Layton GreenBesprekingen

Hold on to your seat when you read this tale of influential lawyers and the opulence, muddy politics and a wasteland forgotten. Layton Green filled this story with a vivid assessment of Atlanta today – you can feel the thick humid air, and hear the heavy drawls, spill across the page. The paranormal and its power, misused by the government in a distorted effort, is a new slant to typical supernatural tale. Humans are the real monsters in this story. The reader is also shown the power of a great mentor, and how one person can make a difference. An entertaining and thought provoking read.

A combination Da Vinci Code and mathematics. Too heavy on the Dan Brown. I doubt I'll read the rest of the series.

The Summoner
By Layton Green
I read this a long time ago but this time I listened to it. An important man's friend goes missing and a secret investigation is started on the island. The story involves supernatural religion, drugs, murder, secrets, and more. Very creepy and exciting! I read it before and still I was anxious!😁

I do not review books on punctuation, grammar, or syntax. My reviews are on the plot, characters, worldbuilding, POV, and general storytelling.

To start, I will say this book took all my will power to read. There are spoilers from here on.

You have three brothers,
The oldest brother is Val. He is a corporate lawyer in New York who believes to be the guardian to his brothers since their father's death when they were kids. What happened to their mother? We do not know.
Val has no scruples. He appears to me like an Asshole, and he stays that way throughout the entire book. He pretty much is a reverse Robin Hood in dealing with his clients. In the end, he appears to have some magic, and I was wondering why he wasn’t the one with the thief’s ability.

The middle brother Caleb is a bartender womanizer that likes to touch waitresses against their will. He is another asshole with a Peter Pan syndrome, the adolescent man.

Will Blackwood has identity issues; he thinks he is not masculine enough. He works for a general contractor, and at a medieval-themed family restaurant. There he participated in stage fighting. He's suffered from panic attacks since childhood. His best friend is Lance, a New Orleans police officer.

In essence, that is the personality of the brothers, and I may have overlooked it because I lost interest in the book, but the brothers didn’t change. Not much of a character arc for any of the brothers.
Mala is a mercenary, the female character, and she can be found to kick ass at times, but her character wasn't developed, which is a shame.
The creatures were cool.

The story goes on until one day, Will and Lance run into a zombie Rottweiler and the weird guy who controls it. It was the bad guy Zedock. Why Zedock appear and does nothing to Will? That is a mystery to me.

The Blackwood brothers come into an inheritance; they were three items. Why this late in their lives since the father died when they were young? We do not know. I am assuming the items came from their father. At this point I don’t know, Layton Green never mentions it, and I am getting very annoyed.

They get contacted by a friend of their father, “Charlie,” he tells them that their father was a wizard.
Charlie does not give them any information on why their father came to earth or any background; here, you must believe all by faith.
So, Charlie gives them the three magical weapons, but then he gets kidnapped by Zedock, the guy who had the Rottweiler. They are still trying to figure out what happens. But a wizard shows up and talks to Will, telling him that Zedock, that is the name of the man who kidnapped Charlie, he's a necromancer from a parallel universe where magic rules. Here is where I have a few issues, Science does not rule in this other universe, magic does, however, you need to have some science laws established for the magic to work and be believable. And all becomes much. But I am willing to go with the flow of the book is fantasy.

Will tricks Val and Caleb to go into this other universe, and Lance is taken along with them. I still don’t know why they would want to go to an unknown place. Will is such a delicate man, that sufferers from anxiety attacks from Childhood. Him taking the initiative on doing something daring is out of character for a person with anxiety. I don’t see him taking the leap, but he was the one wanting to go. Why? I am not sure, because the reason is stupid, to save Charlie? They just met the man. They have a very weak motive. The four men must gang together with a necromancer they just met to save their father's friend that was taken by an evil necromancer. In the end, a simple plot that could have had a significant impact if we have had seen something more and unique. Why not make all Necromancers evil? Make a distinction that would separate Zedock from all others.

About the POV, I write in the third person multiple, and I do like to read books written in this style. However, with this book, the shift in POV perspective was a bit awkward and needed finesse in the movement of perspective. There were a few plot holes; however, I think those where intentional gaps to be filled by subsequent books. Or I hope he takes the time to fill in all those gaps.
I was disappointed when I finished reading this book. I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. I forced myself to read it at some points, but in the end, I can’t say I like the book.

