Review: SIMPLY OUTSTANDING!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 29, 2012
Clearly Gae-Lynn Woods is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the crime thriller genre. The Devil of Light begins as a classic crime, murder mystery but very soon the reader learns it is so much more.Following the death of upstanding member of the community, Lenny Scarborough, at the hands of his wife, a disturbing trail begins to emerge, a trail that threatens to shake Forney County to its very foundations. Following that trail are the story's protagonists, Cass Elliot, a firey young rape victim determined to prove herself in a man's world, and Mitch Stone, an experienced detective who remembers Cass before her world caved in on itself, as they seek to uncover the truth behind Scarborough's dark past.At its root, the plot is a mystery, but unlike most this is no ordinary case of the good catching the bad. Packed with intrigue, deception, and a century-old conspiracy, The Devil of Light is an epic tale that delves into the unquestionably real scenario of what happens when the professional success of powerful individuals develops into a capability of undermining local authority. In similar vein, Woods powerful writing deals with the horrifying effects of when such men are misguided by the ambiguity of Christianity's most controversial beliefs and warped by the effect of ancient cult, blurring the line between right and wrong.The Devil of Light is excellently written, beautifully paced and offers such great eye for detail that the reader will have no problem following the locations in vivid detail. The main characters are both convincing and likeable and the development of the main protagonist is excellent, allowing for the effects of personal trauma and dealing with the horror of overcoming events that threaten to unleash the demons of her past.Fans of the crime thriller genre will undoubtedly be charmed immediately by the writing of Ms. Woods, but this is not merely confined to the fans of Marple or Wexford. Fans of the thriller genre will love it for its intrigue, fans of horror will relate to its darkness, and, as the author's career develops, I'm sure Cass Elliot and Forney County will earn a special place in the hearts of many of the genre's hardcore fans...Bring on the next one!