The beginning of the story was a little confusing but as I read on, I managed to sort out all of the characters in my head. Once I knew who was who, I became invested in the story. The unexpected twists kept coming - and I loved how the book ended. This one is definitely worth reading!

This book admittedly took me a bit of time to get sucked into, but I ended up overall really enjoying it. Some things I liked about it were the multiple POVs, the non linear timeline, the feminist themes, the overall mystery, and the syntax and prose. I truly had no idea who committed the murder throughout the entire book, and when I got closer to the end I found myself cheering on the guilty party. Although I did enjoy the POVs, it felt like there were a few too many. I don’t think it’s entirely necessary to have at least 2 of the POVs. It was a little confusing at first, and it was only around 50% in that I stopped going “wait, who is this?” Although I did still find myself confused at certain points about whether I simply forgot part of people’s stories for the same reason. I did also feel like I wanted a little more from the ending but it did feel tied together, just a little lackluster. Definitely one I would still recommend though, and I’ll definitely check out more from this author as well.

This was a truly unique thriller - I was sucked in from the very first chapter (my mouth actually dropped a few times)! I love a good revenge story, and this one didn't disappoint. The cast of characters was interesting and went well together. I listened to this one on audio, and the narration was fantastic.

I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this gifted copy.

This book would have had a higher rating, but unfortunately the cast of characters was too big. I really had trouble following along and differentiating between the characters. I like the idea of women getting revenge on the man who wronged them all, but unfortunately this one fell a little flat.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seven women gather in a hotel room to find the severed head of a man they all had a relationship of some kind with. It seems they all had reason to hate him and the group had planned revenge but murder wasn’t the plan and so no one is quite sure who the murderer is.

I accepted the offer from the publisher to read this and was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like it after reading some of the reviews, but I read it quickly and overall enjoyed it. I usually don’t like books with a lot of characters because I can’t keep them straight but I didn’t have that issue here due to the fact that they all had their own chapters so I learned each backstory separately. I was interested in figuring out who did it and also why they all had motive. Overall it was a good read.

I love a good whodunnit story, and SPEAK OF THE DEVIL was a fun read, that begins with seven suspects.

I paired the book with the audio format and loved the narration!

*many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

It was just ok for me. I found a lot of the characters unbelievable and unlikable. Would not recommend.

When a book begins with 7 women in a hotel room with a severed head on the floor with no knowledge of how it got there....or does someone?
This was one wild mystery that made for quite a gripping read.

😵Book Review:
Title: Speak of The Devil
Author: Rose Wilding
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ stars

A man's severed head sits in the center of a hotel floor surrounded by seven women. Each has their own past with the deceased, but only one of them hated him enough to follow through with murder.
The ex.
The wife.
The widow.
The teenager.
The mother figure.
The friend.
The journalist.

Jamie Spellman was a bad man who deserved to die. This is a whodunit that keeps you guessing! I really enjoyed this book!

Published: June 13th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @minotaurbooks, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding.

This book starts out STRONG with seven women standing around a man's severed head in a dirty hotel room. A man who all of them knew, and were somehow hurt by. Each of them had a reason for wanting to see him gone, so who is responsible for bringing them his head?

My biggest complaint about stories like these, when you have such a large cast, is just keeping everyone straight. Add in another complicated layer of a jumping timeline, and now my old brain is really working. The times that I was one on board though, I really enjoyed the story. It's dark, it's gritty, it's a statement of what a lot of women have to endure still to this day.

DNF -- I tried this first on audio and then tried the ebook and just couldn't do it. I found it confusing and wasn't really drawn in by the story, despite the intriguing synopsis. There are also tons of trigger warnings that you need to be aware of before reading this one, so take note. I have the physical book too and could see myself coming back to this at some point, but after two tries I'm ready to take a break.

This one was great! I adore a story about strong women who come together to punish someone who hurt them, and the structure of this one made it extra fun. It was a mystery that starts at the end and unravels as it goes along. Each woman was very specifically written, so I never had any trouble keeping the characters straight (if that seems like a stupid criticism, it happens A LOT). It was a really exciting journey to find out exactly whodunnit!

It's New Years 1999 and seven women gather in a hotel room at midnight. A man's head sits on a Bible in the center of the floor. One of them killed Jamie Spellman, but which one? Officer Nova is assigned to the case, but she is in love with one of the suspects. Can she be impartial as she unwinds the mystery, identifies the suspects' motives and solves the case of the dead devil man?
This book unwinds a mystery. It switches back and forth between present and past as it tells the stories of why each woman wants the victim dead. And each woman wants the man dead. He truly becomes a devil from nurture, nature or both.
For the first three-quarters, I was super invested in the book. The plot progresses in a somewhat logical way, and I wanted to find out who did it. But then the plot became slow and more telling than showing. The end was a bit of a letdown and not as dynamic as I had hoped based on the buildup of the rest of the book.
I didn't care for the sexual violence or content or the frequent profanity - lots of F bombs that didn't support the storyline.
Rounded up to three stars from two because the mystery is intricate.