I will not be looking for the second in this series. I might read it if I get it for free and have no other books in line to read.

Continuing the dangerous mission that befell them, Cal and Andie narrowly escape the Ascendents in Venice and follow the clues on the Star Phone around the world in hopes of finding Andie's beloved PhD advisor who has disappeared, Dr. James Corwin and defeating the Ascendents who destroyed Cal's life and are holding Andie's mother. The clues in the Star Phone were laid by Dr. Corwin, part of the Leap Year Society, spent most of his life trying to find Ettore Majorana who developed a device, The Enneagon that would change the world and how we understand it. However, the Ascendents will stop at nothing to find the Enneagon as well.
Unknown 9: Revelation is the second book in the Genesis Trilogy. You must read book one first in order to grasp the full scope of the story. Just like the first book, Revelation is an addictive thriller, impossible to put down. The story picks up right where it left off in Genesis. I absolutely love the complexity of the puzzles on the Star Phone and how they lead Andie and Cal to unique places with hidden histories all over the world. Added points of view from Dr. Corwin on his mission in the 1970's and two members of the Ascendents round out the story and help put more pieces of the puzzle in place. Written with extreme detail and care for plot, characters and imagination, Revelation is a fast-paced adventure that I can't wait to continue in the last part of the trilogy.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review .

Andie Robertson has relied on her mentor and PhD adviser, Dr. James Corwin for much of her life, especially after her mother left. All of Andie's life, she has had strange hallucinations that take her into an eerie shadow world. After Dr. Corwin is mysteriously murdered in Italy, Andie finds some research of Dr. Corwin's that is out of his field of study along with drawings that looks exactly like her hallucinations. With the drawings, Andie finds the Star Phone, a strange device that leads her on an adventure with a series of clues. The clues are associated with a secret society, The Leap Year Society and The Ascendants. On the other side of the US, a disgraced investigative journalist, Cal, is desperately trying to find the people who ruined his career. Once Andie and Cal figure out that they are both being hunted by a very dangerous and secretive group, they team up to help one another on the perilous path that has befallen them

Unknown 9: Genesis is a complex science fiction thriller featuring secret groups, code breaking, hidden history, conspiracy theories and mind bending scientific breakthroughs. This is the first book of a trilogy and the beginning of the book was a gradual set up of characters, events and background before getting too heavy into the plot. The writing gripped me from the beginning, building suspense as Dr. Corwin is running for his life. After that, the set up bounces back and forth between Andie, Cal, Omer who is contracted to deliver them, and Ettore in the 1930's. This lends to a slower pace in the beginning, however it does a wonderful job of creating deep characters and intriguing story line that is compounded, but easily followed. I enjoyed the fast paced adventures in Egypt and Italy's historical spaces. I'm deeply interested in the Leap Year Society and the secrets they want to protect. I was absorbed by the idea of The Fold and the potential it could unlock. There is much more to explore with all of the characters and the journey they are on, I can't wait to read more.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

One of the oldest quests in history...the quest for the secret of eternal life. This is the root of The Egyptian. This is a first-rate thriller with elements of history, martial arts, and just the right amount of spy games and conspiracy theories. Think The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons without all the religious symbolism. All of this is enough in itself, but what I really like about it is that the writing is terrific and the characters are interesting and engaging. Dominic Grey would be a great movie character and I couldn't help wondering who would play him in a film adaptation. Speaking of which, this book would make an excellent film. I see it translating well to the screen, much in the way Tom Clancy's Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger did. Dominic Grey could be the next Jack Ryan...well, sans the family anyway. If you're looking for a book that grabs you from the start and keeps you interested throughout, then this is the book for you. Oh, and there is a nice homage to a certain horror film that adds a measure of creepiness to the story. Looking forward to Mr. Green's future offerings.

Dominic Grey is back in The Diabolist and he has become a favorite of mine among recurring main characters in a book series. This is largely due to Layton Green's talent of creating compelling characters with interesting back stories. Green also has a knack for writing thrillers that are one step away from horror, which I enjoy.

In this installment, Satanic cults and the murder of their leaders are at the center of the plot. Dominic and his partner, Viktor, are drawn into the world of the occult as they investigate the murders. Not only are we treated to the thrills that accompany one's journey into that world, but there are historical and philosophical elements in the book that make the story even more interesting.

