Friend of the Devil by Stephen LloydMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received an ARC of this book.
This was a VERY unique book, and I read it in October, which was perfect. It was a quick and quirky read full of bizarre goings-on, interesting characters, and unexpected twists. I had no idea what was going to happen, and that really made this book fun!
The reader is introduced to Sam, a hardboiled '80s detective who is investigating the theft of an ancient book from an isolated island-bound New England boarding school. As Sam questions various students and school employees while tracking down leads, the reader meets a disparate cast of characters from the terribly grumpy librarian, to the eccentric head master, to a jock on steroids, to a misunderstood nerd. The only one who seems in concert with Sam as he tries to do his job is Harriet, a young but intrepid writer for the school paper. As Sam and Harriet get closer to the truth behind the stolen book, missing students, and truly bizarre occurrences around the lonely and highly creepy school campus, what they learn may completely change both of their lives.
This was a really quick read. The story jumped from vignette to vignette, but that really kept me interested and made me want to know what on earth was going to happen next. The characters where funny, real, and spot-on. Harriet and Sam made quite a team, even though they worked alone for much of the book. The supporting characters were also well-drawn, even if many only appeared for a few pages.
This was a really bizarre and gory book, which made it absolutely perfect for a Halloween read. The ending came fast and furious, and I really can't describe it because it wasn't at all what I was expecting (and it might not be for some), but once I finished I realized it totally fit in with the tone of the book. If you are looking for a fast, fun, spooky, twisty, and completely unexpected book to read during "spooky season," I would absolutely recommend this one, for sure.
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