The idea behind this book is perfect. One man does his best to screw over several women and then it bites him in the ass - I mean, perfection. The execution wasn’t quite there for me though.

I received both the ebook and audiobook through NetGalley. The narrator was great and really brought emotion into the story. I think it was relatively obvious where it was going before it got there, but it was a decent ride to the end.

The biggest thing for me was it was longer than it needed to be. While I did like getting everyone’s full story, it wasn’t completely necessary here for the story to be told. The dual timeline wasn’t the easiest to keep up with at times, however I do think it was the best way to handle this story.

Overall 3.5⭐️

This book wasn’t for me.

When a man is found dead, there are seven women who all had a motive to kill him. The guy was such a jerk that I’m sure there were many more people with motive, but the book focused on seven.

The book is told through the perspective of the women, as we hear each of their gripes with him.

I didn’t hate the book, but it got to the point where I lost interest and didn’t care anymore. The end was more of a reveal than a surprise, because it wouldn’t have surprised me which one killed him, no matter who the author chose.

Overall, I think it would have been better if it focused on a few number of people.

I liked the book. I wanted to know whodunit. So that alone kept me invested. The multiple POVs were nice, but a bit confusing at times. I had to write some notes down so I could remember who the girls were and what Jamie did to them. Once I had that figured out it was pretty easy to know who was who. I like multiple POVs in a story!

I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, but I did like most of the girls. There was one who drove me up the wall, if you read it, you'll know. Jamie was HORRIBLE. I am totally okay that he got beheaded.

I listened to the book as I read, I thought the narrator did a good job, but I would have liked it better if each POV had a different narrator. I think it would have helped keep the people straight.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audio version of this book, in exchange for my review!

First, thank you to Netgalley for the prerelease audiobook. But my honest review isn't a good one. There are too many characters to keep track of, and the back stories were too long. There was no urgency to keep going, butI was determined to finish the book, and when it was finally revealed who did it, I almost missed it. It was a fast reveal and at the very end of the book. Not one I will be recommending.

Speak of the Devil is such an engaging witty book! I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.
The story line and flow was consistent and kept me curious as to what would transpire next!!
The whole premise of 7 women sitting around a hotel room with a man’s severed head as the focal point was fantastic. A who-dun-it mystery filled with chatter, emotions, personal tragedy and so on.
Highly recommend!

The story begins with seven women discovering a severed head and, as the story progresses, we are given plenty of reasons why he deserved to be a severed head. The story follows each woman and how they are connected to this horrible man. Any one story alone would be enough to want him dead which gives every one of them a motive to kill him. There are so many characters in this story that it is sometimes difficult to keep the points of view straight. Each story is riveting and gets your blood boiling but I think the story would work better with less characters to follow. I was invested in finding out whodunnit but I think I was more concerned with hoping they would get away with it, regardless of who it was. Be prepared for lots of triggers, including but not limited to rape, abuse and transphobia. I would recommend this book for fans of dark thrillers.

This one was interesting and slightly more gruesome than I expected. Although, I must say, I am very glad that the man who did so many terrible things finally got what he deserved. One pretty big twist at the end. I sure couldn’t figure out who the killer was.

🌀Synopsis
There is a group of women who meet and the one thing that ties them together is a man. A man who hurt each one of them over time. A man who they’d all love to punish in their own way.
Until, finally, one of them does it. One of them finally gives him what he deserves. Now the question is- who did it.
As we travel back through the past to hear each woman’s story we find motives in all of them. The stories of abuse and even rape lead us to believe any of them could be the culprit. It all comes down to two women though. One who was trying to leave him and one who had already left. The two tales combine to tell us exactly how he certainly deserved what he got.

I love love love books about cults. But this one just didn’t do it for me. It was so slow. It did have a lot of promise, it just didn’t hold up.

DNF. I couldn't get into this one. From the start, it just felt all it was a bit all over the place, but the primary reason I couldn't finish was I did not like the narrator. I will try to read the physical book when it is released because I appreciate the author's intention for writing this book. I very rarely DNF a book I receive an ARC for, but I didn't want my opinion on the narrator to sour the entire book. I would recommend reading a physical or e-copy for readers who are on the fence.

The premise of this book was good, but there was something about it that didn't grab my attention. It started off strong, but when I got a few chapters in, I just didn't care much about the characters and their motives.

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

7 very angry women at 1 very bad man who is also very, very dead, and one of them killed him. But who did it? That I’m a nutshell is “Speak of the Devil.” It didn’t get stellar reviews so I had some reservations, but I thought the audiobook was nicely done. Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced copy.

