I picked this up, interested in the cover. I could not put it down. It kept me at the edge of my seat.

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I enjoyed the intense writing style, much like Stephen King, however I just could not get into the novel.

It’s nice to see a horror novel talk about so many worldly issues, but it just felt disconnected to me. As the novel progressed I found myself not wanting to continue reading.

I may try reading again at a different point, and see if my opinion changes. I will update if I do and it does.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for providing me with an advanced readers copy.

This was a great horror story! It's very atmospheric and has well developed characters. It moves at a quick pace. It does have a good amount of gore which didn't bother me but for some it might be a deal breaker. Overall, I really enjoyed this. Special Thank You to William F Gray, NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Devil Within Us" is perfect for fan's of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" or Jeremy Eads's "The Lodge." It is a small town horror centering around the dark acts humans will do to one another with a little prompting from one another and the supernatural. Its themes are equally dark and complex, with a narrative centering around the power a singular entity can hold over a group.

Ultimately, this book was not for me. This is not the fault of the author in any way, shape, or form. The atmosphere, characters, plot, etc. were very well written. However, the sheer amount of characters and the multiple POV swaps could get a little confusing at times. The themes were well explored, although I feel the story relied more on gore than actual scare factor. I just had a hard time with some of the events. Again, not that they were not well written or plausible for the narrative, they were just a lot for me to process. I think this would a stellar book for those that are into themes such as small town, few survivors, gore, and men as the true monster.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for providing an eARC copy of The Devil Within Us All by William F. Gray.

I agree with other reviewers that William F. Gray does a wonderful job of jumping right into the plot and not attempting to provide too many details of who all the characters are, the town, etc., It's refreshing to just know what I need to know and learn what other things are along the way. Especially when it comes to having multiple voices in a story, it is hard to keep track of and he does exceptionally well to make it easy to follow all the characters and their relationships with one another.

However, it gave me a sense that I've read this before, no, actually...it reminded me a lot of Jonestown in theory. Though, most plots based in a small town all seem to be the same exact thing. It does have more gore than necessary, and I'm not a fan of gore...more visually but if I can picture it, it's too much for me. There some grammatical errors and missing words here or there, which distracted me a lot and a lot of repetition that wasn't necessary.

So, as much as I'd like to give this book a higher rating. I just honestly cannot do it.

Wasn’t able to finish this book. So have to give it an average review, but will be buying. And finishing it

Growing up the movie End of Days was my ish! This book was very much that vibe. It took me about 8 chapters to be familiar with the many characters, but it was a fast, thrilling, and demonic read.

This is a book for fans of small town horror--think Under the Dome. I wanted to like this more than I ultimately did, but it was an interesting concept, and I'll give it to Gray--he kept me on my toes. I definitely wouldn't call this book predictable at all. Gray is a talented author who shows a lot of promise with this book, but I do think as a relatively new indie author, his work could use some fine tuning. I think he's great at building the ominous feeling that a truly good horror novel should have, but I also felt like there was a good deal of "telling" versus "showing." I will say that I was not a fan of the character list--it was a helpful tool, certainly, but as someone who doesn't mind a story with a lot of characters, I'd rather have had the background and character development to be more of a focus so that I could have learned to "know" the characters.

Like I said, I think that Gray shows promise with his writing, and I always love supporting an indie horror author, so I can definitely see myself reading more from him in the future as he continues on his writing journey!

A story about good versus evil where a stranger comes to the American town of Rappahanok Falls and starts whispering all sorts of nastiness in the ears of local folk. A decent horror story but it didn't feel overly original, probably because of the little similarities to various Stephen King books that are tossed in every now and again. One character even reads The Stand and then uses the book as a weapon. It was fine but not overly memorable.

The Devil Within Us All by William F. Gray is a heart-wrenching and gripping novel that takes readers on a journey through darkness and evil that is present within all of us. The book is set in Rappahanok Falls, where a mysterious figure arrives one night. Chief of Police Brock Lowery is faced with multiple acts of violence committed by the stranger, leaving everyone afraid and questioning their safety. The novel is a thrilling and intense page-turner that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.
The Devil Within Us All is a beautifully written book that is both suspenseful and poignant. Gray does an excellent job of exploring the darkness that exists within us all, and how it can consume us if we let it. The character of Chief of Police Brock Lowery is particularly well-crafted, and readers will root for him as he battles against the evil that has come to Rappahanok Falls.
One of the strengths of the book is its pacing. The suspense builds steadily throughout the novel, and readers will be on the edge of their seats as they try to figure out what is happening in the town. Gray also does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the town and its inhabitants, making readers feel as though they are a part of the story.
Another aspect of The Devil Within Us All that stands out is its exploration of the theme of betrayal. As the residents of Rappahanok Falls turn against one another to serve the mysterious figure in the black Viscount, Lowery is forced to question who he can trust. The novel is a powerful reminder of how easily people can be influenced by their fear and the lengths they will go to protect themselves.
The Devil Within Us All is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that explores the depths of humanity and the darkness that exists within us all. This book is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to confront the darkness within themselves, it is a must-read. Highly recommended!

While I dislike the habit of of readers comparing horror books to all things Stephen King…I may have to. Loved this book’s initial slow burn, strong character development, which leads to a book I didn’t want to put down because, yes, it reminded me of a Stephen King novel.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC of this novel. Looking forward to reading more upcoming titles!

