Title: Demon

Author: Matt Wesolowski

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication Date: 20th January 2022 (Paperback), Out Now in Ebook

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world. 

Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity. 

Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act. 

And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, and King himself becomes a target of media scrutiny and the public’s ire, it becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun…

Review:

A new instalment in the phenomenal Six Stories series is always a reason for celebration in my book. They have all been just brilliant and Demon is no exception. This time round, the enigmatic Scott King is digging into a shocking murder of a 12 year old boy in 1995 by two other boys his age in a small picturesque village. This is a story filled with folklore, superstition and a suggestion of the otherworldly.

What I love most (and there’s a lot to love) about these books is the way that there is always that hint of the supernatural but it is never implicitly confirmed. It gives the stories an incredibly vivid sense of uncertainty and a chilling atmosphere that permeates every single page. Wesolowski’s work is so smart and genre-defying in the best possible way. Demon is not quite a horror story but it is terrifying and unnerving in the way truly good supernatural tales are. It’s sort of a mystery but also not because the point of Scott King’s podcast is not necessarily to uncover the truth – it’s about examining a cold case with fresh eyes and six different perspectives. King himself is fascinating – with every book in this series the reader becomes more and more intrigued by this mysterious man. Demon is spectacularly spooky without the need for any theatrics. Reading it, I kept getting that strange shivery feeling of someone walking over my grave. I devoured the book in a couple of days and now I’m just gutted that I’ll likely have a wait for the next instalment! I don’t know how he does it but once again Wesolowski has given us a creepy, dark and insidious tale which also somehow manages to be deeply moving and thoughtful. I couldn’t recommend it more.

★★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Orenda Books | Waterstones | Blackwells