Evil has its uses
This is the first instalment in what promises to be an intriguing thriller/mystery/detective series set in and around Arcadia, Texas.
There’s no paranormal twist to this story – yet. Author, Gae-Lynn Woods, does tweak the surface of the character “Hitch”–a psychopath who knows exactly where his talents lie–just enough to give us a hint, perhaps a misdirection, as to where she might be heading with this. Given my taste for things paranormal, that hint is all I need to bring me back for the next instalment.
For now, “Devil” does a good job of setting up the storyline, and establishes Ms. Woods’ credentials as an indie-writer you can rely on. Her prose is strong, and if there’s a bit too much exposition on occasion, I think we can forgive her. This is a debut novel, and perhaps she’s not yet confident that her readership will “get it”. I have a feeling that as she hits her pace with this series, the couple of “As you know, Bob” infodumps, will be left on the cutting room floor.
Apart from that one little hint that there is another layer to be revealed, this novel is your standard detective-thriller/murder-mystery. A series of apparently unrelated events: a mutilated skeleton, arson, the murder of a prominent businessman by his abused wife and revelations that respected members of their community are involved in a morally twisted, pseudo-Christian cult, begin to reveal themselves in interesting ways as Detective Cass Elliot and her colleagues unpick the evidence.
The pacing is unhurried; there’s plenty of time to get to know the characters and their relationships. The author has gone to a great deal of trouble to set up her cast, crew and backdrop. The heroine has enough spice and sufficient history to make her interesting, while the supporting characters are well drawn and carry the story along.
Unfortunately for Cass (but interestingly for us) the end result of her actions bring her to the attention of the cult leader’s secret instrument of evil; a predator down to his DNA, who now has her in his sights. I’m looking forward to finding out just how dark and deep Gae-Lynn Woods is prepared to go with her sequel.
Devil of Light is available for US$2.99 at Smashwords and Amazon
I finished “The Devil of Light” last night . Gae-Lynn has a great deal of skill as a writer, her style polished, her manuscript clean and well formatted. She may be unhappy with what I say next, but I hope she listens for she could be an excellent novelist if she learns a bit more about story construction. The “but” you hear coming is due to her seeming misunderstanding of what creates suspense versus what creates frustration. In a series, every book must be a finished work unto itself. “The Devil of Light” is hardly finished. Every major subplot in the second half of the book is left unresolved. No debriefing of the event leaves the reader not knowing if Cass Elliot loses her job, gets framed by a fellow officer, if her partner dies or is disabled, why he was even in that condition, if the sheriff tags a fall guy, or if they are going to take another go at a rather botched attempt to capture the bad guys, etcetera. I didn’t put this review up on Amazon as I did not want to tarnish her first efforts, but she needs to know this readers experience for as it stands, I will not again spend all that time reading her novel to feel only frustration at its conclusion.
Hi Christina – thank you for taking the time to both read The Devil of Light and leave such a thoughtful comment on Lynnette’s blog. I’m sorry you were left frustrated at the end of the book, and I value your feedback. I’m working on book two in the series and will take your comments to heart.
All the best, and again, thanks so much for your time. Gae-Lynn
Writing is hard enough. Critiques are harder still. I greatly respect your reply,Gae-Lynn and wish you all success.
Hi Christina, it’s so nice to have a new visitor, thanks so much for visiting and taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. I do not know the author personally but I will send her a tweet to let her know she’s received a comment here. I do not think your feedback is at all damaging, but your consideration for the author and her investment is golden. I’m sure she will feel the same way. 🙂 kind regards.
Thanks, Lyn. I appreciate your feedback, as I surely don’t want to hurt another and often don’t give reviews for that very reason. But I also know we all have lots to learn, and I appreciate when someone helps me along the way to see what I’ve missed.
Christina, I couldn’t agree with you more, and when a positive and constructive connection (like this one) is made, it rejuvenates my own energies. All the very best, Lyn 🙂