The Devil Crept In

By: Ania Ahlborn

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Jude Brighton has been missing for three days, and while the search for him is in full swing in the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon, the locals are starting to lose hope. They're well aware that the first 48 hours are critical and after that, the odds usually point to a worst-case scenario. And despite Stevie Clark's youth, he knows that, too; he's seen the cop shows. He knows what each ticking moment may mean for Jude, his cousin and best friend.

That, and there was that boy, Max Larsen - the one from years ago, found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. For years, the residents of Deer Valley have murmured about these unsolved crimes...and that a killer may still be lurking around their quiet town. Now, fear is reborn - and for Stevie, who is determined to find out what really happened to Jude, the awful truth may be too horrifying to imagine.

©2017 Ania Ahlborn (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A beautiful and deftly wrought horror story...Readers will be engrossed and thrilled right through to the chewy final twist." ( Publishers Weekly starred review)

So good…

There is a lot of character development in the beginning, but the characters are so well developed, and interesting, that it’s not a chore to get through. It speeds up quickly and doesn’t slow down. It is reminiscent of early Stephen King. I loved this book. The narration was wonderful. This is horror at its best. Ania Ahlborn is a master! This is my second book of hers and I’m on to my third. I believe I’ve found my new favorite horror writer.

I wanted to give it 5 stars, but...

This was a great and original story with a terrible yet wonderful sense of dread. Well written and performed. It was difficult to pause at times, and kept me engrossed until the last minute. It’s an unexpectedly poignant and emotional dark tale. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with the way the protagonist, who is potentially on the autism spectrum although it’s never explicitly made clear, was treated by literally everyone including his own family. I won’t get into it beyond that to avoid spoilers, and I’m aware it’s an integral part of the story and character(s). It was really unsettling to me personally though, so I’m inclined to put the info out there for those triggered by child abuse, neglect, and the like.

Scary!

Creepy story. A good imagination. Written well and kept my attention all through. Narration was very good .

Sad Beginning

Stories that involve domestic violence, or even hint at child abuse, are extremely difficult for me. I didn't know this would be a theme here. I know it's fiction, but there's some degree of truth or borrowing from real life in many stories. Poor Stevie, a child existing in a world of so much abuse. A mother paralyzed to do anything. The women in this story are sad, weak and stuck.

LOVED THE CHARACTERS

Love the story line and characters. Kept my interest and made me think about it.

Speechless!

Its like when you first start you don't know what your getting into then WOW! THIS IS A THRILL RIDE!

Love how it came together

The way it all came together in the end was very well done. This is a great slow burn book

Another 5 Star For Ahlborn

Any additional comments?

This is a well told, unique story. I'm a fan of Ania Ahlborn because there is no particular formula to her stories. This one is no exception. It is somewhat creepy and disturbing, not so much scary, but I really enjoyed it. I didn't want it to end. If you like a good story, are good with being a bit disturbed and don't need warm fuzzies when you complete a novel, give this one a go.

Ania Ahlborn is a brilliant story teller!!

Absolutely thoroughly enjoyed this from cover to cover!! I find Ania Ahlborn to be an incredible writer with great characters that bloom on the page! I’ve read everything she’s written that I can get my hands on. I’m a Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jeff Strand fan! And Ania Ahlborn can keep up with some of the best.

Frustratingly Lacking

After spending some time reading reviews of this book it seems like I’m the only person that doesn’t like the Rosie story. In contrast with Stevie‘s narrative, hers felt unbelievably cliché and just sucked all excitement and mystery right out of the book. It was so painfully predictable and spending so much time with the creature baby just made it less scary. For example finding out the “devil incarnate” can’t travel that far or even get through closed doors made it seem pretty pathetic.

Also, dedicating half of the book to explaining the creatures origin just made the ending even more frustrating and confusing. Which probably irks me the most because I love unreliable narrator stories. Typically the twist ending is supposed to make all of the sprinkled details snap into place resulting in a huge revelation!! This ending however just made me feel like I should have skipped all of the Rosie chapters.

This book was so close to being great Ania’s writing from a disturbed 10 yr boys perspective is phenomenal! It’s a shame it was dragged down so bad with too many plot devices that should have been better streamlined in editing.