A review by judithdcollins
The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

4.0

A special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Following, Mark Edwards' Follow You Home landing on my Top 50 Books of 2015, and Best Horror Suspense Thriller of the Year, another horror suspense twisty psycho-thriller, THE DEVIL'S WORK, a book within a book. Mixed with Edwards' own signature devilish wit.

2015--Sophie Greenwood is married to Guy (married for six years) and has a beautiful four-year-old daughter, Daisy. Recently she has landed her highly anticipated dream job at Jackdaw Books London, one of UKs most successful children’s publishers. She was re-entering the world of work, at the very publishing firm she had dreamed of joining.

Her new team mates: Tracey, Cassie, and Matt, senior marketing executive, with Simon, the marketing director and her immediate boss. There was also her predecessor, Miranda- a mysterious departure.

Sophie would create books, work with them, sell them, and inspire children to enter magical worlds. However, soon turns into a nightmare. Someone wants her gone.

She has a dark past. Shadows are lurking.

There was also Franklin Bird. This could be a problem.

Now eighty- five, the former old man, head of the firm, wants to take her to lunch. Will he remember her? At lunch she gets the sick feeling he knows about her painful secret.

Before having Daisy, Sophie worked at Lawrence House as a marketing manager in their children’s book division. Guy worked freelance. Guy did not know about her connection to Jackdaw Books. It had all happened years before they met. She felt no need to tell him. She thought they were dead.

Jasmine Smith was her roommate in college, and the granddaughter of Bird. A tragic past. Jasmine had problems.

From day one, there is trouble brewing at Jackdaw. Something is not quite right. In addition, there is a mysterious basement in the publishing house. Some thought it was haunted. Rumors of a suicide. What happened in the basement?

Alternating from Sussex 1999, to the present, the author unravels a triangle between Liam, Jasmine, and Sophie. (watch out, for those threesomes)--they will get you in some trouble. Also a brother Sebastian, and friend Becky from the past.

In the meantime, at work, Sophie is threatened and paranoid. On the verge of panic every day. Watching and waiting. Someone is out to sabotage her.

In addition, her husband Guy’s Twitter account is hacked and he is suspended. Between someone gluing dead rats to brutal gory details of the past- combined with a book, The Devil’s Work - a manuscript, an evil scheme, obsession, blackmail, revenge, a murder, an abducted child, and Gothic horrors.

From madness to insanity, a race against time--someone is out to get Sophie and destroy her new life. The ongoing mystery? Who, what, why? A captor, a torturer--someone wants to "drive the devil out" of anyone who is bad.

Chilling! Edwards keeps readers guessing, who is the mastermind behind the shocking madness. Appears the devil has an accomplice. A Folie à deux. The inducer who infects their partner with their psychosis.

A twisty nightmare of gore, horror, suspense, and mystery. As always, the author keeps you glued to the pages while keeping one eye open, afraid to turn the next page. A perfect Halloween read.

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