favorite characters.
Peter Farris has always been talented at bringing characters to life and making you feel like you are in the backwoods of Georgia. You can hear those twigs break and smell the wet dirt. You can feel the fear radiating off of Maya as she tries to escape the clutches of the human traffickers that snatched and sold her. Plus leave it to Farris to throw in a kinky surprise or two that leaves you shaking your head and wondering where did he get this idea. The scary part is there are actually people out there doing it right now.
The Devil Himself was so well written and engaging that I read it in one sitting. It was that good. Highly recommend.
Peter Farris has always been talented at bringing characters to life and making you feel like you are in the backwoods of Georgia. You can hear those twigs break and smell the wet dirt. You can feel the fear radiating off of Maya as she tries to escape the clutches of the human traffickers that snatched and sold her. Plus leave it to Farris to throw in a kinky surprise or two that leaves you shaking your head and wondering where did he get this idea. The scary part is there are actually people out there doing it right now.
The Devil Himself was so well written and engaging that I read it in one sitting. It was that good. Highly recommend.
June 6, 2022
This was a great read. I started it and finished it the same day, I did not want to put it down. My only complaint with the book was that I wanted it to go on and on. The ending was a bit hurried to resolve many things and I wish they had been in more depth.
Loved it!
Loved it!
June 5, 2022
A tour-de-force of real Southern storytelling. This thing takes off like a rocket and never loses its narrative center. Great writing, really good Southern details (like the peanuts in Coca-Cola) that help the pedal-to-the-metal action feel authentic to discerning readers.
May 14, 2023
Mexican drug cartel looking to set up business in Southern Georgia, kidnaps young girls and makes them available to local honchos as blackmail fodder. One of the girls escapes, meets the local strange guy and all hell breaks loose. Glad Trickum County is a figment of the author’s imagination. I hope the people are too.
April 10, 2022
Such a page-turner, I had to slow myself down.
Time to read the Peter Farris back catalog…
Time to read the Peter Farris back catalog…
August 15, 2022
This could totally be a Clint Eastwood movie, with him in the starring role. Reminded me a little of Gran Torino, but back woods country style.
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