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this thriller. I knew that there would be multiple perspectives as well as multiple suspects. I was a bit worried that the larger cast of characters would be hard to keep track of and I would lose interest.

That didn’t happen at all. I was able to easily follow the changing narrators and keep up with how they each tied to the murder victim. I thought the way the author structured the time jumps and revolving characters was genius. It was almost like reading short stories that were connected by this murder and how the suspects knew the victim.

I think the only thing I would have like to see more of was the aftermath once we knew what happened. I feel like it almost ended too quickly. I was so invested in the characters that I needed just a little more.

If you are looking for an intriguing book full of reveals and shocking turns of events, then I would recommend giving this one a try.

Rose Wilding's Speak of the Devil opens with the severed head of a VERY BAD MAN called Jamie surrounded by seven women he has victimized, traumatized, tricked into doing things that they really don't want...the list goes on in well...at least seven ways. I had a difficult time with the switches in 3rd person POV and timelines amongst the large cast of characters but not every reader may have this experience. Based on other reviews, the narration makes this easier but I don't do audiobooks.
There's a good bit of social commentary, especially about women's roles in their own victimhood. Since there is so much trauma, abuse, gaslighting, and well - murder, it's not the easiest read. The ending was a pretty big surprise although each of the women had their own reasons for wanting revenge, I was surprised by the rushed ending. I applaud the author and editors because I didn't notice any continuity issues despite so many characters. Overall, not a bad novel. Suggested for fans of Jodi Picoult, Alice Feeney, or Freida McFadden.

In a hotel room, seven women confront a gruesome discovery: a severed head of a man. Each of them harbors a motive to wish him dead, yet they all vehemently deny involvement.

This eclectic group comprises an ex with well-guarded secrets, a seemingly content wife, a skeptical widow, a trapped teenager, a mother figure burdened by guilt, a conflicted friend, and an unwittingly connected journalist. Over time, their concealed truths surface, ultimately unmasking a startling killer.
With its gritty ambience and unflinching exploration of taboo subjects, the book boldly challenges readers to confront uncomfortable realities plaguing society. The narrative unfolds through multiple viewpoints, offering insights from a detective and the seven women who each suffered under the tyranny of the same man. While this multifaceted perspective adds depth, it also presents the challenge of keeping track of numerous characters.

The book provides glimpses into each woman’s life, shedding light on their individual reasons for despising Jamie, the central figure in the story.

One tiny grouse I had was the difficulty of maintaining clarity amidst the multitude of characters. With so many personas to follow, distinguishing one from the other was a tad bit challenging.

I would recommend the book as it is a thought-provoking and disquieting novel that shines a spotlight on the trials endured by women.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not finish this one. I am all for murder mysteries, but add beheading, rape, spousal abuse, transphobia., etc.... I just had to quit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Seven women find themselves in a hotel room with a dead man. Each woman had a motive to kill him but swears she didn’t. As the murder is investigated, more of each woman’s story is revealed.

Despite opening with the discovery of the head, this book had a bit of a slow start for me. I think it was mostly due to the number of characters I was trying to keep straight. As the author revealed more information about the women and their history with Jamie, I read faster and faster. The book did have an abrupt ending, but I didn’t mind it terribly. Overall, this book was different from others I have read recently, which was nice. I don’t think it was a very believable plot, but it was compelling. I think it’s worth a read if you enjoy thrillers.

Dnf at 29% I couldn't relate to any of the characters, there was so much in this story, and it just fell flat for me. The characters were not relatable.

Ohh this book is dark. There is a warning in the beginning and I think that was a wise move because if you're sensitive to trigger warnings, this one may not be for you.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get invested in this novel and figure out who everyone was. There are a lot of characters and seemingly a lot of plots. Once we learn the core story and realize the novel centers around our bodiless head, the pieces of the plot really come together.

At its core, this book is about a group of women who were all wronged by the same man. We learn of each woman and her story and history, her relationship with the man, and how she was wronged. There are some parts that are very hard to read but this just made me more emotionally invested in the story.

Intertwined with the deep character studies is a plot surrounding magic, murder, and mystery. I loved the police procedural aspect and just how intertwined all the different elements of the story and characters were.

I listened to this book on audio which also took a bit of getting used to. The accents were fairly thick but I enjoyed the narrators and loved the theatrical element the audio gave to the novel.

This was a dark and thrilling read and one I definitely recommend if you can handle some not so nice imagery!

Thank you to Minotaur Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.