875. "Seven Devils" by Steve McManus – 4 Stars

Seven Devils by Steve McManus – 4 Stars

ISBN: 9780996448543

Publisher: Steve McManus

This is an entertaining thriller/mystery with several intertwining stories: the murder of two young Chinese women in Los Angeles, a missing journalist, and a charismatic self-help guru with a cult-like international following. Two journalists investigating the same crime meet in a small town in snowy northern California.

All the different elements of the plot are brought together smoothly. The character and setting descriptions are beautifully done. The plot held my interest throughout the relatively long book and I loved the reunion at the end.

I did feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first book in the series. I wish there had been more background for the main characters, Danny and Ursula, and their obviously adversarial relationship.

I got lost in the Sci Fi  dialogue of the anti-guru Zach group 808. I recognized some names from the original Star Wars movies, but since I have not kept up with current jargon the renaming of people, places and events was annoyingly confusing.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will read more by this author.

Reviewer: Nancy