Erin Slone witnessed 2 teenage boys murdered in a satanic ritual in the woods as a teen. Her father investigated the crime and she was connected to everyone involved. She is a true crime reporter and finds herself having to come back home to write an anniversary story on the haunting events. This book can be very triggering for sensitive issues. I would advise against anyone reading this if they are sensitive to abuse or the subjects of ritualistic activities.

Not my favorite unfortunately. I had trouble connecting with the plot and therefore zoned out through some of the audiobook, which made it a bit hard to follow! The writing style just wasn't for me.

#IShotTheDevil #NetGalley
A fab read.
Erin Sloane was sixteen when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends. They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out. Ativan, alcohol, and distance had dimmed Erin’s memories of that time. But nearly twenty years later, an aging father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin’s investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me an advance copy.

I really wanted to enjoy this, but couldn’t get past the sporadic jumping around in pacing to the unrealistic and illogical conclusions that felt completely unhinged just to move the plot along. Great idea, poor execution.

I was really hoping for this book to be incredible, for it to blow me out of the water. As a Long Islander, i love that there's so many references to the area. But this slow burn doesn't end in fireworks, i feel like it ends in a whimper. I was excited to read this, but it felt so forced to have to finish it. Erin Sloane is not a likeable character, none of the people in the book are. the author tries to get some type of sympathy built for them, but she fails. Overall, i'm grateful for being able to get this copy from NetGalley and the publisher, but I am left disappointed.

Ruth McIver, sold me on the title alone

I Shot The Devil

I like it

What I liked even more is the pages that flipped through my fingertips with such ease yet riddled me with anxiety.

This book is everything

I saw the mixed reviews, ignore them. Ive been reading thrillers all my life and Im telling you, this book is it. Ruth McIver slays with this debut and it was an honor to read and review early in exchange for an honest review.

I can not wait to see what the future holds for this author but I will tell you, I became an instant fan. Kudos to the team behind this literary magician!

check out this teaser :

FIVE WENT INTO THE WOODS. TWO NEVER CAME BACK.

Erin Sloane was sixteen when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends.

They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out.

Ativan, alcohol, and distance had dimmed Erin’s memories of that time. But nearly twenty years later, an aging father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin’s investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.

An unforgettable story of murder, trauma, and childhoods lost,

Yikes. This book did not work for me at all. I DNF.

For starters, it was SUPER predictable. Secondly, it was painfully slow for me. I also did not care about any of the characters. When you combine this with a slow and predicable plot, it is a recipe for a disaster.

The writing was also terrible. Could use with a good edit.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for na honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Ruth McIver, and Blackstone Publishing for the ebook. A wild and twisting tale of a dark and sordrid past full of drugs and hazy memories. Erin is trying to piece together everything that happened, but who's trying to stop her?

This tale is told in two eras, the first was when the murders took place and the second sixteen years later when it is being investigated by the woman who was once one of the teen metalheads involved. It was fascinating and read more like a true crime podcast than a fictional account. Thanks to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC for an honest review.

I Shot The Devil is a very dark read that deals with abuse and satanism. I found it to be a bit slow and I struggled to really get into the story line. Overall, I didn't love it or hate it.

I Shot The Devil by Ruth McIver by most definitely kept me immersed and guessing, as well as turning the pages at a frantic pace.
A very well written debut that kept me glued to my Kindle.
The characters are well-developed and complex, and the plot twists keep you guessing until the very end.
A very compelling thriller that will keep you up late at night trying to finish this riveting story.

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Erin Sloane is approached by her editor to investigate a murder that happened twenty years ago. Despite her intense connections to the people that once surrounded it, she dives in headfirst.

Erin is the type of protagonist I adore. Strong and determined with edges of vulnerability that lead to bad decisions made with the best of intentions.

Ruth McIver does a fantastic job of creating a narrative voice that pulls you in, making you invested in Erin’s past and present. There is more than one mystery at the heart of the novel, and it is layered together beautifully.

At times it is quite dark, and deals with different types of victims and violence that go beyond the premise of satanism in the suburbs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will keep an eye out for Ruth McIver’s future books.

*Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.*

Thank you for the ARC!! I loved this book and thought the characters and story were well written. I will be recommending this to others.

A journalist with repressed memories begins an assignment investigating her past and the horrors that happened in her town when she was a teenager. As she gets closer to the truth and unlocking her memories, she begins to fear she may be in danger and that the truth may be what only nightmares are made of.

I struggled to get into this one in the beginning. I'm still not sure if it was the writing of this or the slump I was in at the time. This was a dark and twisted one, and I applaud this author for taking it places that others won't dare to go. While the storyline itself was good, it felt discombobulated at times and hard to either keep track or stay fully emerged in it. Overall, it was an okay read and a solid start for a debut author. Three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing, for this ARC.

This was just an okay read for me. There were so many characters to keep track of, the pacing was slow, and the ending felt rushed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Really really dark and not the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The night Andre Villiers was murdered in the woods near Southport, New York, allegedly as part of a Satanic ritual five teenagers went into those woods. Only three came out. Erin Sloane was sixteen at the time and she was friends with all five of those involved.

Sixteen years later she’s now a journalist and she’s been assigned to write a story about what happened that night. As she searches for the truth is she in danger?

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me as there were definitely things I liked about it - this was not your standard thriller and Erin is a messy heroine…and I like that. But it’s a little all over the place and at some point I think I started to lose sight of who had done what to whom…the first half is far stronger than the second. I believe this is the author’s debut novel, so not bad for a first outing.

Five people went into the woods that horrific night almost 20 years ago, but only three came out. Erin Sloane was just 16 years old when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends. Now she's being asked to write a story for her local paper about Andre's death. The deeper Erin digs into the past, the more her own repressed memories start to emerge, and she quickly realizes there are some willing to keep the truth hidden at all costs.

This is a truly dark and twisted thriller. The author wasn't afraid to shy away from even the most horrific of topics, so it's important to note the trigger warnings. It was a unique storyline and definitely not a bad book, but ultimately it just wasn't the right read for me.

TW: drug use, rape, abuse and satanism

Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions are my own.