The Devil Can Wait Review

Title: The Devil Can Wait
Author: Marta Stephens
ISBN 978-1-905202-86-7
Publisher: BeWrite Books

A flu outbreak leaves Detective Sam Harper short handed and over extended as he searches for a serial killer. The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens grabs you from the first chapter when a man and his dog discover the body of a young man washed up from the bay, the third victim of a serial killer and not a single clue. The local press and a pesky female reporter from the Chandler Times complicates his life further when she withholds evidence to get a story.

Stephens feeds threads of evidence throughout a multi-dimensional and intricate plot that spans two continents and leads to conclusions that increase the urgency to find a suspect before another young boy is murdered. This fast-paced thriller masterfully weaves mystery into the lives of believable characters and a well-crafted setting. Can the murder of a woman in a small Columbian pueblo, and the theft of her black pearl ring be related to the murder of the boys found in Chandler Bay? Or could the simpleton working in Dominick Ray's Garage actuality be the serial killer? The author creates solid leads raising suspicions that weave a web connecting to three possible suspects and then raises a new question. The death of each victim is different. Could this mean four different killers?

The Devil Can Wait interlaces a complex plot that grabs the reader and doesn't let go. This book will appeal to readers with varied interests as it has everything: tension, conflict, murder, mystery, romance and the ability to keep the reader turning the page as Sam Harper is thrust into a world that leads to a cursed papal ring tied to biblical prophecies in the book of Daniel. Sam's not a religious man, but it raises the question of whether a series of unrelated murders are the result of a sick mind or are they actually connected to the beasts in Daniel chapter 7? Harper's investigation leads him on an unpredictable trail making him more of a believer with each turn. This one is a must read.

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Reviewed by author and full-time freelance writer, Donna Sundblad, who resides in Georgia with her husband, Rick. Among her published works you'll find Pumping Your Muse a creative book for writers, Windwalker and Beyond the Fifth Gate, two young adult Fantasy novels, and various inspirational short stories and articles. Check her website for more information at www.theinkslinger.net.