Title: The Devil, the Witch and the Whore (The Deal Trilogy Book 1)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon

 

“Leave the forest alone. Whatever’s out there, just let it be. Don’t make it angry.”

When a horrific discovery is made at the edge of town, Sheriff James Kopperud realizes the answers he seeks might be waiting beyond in the vast forest. But everybody in the town of Deal knows that there’s something out there in the forest, something that should never be disturbed. A deal was made long ago, a deal that was supposed to keep the town safe. And if he insists on investigating the murder of a local girl, James is going to have to break that deal and head out into the wilderness.

Meanwhile, James has no idea that his estranged daughter Ramsey has returned to town. Ramsey is running from something, and she thinks she can find safety in the vast tunnel system that runs beneath the forest. Before long, however, Ramsey finds herself coming face to face with creatures that hide in the shadows. One of these creatures is known as the devil, and another is known as the witch. They’re both waiting for the whore to arrive, but for very different reasons. And soon Ramsey is offered a terrible deal, one that could save or destroy the entire town, and maybe even the world.

The Devil, the Witch and the Whore is the first book in a trilogy about a town and its demons, and about the consequences of making a deal with the devil. Contains scenes of horror and violence.

Last week, I reviewed American Coven by Amy Cross, and this week I’m back with a review of another one of her books. I had The Devil, the Witch and the Whore on my Kindle for quite a while before I finally decided to read it. I kept on pushing it back because there was always another book that piqued my interest more. The blurb just didn’t do it for me. Plus, the book is quite long – 453 pages – so it’s not something you can use for a quick reading fix.

When I started reading, I was mildly intrigued but never more than that. I tend to read every day while jogging on my treadmill, but if I enjoy a book a lot, I often squeeze in some more reading time. Not so with this one. I looked forward to reading a bit every day while jogging, but the book wasn’t enticing enough that I wanted to finish it asap. The pacing was a bit uneven too. Some parts went rather fast – like the gory scene in the beginning of the book – while other parts, especially the parts in the tunnels, seemed to drag on. Plus, with the perspectives jumping from one character to another, and even from one timeline to another, it just seems like the story is all over the place.

For me, this was just an ‘okay’ read, and I started the sequel but I’m having trouble finishing it. Given that I usually breeze through this author’s books, that’s saying something. This just isn’t my cup of tea, I guess. But if you like horror, don’t mind time-jumps and multiple character POVs, give it a shot. Note that the story is rather gory, though, so if you have a weak stomach, you may want to stay away from this one.

Title: American Coven
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon

After being snatched from the street near her home, Holly Carter wakes up in the basement of a mysterious rural house. She’s not alone: two other women are also in the basement, and they quickly start to tell her about the strange ritual she’s going to endure. Soon, her kidnapper will take her upstairs and submerge her in the ice bath.

Many years later, having long since escaped from the house, Holly tries to put her experiences in the past. When someone starts digging into the story, however, Holly starts to realize that the truth is going to come out. After all, no-one has ever found out exactly how the three women escaped from that strange basement. If the truth ever emerges, Holly’s life – and the lives of her two fellow captives – will be ruined forever.

American Coven is a horror novel about three women who make a startling discovery while they’re being held captive, and about a deadly entity that lurks in the darkest recesses of an old building. This is the 2022 edition of the original 2013 book.

I read a lot of books by Amy Cross. If you’re a fan of horror, then I definitely recommend reading her books. She has a lot of imagination, and the books are usually fast-paced and most of them also have an original twist. Having read so many books by this author, though, I definitely have a few favourites, a few I didn’t enjoy that much, and a few I thought were okay but not the best. American Coven falls in the latter category. It’s a fun read, the plot keeps you guessing, but it’s not as mind-shattering or jaw-dropping as some of Amy Cross’s other work.

The book flips between one timeline and another. In one timeline (the past), Holly Carter ends up in the basement of a madman, trapped with two other women who tell her about a sickening ritual she’ll be forced to endure at the hands of her captor: an ice bath. The second timeline (set in the present day), follows Holly fifteen years later as she is confronted with the events of the past again.

The main reason why I didn’t rate this book higher, is that I found the evil to be too vaguely described. There was a mystery-behind-the-mystery, and that wasn’t fully explored, in my opinion, leaving me with some remaining questions, hwich was a little frustrating.

Still, it’s a decent horror read, and certainly has some unexpected twists, so I definitely recommend this to horror fans.