I adored Johnny Compton’s previous novel, The Spite House. His emphasis on character development and plot, resulted in an incredibly impressive, and terrifying debut.
Compton’s follow-up, Devils Kill Devils, is straight-up, bat poop crazy, in an amazing way. Our protagonist, Sarita, has a literal guardian angel, Angelo. He first surfaced when she almost drowned as a child, and has appeared at various points to save her life. However, when Angelo appears on Sarita’s wedding night, and precedes to kill her husband, things get a little bit complicated, and we venture into the weird world of gods, devils, and vampires.
I loved this book. I finished it in two days. I’m often a little wary of male authors writing female characters, but there were no such concerns with Compton. Sarita is a beautifully complex character, and her relationships with her brother and her best friend are very well-formed. But the thing that held my interest in the sheer unpredictability of the plot. I was willing to put my trust in Compton and suspend all belief, and follow the path to the underworld.
If you like your horror on the fantastical side, I highly recommend Devils Kill Devils.
California Reading 