Book Review: Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

 

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

 288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 24, 2024 by Tor Nightfire

I met the author of this book briefly at Stokercon and heard him on the Talking Scared podcast, a few days after I made the mental note that I had to read some of his work an arc sounded up in my mailbox. So when I finished reading Forgotten Sisters (for a great modern horror double feature) I decided to dive in without reading anything about the plot, or setting, and I went in totally cold. Now that I have read it, I would say part of my enjoyment of the first act was entirely based on not being spoiled about major elements of the plot. 

So, if you want that cold entry, and you trust me this is a fine work of Supernatural horror fiction. I recommend this book to most horror readers. It tells an epic tale, with an economical style that in the 80s would have played out over 600 pages. It is refreshingly lean without sacrificing the elements that work. 

 I have to talk about elements of the story in this review so if you trust me you can go read Devils Kill Devils and report back here for an in-depth look at why it works. If you don’t mind a little background to be sold then keep reading.

So not knowing the plot helped with the first act so again this is your final warning. Sarita is a little worried about her in-laws when her wedding day comes, but despite a little drama with her biological mother-in-law the marriage goes okay until a brutal attack leaves her new husband murdered right in front of her. The mystery is well set up when Sarita admits to her family she knows who did it but didn’t tell the police for reasons…

This was an interesting mystery, and sure a part of me speculated in other directions from a traditional monster set-up. Yes, DKD is a vampire novel, I didn’t know that. I am glad I didn’t know that. There are plenty of twists to the story. I enjoyed how the mystery was all laid out. You Sarita felt invincible for years because of her Guardian angel who has saved her life multiple times, and her family who have all seen the evidence call him Angelo. The dynamic of this relationship provides many powerful moments.

“None of that would bring him to her, though. Save for the one horrible exception of her wedding night, Angelo only appeared when she was in mortal peril.

She put the loaded gun to her head and waited for him to come to her period she told herself she wasn't bluffing, said it aloud a few times hoping he would hear her she even considered squeezing the treasure trigger and relying on an Angel being faster than a bullet, her being able to use divine means to save her, but she wasn't quite ready to risk that.”

Why would this mysterious spirit who saved her life over and over brutally attack the love of her life? The mystery leads to a family of monsters that reminded me of the True Knot from Doctor Sleep. Sarita, her brother David, and her best friend find themselves in the middle of a battle between monsters and gods.  “Who are they? Who are you?”

“They are demons of a sort,” Myra said, then paused and seemed to gauge Sarita's reaction to this how did she expect Sarita to react?”

Devils Kill Devils starts with a light Rosmary’s Baby-type mystery and explodes into horror action, and along the way, there are moments of great character and suspense. Compton wields little details with great strength. “The ones who were free to go appeared to obey an instinct, like animals heading for high ground in advance of a tsunami no human could sense coming. She thought the last of them had left, heard cars starting in the parking lot, she surveyed how many remained. There were those at her table, Everett’s three boys the two who had eyes on her at the park, and seated in the corner behind her the third member of their party. The fake runner. His chest heaved as he stared past her, toward the entrance of the restaurant. She gathered that the crisis that the rest had fled was arriving at last.”
 

This is a fantastic novel, and for me a good introduction to an author I want to read more of over time. Devils Kill Devils is a great modern spin on the monster novel. Big thumbs up.