As a fan of suspenseful mysteries I was excited to be reading a new-to-me author with Let the Devil Sleep. I have since discovered that this is Book 3 in the Dave Gurney series; however, it can be read as a stand alone novel. As I have not read the first two books I cannot speak to what has been missed in the Gurney saga, but I can say that I did not have any trouble keeping up in Let the Devil Sleep.
Dave Gurney is a “quasi-retired” NYPD detective recovering from three near-fatal gunshot wounds. He is a bit gruff around the edges and appears to have a classic case of forced-retirement/recovery-from-getting-shot-at-depression. While recuperating, Gurney is approached by a friend to help out her daughter who may be in over her head on her final degree project. Kim (the daughter) is working on a documentary about families of unsolved murder sprees. [side note - I found the idea of the documentary to be truly fascinating!] “It’s an idea I’ve had for years–examining the horror of murder by examining its impact on the victim’s family…..I saw it as a series of intimate interviews….done with emotional truth.” (22)
With the strong encouragement of his wife and the instinctive spidey sense of the “Supercop,” Gurney begins to assist Kim with her interviews. Strange and frightening things begin to happen around both Gurney and Kim, like a razor-sharp arrow landing in Gurney’s yard, booby-trapped basements, and reality television producers! As the two look into unsolved cases around the New York state area Gurney becomes more and more interested in opening the old Case of the Good Shepherd, a series of roadside shootings that mysteriously ceased ten years prior. Gurney meets resistance from all sides regarding the reopening of the case which only increases his curiosity/intuition.
Let the Devil Sleep is a detective novel for those who like some meat with their potatoes ~ it has a bit of substance. Dave Gurney is a fleshed out character with real emotions, feelings and desires. I love that his wife is so supportive of him yet has her own life too. . . . .and I loved that he’s happily married and half the book did not dwell on hooking up Gurney with the damsel-in-distress.
I must admit I was not too fond of Kim. In some aspects she acted with intelligence and with a street-smartness that comes from taking care of yourself for years,but then she’d turn right around and do something incredibly stupid! Although Kim was annoying at best, Let the Devil Sleep was a thrill of a novel. The scary parts were downright hide-under-the-bed-scary and the character development of everyone except Kim was impressive, especially for a “detective novel!” With that said, if you’d like to read Let the Devil Sleep for yourself, then mention in the comments your favorite detective novel. The winner will be chosen with the help of the WP Giveaway plugin on August 21st. Best of luck!
To discover what other bloggers have to say about Let the Devil Sleep visit the tour stops below:
Tuesday, July 24th: Wordsmithonia Wednesday, July 25th: Jenny Loves to Read Thursday, July 26th: Jen’s Book Thoughts Monday, July 30th: A Bookworm’s World Tuesday, July 31st: Sara’s Organized Chaos Wednesday, August 1st: Life in Review Thursday, August 2nd: Colloquium Monday, August 6th: Booklover Book Reviews Tuesday, August 7th: Stacy’s Books Wednesday, August 8th: Book Addict Katie Thursday, August 9th: House of Crime and Mystery Monday, August 13th: Crime Fiction Lover Wednesday, August 15th: Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White Thursday, August 16th: Bewitched Bookworms Monday, August 20th: Girls Just Reading Wednesday, August 22nd: Thoughts of Joy Monday, August 27th: Musings of a Bookish Kitty
