Goodreads description:
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.
Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.
The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.
My Take:
The Dominic Grey series has been picked up by Amazon's Thomas and Mercer imprint, which goes to show, yet again, that if your book is good enough, even if you start out self-publishing, someone is going to notice!
In this third-in-series novel, the reader travels with Dominic Grey (our tough guy) and Victor Radek (our absinthe-addicted cult phenomenolist) from San Francisco to England to Paris and Italy on the trail of a killer whose victims are leaders of so-called "black cults".
In this intelligent thriller, we come across great thinking points on Satan, Lucifer, and the origin of evil even as we follow our main characters on their journeys (most of the time they are on separate paths as they follow various leads).
We may not feel too sorry for the victims, but whoever is killing them has to be even worse. Intrigue, betrayal, deception, kidnapping, truly evil villains and a mysterious beautiful woman who keeps appearing (and then disappearing) - what more could a thriller offer? Oh! Danger! There's plenty of that in this title as well.
Although this is a series, the author does a great job of filling in background info which means that you don't have to read the previous two titles to appreciate this one (but I DO recommend them!). In my review of the first novel, The Summoner, I stated: "I'm hoping to see a lot more of one of the secondary characters, Victor Radek, who is interesting in his own right." - and in this novel, Victor definitely comes into his own.
One thing that distinguishes this series from many other thrillers that I definitely appreciate is the character development. There's not just swashbuckling, knuckle-clenching action, you learn enough about the protagonists and their backgrounds to make you care about what happens to them.
QUOTES:
He didn't know what was more disturbing: being helped by a beautiful girl who kept disappearing into thin air, being chased by a pack of bloodthirsty Satanists who knew his name, or taking a plane to London in pursuite of a mysterious figure who terrified both the bloodthirsty Satanists and the girl.
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Sensitive Reader: One dream sex scene and some brief scenes of violence.
BLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.
Title: The Diabolist
Author: Layton Green
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer, a division of Amazon
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Paperback, 375 pages
ISBN 10: 1611099846
ISBN 13: 9781611099843
Author website
BUY IT: At Amazon, The Book Depository, and through other on-and-off-line booksellers.
Disclosure: I received an eGalley of this title from the author to facilitate my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and no other compensation was received.