Themes: 😡😤🤬👯‍♀️💀🪦🪓

My feelings: 🙂🤓🫡🤔🤫😡🧐🥳

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Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur for the free book.
What a book! This is a character driven mystery about seven women all linked by one man who's murdered. (Not a spoiler) This book intricately explored these women's lives and all of their possible motives for committing these murders. I was so impressed with how the author was able to create such distinct characters and scenarios. They were all so complex. I had so many feelings about them and what Jamie put them through - I enjoy when I am able to become so emotionally invested into the lives of characters. It's a sign that the book is making me care and think deeply. I had absolutely no problem keeping all of the women straight, and I liked the format of this. I think it helped keep me guessing and surprised by the ending.
The narration by Colleen Prendergast was fabulous. She handled narrating all of these women's stories and I never felt lost. The way she narrated kept me invested in the story and into each character. I applaud her for this performance that is so well done.

I don’t know how I feel about this. I didn’t like the narrator at all and it turned me off completely from a book I was interested in.

I may try the physical copy to see if I like it better.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Seven women overlooking a man’s head in a hotel room? I’m intrigued.

I’ve been on such a thriller kick I was excited to jump into this one to see where this ride went. I was extremely intrigued by the synopsis, but only the beginning of the novel packed the same punch. The story was pretty slow and steady with a lot of layers to uncover. While I was okay with how it ended, getting to the end was a bit of a drag.

Had there been less characters, I think it would’ve had a quicker pace. It felt a bit choppy and was difficult to remember how the ladies were connected as they got to know one another. Each woman is given her time to shine giving the readers the opportunity to learn how she knows Jamie (the head in the hotel room), but again, with the amount of back stories readers learn, it was kind of difficult to keep track.

It was dark and sort of repetitive so it’s not on the top of my thriller list of recommendations. If I hadn’t of read so many thrillers before it, I may have felt differently.

Content warnings: rape, murder, gaslighting, suicide, child abuse, death, toxic relationships, stalking

Big thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the ARC.

3.5 stars. Seven women stand in a seedy hotel room, gathered in a circle around the severed head of a man named Jamie. Each of them knew Jamie, and each of them had a reason to kill him. So who did it, and why?

If that isn't a strong hook, I don't know what is, and it drew me in immediately. With a narrative that switches perspectives among the seven women and the police detective investigating the murder, Speak of the Devil has an ambitious structure, and it really worked for me. The mystery plays out slowly, giving Rose Wilding lots of time to develop her characters, making this novel just as much a character study as it is a mystery. The women are diverse and complex, and it didn't take me long to get into the flow of the story and differentiate between them. The narrator of the audio version (Colleen Prendergast) did a fantastic job of giving each of the women a distinct voice.

Wilding delves into a lot of dark, difficult subjects in Speak of the Devil, including infidelity, rape, suicide, homophobia and transphobia, police discrimination, narcissistic manipulation and gaslighting, and physical and emotional abuse. It's heavy, and it's a lot -- but somehow it all works, and adds depth and texture that you don't always find in contemporary mysteries.

I do like my bad guys with some shades of gray, and I found Jamie to be lacking in that department. He's straight-up just an asshole, and I would have liked a bit more nuance to his character to help me understand him more. The ending is also a bit too abrupt, it felt like there was more to be said. Overall, though, this is a solid mystery and a compelling feminist revenge story with more depth to it than I expected. If you like stories about women taking their power back, Speak of the Devil will be right up your alley. Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.

DNF. Just a little too bizarre and spooky for my taste. Might be someone else’s cup of tea but I was put off.

Speak of the Devil is a whodunnit murder mystery. Seven women have been impacted by Jamie Spellman and one of them is responsible for his death.

While I enjoyed the story overall, I think it would have been more enjoyable had the cast of characters been reduced by about half. I still don't understand what Maureen, for one, added to the story. Her POV was meant to provide information about Jamie's past but we could've either skipped his childhood entirely or provided more substance to her character. She essentially just really resented him from the second he was born. Maureen wasn't necessary in my opinion and I think two characters could've been merged into one just to help cut down on some of the bulk.

Going back and forth between so many POVs meant that there were strings left dangling. Things were explained in quick one liners. For example, how does Kaysha even find these women to start this group. She just says, she watched him, implying that she stalked him well enough to know about all the women he had hurt throughout the years and then contacted them one by one to invite them into the group, I guess. The conclusion was semi satisfying but could have been wrapped up a bit better.

All in all, this one will be a hit or miss for most readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

You looking for a murder mystery with multiple POVs and will make you mad? You need to read this book. Just please be careful and check for trigger warnings, this book handles some pretty dark topics.

Now when I say make you mad, you will be so angry at how these women were treated in this book. They were ignored, abused, taken advantage of, manipulated, and gaslit so badly that I wanted to smash things. Wilding was not joking when she said she wrote this book out of her fury with the patriarchy.

And I loved that their connection to each other was slowly revealed, even though it was not in the best of circumstances. It was great to see these women take their power back and they had each other for support, because they all truly knew what the others had been through.

