Peter Farris's second novel finally arrives in English following it's prize winning run in France. Farris is an author revered on the crime scene and he shows just why in this book, which is a rare blend of literary and crime writing for which Ron Rash is an apt comparison.

He skewers the existing power structures and the transparent line between politics and corruption in such a way that the book does not get bogged down in the malaise of it instead pushing his plot forward in exciting and unexpected ways.

At the heart of the novel, we have the relationship between Maya and Leonard. Maya is an 18 year old sex slave who's life is saved when she escapes onto Leonard's property during the course of what should be her execution. Leonard is an elderly recluse hiding out on his scarecrow covered farm who fiercely protects his land and in turn, Maya. Maya knows too much and those that want her dead will stop at nothing.

Leonard and the novel's antagonists are themselves an interesting study into what a bad person truly is as Leonard carries out despicable acts in the name of protecting Maya, but his past as a bootlegger saw him carrying out violence in his own name and vying to make his criminal enterprise powerful and fear inducing, yet in the face of something bigger he becomes the hero.

In the early part of the novel, we are introduced to many characters, but each are given distinct life and etched in enough detail to stand on their own without being complete cliches.

Farris has written an excellent novel that displays why he's had issues getting this over the line with an English language publisher as it is not clearly one thing or another. It's noir, but there is lightness to it and it is literary, but it wanders in the noir tradition of skewering the power structures we are bound to.

The Devil Himself by Peter Farris opens with the introduction of eighteen-year-old Maya. Maya finds herself gagged and bound in the trunk of a vehicle and is slated for murder. Maya is a sex trafficking victim and has outlived her usefulness because one of her politically powerful abusers coined “The Mayor” has told her too much information about Lucio Cottles and his criminal enterprise.

Lucio Cottles, a deadly and sociopathic street-wise savant, has created his depraved world by ruling with his amoral behavior and learning collected information truly is power and in more ways than one. Cottles is part of a larger criminal consortium secretly developing the woods of Southern Georgia for future criminal endeavors.

When Maya is able to escape and flee her pursuing captors into the deep Georgia woods, they encounter Leonard Moye on his wooded property. Moye, long from the culture of the hills, takes great offense to outsiders seeking to harm others upon his property and after dealing with Cottle’s men, he allows refuge for Maya. Maya and Leonard then develop a mentor/student relationship, with Leonard vowing to protect Maya, though she remains suspicious of Leonard's own motives.

Maya also makes it clear to Leonard that the man who wants her dead will certainly not be dissuaded from sending even more dangerous men to clean up the mess created by the failure of the previous two.

Throughout the region, Leonard is both feared and respected, with many questioning his sanity due to his frequent public appearances with a female mannequin he identifies as his believed deceased wife, Marjean.

While the main theme of The Devil Himself of an outsider entering an unknown world while being protected by a mysterious benefactor may seem familiar or even a crime/thriller trope, Farris still crafts an interesting tale with interesting characters and plot. Farris also tosses in new elements to a story where strangers from different worlds are thrown together in a time of turmoil in ways that distinct The Devil Himself from similarly plotted novels.

The Devil Himself is highly recommended to those readers that enjoy “rural noir” novels and novels from such authors as David Joy, Brian Panowich, and Kimi Cunningham Grant.

Netgalley provided an advanced reader copy of The Devil Himself for the promise of a fair review and is set to be released in May of 2022.

This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com.

A gritty slice of southern noir. Beautiful writing, vivid characters, violence exquisitely rendered. I will be looking forward to more work from Peter Farris. This tale is simple enough. A young woman, Maya, escapes from a life of prostitution. She has secrets on an especially powerful man, and he dispatches an array of brutal men to ensure she is permanently silenced. But Leonard, a brutal old man himself, has taken a liking to Maya, and he is willing to lose it all to make sure she gains some semblance of a life. I can't do a book this good justice. Read it. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for a arc of The Devil Himself in exchange for a honest review. Unfortunately this one didn’t do it for me. It felt jumbled and all over the place.

Wow, Wow, Wow, loved this book, it has tons of action, great story plot, set in Georgia, down home folks, pine mountains, forest, dirt roads, chase scenes to make you scream for the bad guys. It's that kind of book and I can't recommend it enough, This author is new to me but I love the way he writes and hope he has another very soon! So glad I was able to read it here even before it was published! Thanks so much!!

This is a thriller with break neck speed but has time to let it all sink in for the reader. That’s the southern hospitality of this book. It lets you sit down and stay awhile. The author’s character development is on point with this one. They slowly let you in on the inner workings of both Leonard and Maya. I would categorize this book as a crime thriller. Typically I get bored with crime thrillers but this one was written in a way where you have to know what comes next. It just goes to show you that even if you don’t get to choose your family, people can weave their way into your heart. Family really is the F word here. The history that Leonard and Marjean had was heartbreaking. Maya begs the reader to see her for more than a prostitute. The reader has a vested interest in the characters from page 1.

On its face, the plot is about big city problems creeping into the hills of Georgia and two people trying to fight their way through.
Notice I wrote people and not characters.

Peter Farris has really outdone himself creating three-dimensional people to follow in his story. No archetypes, no tropes, just two damaged people trying to make it another day.

You best buckle up. Because when THE DEVIL HIMSELF gets its claws in you, it's never gonna let you go. A new Southern Gothic classic that we are all gonna be talking about for a long, long time. Peter Farris has crafted a story for the ages.

Fantastic read. Smooth with an internal tempo that keeps the story moving without ever feeling too dense. Yes, the speed is about plot and lacks developed characters beyond one or two but that’s okay. The language is easy, comfortable to read and that’s a plus.

Wow! Loved it. Fast paced , linear , well written-exciting , dark and dirty. Not quite noir in my opinion—just a tough crime thriller. Farris, son of great writer , John Farris, gets you right into the action and tells a story(the most important thing a writer can do in my humble opinion) that makes you want to know what happens next. Quite simply, you will enjoy it. Highly recommended..

The Devil Himself by Peter Farris
Rating: Starred Review

Summary: A young women forced into prostitution and paired up with the mayor of Atlanta where he he shared all his secrets is taken into the Georgia backwoods to be killed. When old geezer Leonard interrupts their plans he takes Maya into his home for safe keeping.

Comments: Farris lays the atmosphere on fire with this graphic crime novel set mostly in the Georgia rural woods. The characters Maya and Leonard are electric. Best novel of 2022 so far. Must read.