I REALLY wanted to enjoy this book. I gave the old college try. I honestly almost gave up at the 50% mark. There are so many POVs, which I don't usually have a hard time keeping track of, but I did in this book. I had hoped this was going to be an edge-of-your-seat kind of book, trying to figure out who killed Jamie. While it did dig into most of the women's stories and their own connections to him, it definitely wasn't something that kept me turning the pages.

However, I will say, the last 10-15% redeemed the book some for me. It was a good ending and was surprising. Also, I didn't expect the killer, or the connection, at all. Looking back though, I suppose I should have.

Before the ending, I would say this was probably a 2.5, but with the ending, I'll say it was a 3.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

Rose Wilding spins an easy to read mystery about seven women tied to one man’s recent murder in her latest book Speak of the Devil. While there are certainly elements of the thriller genre, this read is all mystery. There is a gruesome murder to solve, seven women with reasons to kill the victim, an officer set on solving the crime and you, the reader, trying to figure it all out as you turn the pages. I liked quite a few things about this book including how easy it is to read, the diverse cast of characters, the dark tone and the unlikely bond between the women. There’s also a certain level of women power/feminism to this that I very much enjoyed. I do think there could’ve been a bit more development to some of our character backstories and I wish there were a few red herrings. Everyone had a motive, so it was less navigating twists and more a matter of making the right guess on “whodunnit.” The ending, while not terribly shocking, was rather abrupt. Overall though, Speak of the Devil is an enjoyable mystery that will keep you engaged and invested in not only the mystery but also the characters. This is a great option to pick up if you are looking for an easy to read murder mystery with a splash of a feminist lens.

A very intriguing plot with lots of suspects, each with motives to get revenge on a man that treated each of them terribly. I enjoyed this one but felt like it dragged a bit in the middle. The ending was unexpected but overall this one didn't really stick with me.

Thank you to Rose Wilding, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook copy of Speak of the Devil for me to read and review. This novel drew me in from the start and kept me wondering all the way through. There were lots of characters each with their own connection to the 'victim' and that made it challenging at first to be able to keep track of who was who. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story however it was a bit slow moving and the reveal at the end wasn't surprising. So I would have to say in my opinion this story was good but not great.

Free e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.

This was so good! We open on New Year's Eve 1999 to the severed head of Jamie Spellman- who absolutely deserved what he got- and seven women, all of whom had motive to kill him and are now working to cover up the crime. There are many POV switches and we get to hear everyone's side of the story. You might be able to see the ending coming, but the narrative holds on to you all the way to the end.
Recommend for fans of: thriller/mysteries, Gone Girl, and similar.

Book Summary:

A man is dead. There's no denying that – his head is sitting right there on the table. There are seven potential suspects, all of whom would have an excellent reason to want this man dead. Naturally, they all claim it wasn't them.

Delving into the murder will out their secrets, and his along with them. Rather than making the case clearer, it merely adds more motives to the pile. Who didn't want this man dead?

My Review:

Whodunnit mysteries are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Speak of the Devil certainly fits that bill, with one man dead and half a dozen people who could have wanted him that way. It's the perfect fit for this craving.

Speak of the Devil has multiple perspectives, as you might have guessed from the description. I was pleasantly surprised by how much we got to know each character/perspective. That always makes the world feel more alive and real. Plus, all the bouncing around helped to keep the pacing stable and fast.

This novel does deal with the heavier subject matter. Consider the type of person that multiple people might want to kill, and you'll probably know what might have happened. Just in case, Speak of the Devil touches on subjects like rape, police negligence, suicide, etc. Be sure to check a full content warning list before diving in.

Highlights:
Complex Murder Mystery
Multiple Suspects
Contemporary Thriller

Trigger Warnings:
Cheating
Sexual Assault/Abuse
Suicide
Infertility

Amazing book ! I recommend 10000% . The characters are well develop and plot of the book is unique . You will never guess . Keep you reading all day

One severed head of man named Jamie Spellman sits in a vacant hotel room amid a circle of 7 women all of whom have valid reasons to want him dead. Each woman’s secret connection to the dead man is gradually revealed while the police must unravel the truth to solve the mystery of who killed Jamie and why. Speak of the Devil will have you rooting for each one of the seven women to be the murderer of this despicable, manipulative man. May not be everyone’s favorite genre but I found it to be entertaining.

Speak of the Devil tells the story of a group of women who find the head of a man who has hurt them all at their meeting spot on New Years Eve. The story that unfolds tells the horrific things that happened to these women at the hands of Jamie Spellman. Who killed him when all of them had more than enough reason to?

This book was so dark and depressing at times. There were moments that I had to put it down because I felt so bad for the women and knew that there are tons of women that go through this exact same thing. I got really invested in the women's stories and was glad that we did find out what happened on that night. I loved the character of Nova and what she does in the end. I wish I had found out a little more about what happened to the women after Jamie. Just a little epilogue wrapping up their stories in the aftermath would have been good. That is ultimately what kept me from giving 5 stars.

"All of us knew him. One of us killed him..."

This book opens with a bang! Seven women stand in a run-down hotel room looking at Jamie Spellman's severed head. Each woman has been wronged by Jamie in some way, and they each had motive to kill him, but nobody fesses up.

