-A book review: The Devil’s Colony is the last in Bill Schweigart‘s trilogy, The Fatal Folklore Trilogy, and as always, it delivers in the style I’ve become accustomed to from Schweigart, and that’s a good thing. And as usual, he pits his team of cryptid hunters against the most vile enemies that the world has to offer in the form of racists, neo-Nazis, and the alt-right.
The Devil’s Colony on Amazon.
The teaser reads as follows:
“Ben McKelvie had a good job, a nice house, a beautiful fiancée . . . until a bloodthirsty shapeshifter took everything away (In the first book). Ever since, he’s been chasing supernatural phenomena all across the country, aided by dedicated zoologist Lindsay Clark and wealthy cryptozoologist Richard Severance.
Now they face their deadliest challenge yet. In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a man named Henry Drexler operates a private compound called Välkommen, which is Swedish for “welcome.” Indeed, Drexler welcomes all visitors—so long as they’re racists, neo-Nazis, or otherwise in cahoots with the alt-right. But Drexler is no mere Hitler wannabe. Once he was Severance’s mentor, and his research may well have summoned a monster to the Pine Barrens.
To find out the truth, Ben and Lindsay must enter the camp incognito. There, under the watchful eyes of Drexler’s bodyguards and sociopathic son, they will learn that the most dangerous beasts lurk in the human heart.”
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But don’t be fooled by this loss-leader enemy. Yes, Bill and Lindsay and the team must face off against a pit of dark humanity, but as usual, there is something more to this camp and the surrounding woods that meets the eye.
Since we last saw everyone, Severance has himself a girlfriend, which in and of itself is rather shocking. Ben and Lindsay have adapted to being the best of friends, like the family they may have never had. While the rest are fulfilling their paid roles to protect and transport Severance to wherever he wants to go.
But after a meeting between Severance and his old mentor, he comes to suspect that it’s very possible that Drexler might have been behind the events in the (other two books) past.
But he has to send Ben and Lindsay into this camp to find the truth.
But what they find is anything but what they were expecting. Drexler seems to be a very welcoming person, inviting all who wish to enter his camp, his domain. It’s his son that keeps you guessing who the real evil is.
Kindle Books on Amazon.
But as is the case, this feels like one of those excellent episodes of ABC’s cancelled show, Castle, where you think they’ve caught their culprit, only to find out it’s someone else altogether.
And sure enough, Schweigart, with his style of subterfuge writing not only keeps you guessing, but surprises you with who or what the real enemy is.
Along the way the author pulls no strings in how he treats his characters, and does not apologize for it. But beware, as much fun as this monster story is, the ending almost went a bit too much over-the-top, ALMOST, for me.
Yes, we have good guys, bad guys, characters in the wings, and as usual, Ben getting the short end of the stick, but we also get a dose of monster, because, face it, we are dealing with a supernatural theme here!
Though my favorite line in the book, at the most precarious time, Ben yells out, Stevie Wonder is a national treasure! Oh the timing and daring of Ben! (You’ll see what I mean when you read the book.)
This book rounded out the trilogy nicely and I would love to see more of these characters facing off against the dark unknown yet again, and again and again.
If you pick up any of these books, I think you’ll enjoy the time spent immersed in the story and the world that Schweigart creates for the reader.
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Related posts:
Book Review NORTHWOODS by Bill Schweigart
Book Review: Chaos Walking Trilogy Third Book titled Monsters of Men
Book Review The Beast of Barcroft