4 stars

I love me a good small town horror. This one did not disappoint. It had a little bit of everything (police procedural, supernatural, minor gore) but it worked well. I read it in 2 sittings.

The Devil Within Us All is a spine-chilling horror novel that will leave you sleepless. Set in a small, isolated town, the story follows a group of friends who stumble upon an ancient book that unleashes a malevolent force upon them. The author's writing style is gripping and atmospheric, creating a sense of dread that seeps into every page. The characters are well-developed, each with their own dark secrets and inner demons. As the supernatural terror escalates, the book delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the darkness that resides within us all. Prepare to be terrified as you uncover the devil lurking within.

A snake charmer comes to Rappahanok, He exerts a supernatural influence and the town devolves into violence and chaos.Only a few can stand their ground and hope to band together to fight the entity that has chosen their home.

I really enjoyed the overall story and ominous vibe. The characters were good and bad alike could’ve been more developed; some felt static across the whole story.
I liked that the author broke down his thoughts on the creation of this tale, the real world issues that became metaphors in the story

I enjoyed this story. Great prose, creepy small town spooky vibe, supernatural, and kept me turning the pages. I didn't lose interest and I wanted to keep reading to see what came next. The characters were solid, but not all likable. That's to be expected in a story like this. All together a good solid novel.

William F. Gray did not waste any time getting to the point of this story, which is a quality I greatly appreciate in a novel.

On the flip side, we’re provided with very little context for the characters as the story begins, outside of a character list with brief descriptions of the people we’ll meet in the town of Rappahanok Falls. We’re sprung straight into horrific action, which does make it difficult to keep up with the countless characters.

The story was fine. While it felt a little bit like something I’d already encountered, it was packed with enough details to keep me engaged. But it truly is action horror with lots of gore, which is not my favorite type of tale. I had expected, based on the title and synopsis, something with a bit more meaning to it. I picked this up hoping for a deeper exploration of human beings and their devilish propensities. That was my mistake. I imagine it will serve those who are looking strictly to be entertained quite well.

I did feel a bit frustrated with certain aspects of the writing, though. Firstly, it is unnecessary to continuously emphasize the fact that a person is overweight. It is fine to paint a picture of what a character looks like, and if it bears relevance to something they cannot do, I can understand mention of their body’s size being woven into a scene. It just felt overdone here, which borders body shaming, in my opinion.

Secondly, and perhaps I missed something, but why was the sheriff referred to as “Chief?” The chief of police and the sheriff aren’t the same thing so this confused me.

Lastly, the sentence “He/she let out the breath he/she didn’t know he/she was holding,” was used excessively. I do think this line has been overused by authors to the point of ineffectiveness in books, in general, but I was surprised to see it pop up so many times in one novel. Sometimes it was shortened slightly, but it communicated the same thing, and I don’t feel that creatively adds to the tension or the illustration of tension released.

I am immensely grateful to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

The Devil Within Us All is a small town horror influenced by worldwide issues.

A snake charmer comes to Rappahanok, He exerts a supernatural influence and the town devolves into violence and chaos.

Only a few can stand their ground and hope to band together to fight the entity that has chosen their home.

I really enjoyed the overall story and ominous vibe. The characters were ok- good and bad alike could’ve been more developed; some felt static across the whole story. The man that comes to town- there were vague descriptions of what he is, but I would’ve liked a more detailed explanation.

I liked that the author broke down his thoughts on the creation of this tale, the real world issues that became metaphors in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wicked House Publishing for a copy.

This is the first book of William F. Gray that I've read. Definitely got goosebumps out of the creepiness from Mr... and those brutal scenes. I liked how the author related the storyline with how selfish and manipulative the politicians and religious figures can be in reality. And how realistic the story ended. Sometimes the good guys don't always win and it all requires sacrifices. This book makes me realize it's indeed a scary, dark and twisted world we live in now. The real monsters are among us. They could be sitting next to you, talking to you, laughing with you, or maybe could it be you?

If I were to try to sum up this book in a single word, I might go with relentless. Or perhaps twisted (though it would need to be delightedly twisted to be accurate). But perhaps a better word might be seductive. No, not in any romantic way, but rather this is one of those books where you might have only intended to sit and read a chapter or two only to find you’ve totally lost track of time and umm…maybe forgot you were supposed to pick your nephew up from work. (Of course that’s just a hypothetical…not an actual example…wink wink!) I don’t want to explore the plot too in-depth to avoid spoilers but I think anyone who is familiar with Stephen King’s work might find themselves comparing this book to Needful Things. I certainly did, though in the case of The Devil Within Us All the unleashing of desires/violence seems more direct and a bit more brutal than in King’s story. And our villain is definitely more overt than in Needful Things. I can’t help but feel the expression ‘some people just want to watch the world burn’ really resonates for this story. I was not at all familiar with William F. Gray when I started reading this book and this appears to only be the second novel he’s written, but he is now firmly on my radar. Thanks so much to Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read an eARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-devil-within-us-all-william-f-gray/1143750606?ean=9781959798149&bvnotificationId=f2bd0d2d-26c6-11ee-8187-0eb7ccd00d41&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/253411752

This was one of those books for me that I’m glad I spread my reading over a few days. The plot twist wasn’t something I could have predicted and overall it engaged me the whole time! It was heartbreaking as it kept putting me in a false sense of security before ripping that away to show me the book’s cruel reality…

This was my first William F. Gray book but after reading this, I definitely want to give another one of his works a try!