In the beginning of this book I was really overwhelmed with how many characters there were. But once you settle into the story, you become familiar with their stories and their voices so it becomes easier to manage.

I really didn’t know who had committed the crime until we got to the end! And even then there wasn’t much to lead you to the murderer. They all had a valid reason for wanting Jamie gone, and you felt absolutely no sympathy for him. He truly deserved what he got.

The narrator for this book was perfect. The accent added to the feel of the story, and made it more entertaining than just reading it from the page. Her intonation was perfect.

3.75 stars

This is a great debut, and readers will come away so glad that this horrible guy is dead that finding out who did it will be just an added bonus!

Jamie Spellman is a monster, and that titular phrase, "speak of the devil," is an absolutely appropriate way to think of any conversation that happens in reference to him. Through seven women who have been connected to him in one way or another at some point, the horrors of Jamie's gross acts and disgusting personal composition come up clearly. Without knowing that this guy had been eliminated from even this fictional world, I'm not sure I could have persisted knowing what he did to some of these folks. By incorporating the women's stories, Wilding effectively draws readers into not only wanting to solve the mystery but especially into wanting each of them to find justice and peace in any way that might be available to them.

There are a lot of characters to manage, and while that's sometimes a deterrent for me when it comes to selecting an audiobook over print, I was surprised to find that because the characters were well drawn (for the genre), it was easy enough to follow along. The narration adds a lot, so I recommend this format when and where accessible.

Readers should be mindful of the fact that this is a gross guy who has wronged many women. Expect all kinds of abuse, assault, rape, victim blaming, gaslighting, and more. If you are sensitive to this content - there's a particular scene after one of these incidents that I won't forget for a long, long time - this is not the summer thriller for you. If you can manage it, jump in with these women and find out who gets them the solution they may not have been searching for but certainly deserve.

I'll be on the lookout for more from this author.

Prepare to be captivated and disturbed by the uncomfortable truths we often shy away from……

Book Information

"Speak of the Devil," a gripping novel by Rose Wilding is slated for release on June 13, 2023. The audio version of the book, skillfully narrated by Colleen Prendergast, spans 10 hours and 15 minutes, while the print version encompasses 304 pages. This remarkable work marks Wilding's debut as a novelist. Thanks to MacMillan Audio for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review.

Summary

Seven women gather in a hotel room to find a man's severed head. Each of them had a reason to want him dead, but they all deny involvement.

The women include an ex with secrets, a seemingly happy wife, a skeptical widow, a trapped teenager, a guilt-ridden mother figure, a conflicted friend, and a journalist who unknowingly connects them. As time passes, their secrets come to light, revealing a shocking killer.

My Thoughts

With its gritty atmosphere and unflinching examination of taboo topics, “Speak of the Devil” pushes boundaries and challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable realities that plague our society. The story revolves around multiple points of view, presenting the perspectives of a detective and seven women who were each terrorized by the same man. While this multitude of perspectives adds complexity, it also poses a challenge in keeping track of the numerous characters.

The book provides glimpses into the lives of each woman, offering insights into their reasons for despising Jamie, the central figure of the story. Throughout the narrative, the reader and the detective embark on a journey to unravel the truth behind Jamie’s death and the events in each woman’s past that may have led to it. Wilding fearlessly confronts a range of intense and somber subjects. The narrative delves into the depths of human experiences, exploring themes of brutal violence (including beheading), sexual assault, discrimination against transgender individuals, domestic violence, psychological manipulation, self-inflicted harm, and infidelity within marriages. At the outset of the book, the author thoughtfully provides a warning regarding the explicit content. This upfront acknowledgment serves as a precautionary note, ensuring that readers are well-informed about the nature of the content they will encounter as they delve into the story.

One drawback of the book is the difficulty in maintaining a clear understanding of all the characters. With so many individuals to keep track of, it can be challenging to distinguish one from another. However, the author and the narrator, Colleen Prendergast, enrich the listening experience by incorporating accents and slang into the characters' conversations, adding depth to their portrayal.

"Speak of the Devil" exudes female pain and anger, exploring the struggles women face in abusive situations, while society often fails to support them. The book's atmosphere is gritty, dark, and at times, challenging to read, yet it remains profoundly compelling and addictive. It is a mystery--but one that simultaneously deals with genuine issues.

In the end, this is a powerful book that deals with uncomfortable but critical topics. “Speak of the Devil” serves as a potent reminder that behind closed doors, women battle unimaginable horrors, and it's high time we listen, learn, and take action.

Recommendation

Overall, "Speak of the Devil" is a thought-provoking and disturbing novel that sheds light on the hardships endured by women. Despite some minor issues with character clarity, the book captivates readers with its raw storytelling and unflinching exploration of dark themes. Recommended.

Rating

4 Dark Stars