There are a lot of characters in this one, most all of them giving past and present POVs. I had a hard time keeping track of everyone and how they were connected to Jamie until around the halfway mark, but then it was easier to follow.

While I felt like this story dragged at times, I liked how these seven women protected each other, and I really loved the ending. I definitely think Jamie got what he deserved!

I'll be looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

Thank you, @netgalley, @minotaur_books, and the author for the gifted e-arc of this book!

3.5 stars

3.5 stars

The first chapter was truly great, it really pulled me into the story. However from there it got a little rough. Normally, I am a huge fan of multiple POVs but in this case it was not my favorite. With seven woman plus a detective there were a few too many characters and POV to keep track of. It got confusing trying to keep them all separate and figure out who was who.

At times the descriptions got a bit graphic and the dialogue was difficult to read in certain parts. However it did turn around at the end, the final twist was a good one even if it did feel a bit abrupt.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did but in the end it was just an average read for me.

.Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding, this was a new author for me, not sure how it happened but posted wrong review with this book to start with and I am going back to edit the review. This book brought together seven different women, if different stages of their lives all have one thig in common. Jamie Spellman he is dead and any of these women could be responsible. Secrets are exposed as we follow along with the twists and turns of this book. I would recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and I am leaving this review vountarily.

Thank you to @macmillian for sending me a copy of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL by Rose Wilding. This one is out now.

I didn't love this book. It's got a lot of POVs and they're all detailing why they hate the victim. I get it, this guy is the worst. We know one of them killed him but I honestly couldn't find it in me to actually care.

Seven women have motive for murder, each denies involvement as they all stand in a room with the man’s severed head.  

Speak of the Devil is a slow burn, character driven story focused on revenge. I felt like it had so much potential and was left a little disappointed. It starts off on a high note, the slow burn was just a bit too slow to keep my interest. There were several parts that redeemed the story for me though. With so many characters, it took a while for me to no longer confuse them / the backstories. Overall, I liked it, it just didn’t work well for me.  

Thank you to Minotaur & St. Martins Press for these ARCs in exchange for a review!

The premise of this book was intriguing and I really thought it would be my type of read. Unfortunately, ~20% in I realized this was going to be a heavily character-based story and slow paced which is hard for me to get into. I also was still very confused on who the characters were and their relationship to the deceased.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it enough to finish it. I gave it up at the 60% mark.

First of all, I did not expect this to be so gay! What a gift to me during Pride Month.

Second, dang!! What a twisty, interesting thriller. While it could be slightly difficult to set this down and pick it up and remember who each character was, I still enjoyed the aspect of so many women telling their stories in tandem. The content itself was not enjoyable, as they were all treated badly by the same murdered man (tws for rape, sexual assault, transphobia, outing, suicide and gaslighting), but I found the way the story unraveled to be really successful. I saw a review from someone saying they DNFed because they didn’t know by 30% in how some of the characters related to Jamie, but that seemed intentional by the author. It kept some mystery surrounding the characters and who may have committed the murder.

There was also the whole POV with the lead detective, who was becoming jaded and fed up with the law enforcement system. I found that to be a refreshing take, because lots of thrillers paint the police in a pretty good light, or at least none of the police mc’s ever want to quit by the end!

Most of the characters were complex, and they all had flaws, which was also great to read. I found myself cringing at some of their choices, but I never wasn’t rooting for them, because no matter what they did, none of them deserved what Jamie did to them.

The book opens with seven women, each with a motive for murder, sitting around a man’s severed head. The man was a terrible human being, and while it seems each of them could have killed him, one of them truly did.

This book definitely opens with a really powerful moment that draws the reader right in. The women are fascinating figures in their own right, let alone their complicated and heartbreaking connections with the murdered man. (I must admit that there were so many characters I had a hard time keeping them straight at first.) Wilding deftly explores the horrors that can be perpetrated against women, and what recourse women actually have.

This was a gripping read that really made me want to find out what truly happened. Even if you start a little confused, stick with it, it’s a good book.

Speak of the Devil, by Rose Wilding, is a murder mystery unlike many others. A man’s severed head is found on New Years eve, 1999 by the seven women whom this story is centered around. All seven women are in different stages of their life, but all have a link to the man who the head belonged to.
These women are strong in their own way, but their mutual weakness is Jamie. He is a charismatic and irresistibly handsome man that in one way or another has drawn these women to him like a magnet. It does take a moment to figure out these seven women’s personalities and who they are in relationship to Jamie. The story jumps back and forth to their individual stories as well as to the murder investigation by Nova the police officer.
I really enjoyed this book once I got to know each character and what their motive might have been to kill Jamie. It is an unusual mystery and hopefully you won’t guess who the culprit was until it is revealed! Thank you to St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the advanced copy of this book.

Do you like closed door mysteries? Multiple POV? Complicated women? A murdered dude who, frankly, probably deserved it? Multiple characters with a strong motive to do it? Then I highly suggest you check out this book.

NYE, 1999. Seven women sit around the decapitated head of Jamie Spellman (ah, yeah). They all have reason to want him dead - but who killed him? Such a fun and complicated (in a good way!) read. I loved all the intertwining backstories - whew, these ladies had a lot going on. And Jamie is a jerk - you will want him dead, too! I wouldn’t call this a summer beach read - it’s a little too complicated - but the storyline will suck you in.