cheated and read the afterword after finishing just a few chapters of the novel.)    

In Devil of the Pines, the author describes the creature’s birth in a prologue set in Leeds, NJ, in 1735. A woman dying from complications arising from her 13th childbirth placed a curse on the baby, transforming it into the familiar image of the Jersey Devil. This monster walked on two legs, had a horse’s head, and very sharp claws, as well as large wings that enabled it to fly. The rest of the book unfolds along three distinct parallel timelines: one set in 1749, one spanning from 2005 to 2009, and one in the present day. The protagonist of the two later timelines is Patrick Shourds. As a 13-year-old in 2005, he witnessed the Devil attack and carry off the body of his best friend. No one believed his story about a winged monster, and he was shunned by most of the townspeople, who thought he was a murderer. Patrick later left Leeds after another tragic occurrence (not explained by the author until much later in the book) that occurred during his high school years. When he returns in 2025 to settle his mother’s affairs after her death, he finds that the townspeople haven’t forgotten or forgiven him. When the man with whom Patrick had an argument disappears outside a local bar, he becomes the prime suspect again.

Like most of the best horror novels, Devil of the Pines is as much a mystery as it is a scarefest. Although readers witness the Devil’s beginnings in the prologue, there’s much more to the story about the strange events that follow for almost 300 years. The author eventually explains why and how everything happened in a manner that makes sense for those willing to accept the very notion of the Jersey Devil. Each timeline culminates in a gory finale that horror fans will enjoy. I figured out part of the mystery before the big revelations towards the book’s end, but the most significant aspect of the plot caught me completely by surprise.

The author took great care in creating the book’s central character, Patrick Shourds. He feels like a real person with genuine strengths and flaws, who witnessed a shocking event and lived with its consequences ever since. He also must face the woman he left behind as a teenager 16 years earlier and come to an understanding with her. As a result, the final chapters of Devil of the Pines have more emotional impact than would occur in a simple “people vs. monster” horror story.

Unfortunately, despite these emotions, Devil of the Pines falters towards the end. The bizarre events in each timeline are explained through lengthy information-dump monologues by various characters. These occur in the middle of the action and dissipate the tension that the author has built until then. The worst example of this happens in the 18th-century timeline, when a 13-year-old girl provides the information. I was continually distracted by her sophisticated vocabulary, suggesting that her speech originated from a college-educated author rather than a marginally homeschooled child of that era. The author also uses unnecessarily pompous and distracting language on other occasions. (“The declaration snatched the pleasantry from Delphia’s countenance.”) In addition, the violence that occurs towards the book’s conclusion seemed a bit repetitive and overdone to me. The author could have trimmed his graphic descriptions somewhat. He recovers with a couple of solid chapters at the end of the novel, adding a couple of good last twists.

Devil of the Pines is the second in the author’s “American Horrors” series, dedicated to bringing an urban legend native to each state to life. The author’s New Jersey roots likely provided him with additional motivation for writing the book, and the effort he invested in the project is clear. The novel is one of the better horror stories I’ve read in a while, with an especially entertaining mystery at its heart. I also appreciated the way the author structured the story around the generally accepted details of Jersey Devil folklore. Devil of the Pines is a devilishly entertaining horror thriller.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through BookSirens. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.