The Dominic Grey series was picked up by Amazon's Thomas and Mercer imprint and their acquisition was justified. I'm glad to see Green's books getting recognition for the excellent works they are and I look forward to continued books in the series.

Police procedural, if you're into that sorta thing, but a good one and recommended!

Elements this has:
- small town setting that's hiding very dark underground criminal elements beneath its Main Street facade
- small town politics and connections that have to be untangled and impede investigation progress
- involves a book store (I love when books/book stores play into plots)
- multiple murder scenes that are copies of those in literary works
- family-feud secrets come to light
- a bad apple police officer who may or may not be redeemable
- a damaged hero police officer
- a budding romance
- a strong female supporting character who could become a protagonist in her own right
- really bad baddies

Loved the three key characters: Preach, Ari, Kirby. Each was colorful, had a strong role, and was interesting in his/her own right with fully realized strengths and weaknesses.

This is stand alone, but could easily be built into a series. If it is, I'd love to read more about them in future installments and if it isn't, I'll look for more from Layton Green.

Incredible book!

Characters are complex and realistic. The descriptions of the practitioners are chilling. This is not a book in the genre of horror but it brings horror and unease in doses are are more effective for being small and repeated. The pacing of the book is perfect. It draws one along almost with a frisson of inevitability that is part of the story itself.

This was a wonderful story. Very evocative language. And the twist at the end was quite unexpected. For lovers of Hemingway I recommend this quick easy read.
I'd love to see more from this author, and perhaps in the future this story could be fleshed out to be a full length novel? (I'd love that!).

STORY-LINE WRITTEN IN BLOOD BY LAYTON GREEN:

In Written In Blood, Detective Joe "Preach" Everson, is back in his hometown of Creekville, N. C. After several breakdowns and the trauma of his last investigation in Atlanta, Preach needs to refuel and recoup. Preach never suspected the bohemian town of Creekville would be the sitting for several brutal murders with literary connections. Beginning with the killing of the local bookstore owner in a scene taken from Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Preach is in for a roller coaster ride.

Ariana Hale, an employee of the bookstore, law student, and bibliophile, helps Preach with the literary connections. As the murders continue, time is running for Preach to solve these deaths, as well as, his and Ariana's life. My book reviews of Written In Blood follows.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

Layton Green created a police procedural which will knock your socks off. With characters which are full-bodied, believable, and well-developed, Layton Green packed this book with a whirlwind of action, people, and relationships. I found the premise intriguing, and the action nonstop as Green led me through this investigation. Green created the typical small town which could be located anywhere in America. Under the small town facade, the reader finds greed, corruption, crime, deviance, and murder. To all appearances, Creedville is the perfect community until you dig under the surface and the scum floats to the top.

Detective Joe "Preach" Everson's character will fascinate the reader. From preacher to prison chaplain to detective, Joe "Preach" Everson's life has been one of turmoil and pain; he thought he had seen the worse man could offer. Hoping to recoup and restore in Creekville, Preach finds himself in the middle of multi-faceted murders. He's a man torn by guilt, mental breakdowns, and the need to protect, serve, and provide justice; with his mental stability in question, he's ordered to see a therapist. His therapist of choice is his Aunt Jane. She takes his case with a caveat; he will be referred to someone else if she finds he has a problem.

Using famous literary novels as the theme for the murders, the killer is elusive and smart. In a town full of criminal elements, Preach has a multitude of suspects. Layton included multi-plot lines, twists, and turns, and family dynamics into this highly suspenseful crime drama. He skillfully wove all the plot threads together, while keeping the suspense and mystery at a high peak. The action begins on the first page and continues throughout the story as Preach and his partner delve into the underbelly of Creekville. They find more than they bargained for as they dig into human lives and political arenas. Layton included a twist in Preach's partner; a man who is smart, greedy for success, and notoriety.

Including a romance element into the story added depth to this power-packed drama. Not only is she a romantic interest, but she also helps interpret the scenes literary connections. However, time is running out to the solve murders and save the next victim. Preach finds Ariana and himself in the crosshairs of the criminal element in town. With an ending which left me gasping, I could not believe the identity of the killer. I did not see that coming!

Layton writing's vividly descriptive and flows smoothly from scene to scene. His characters are well-developed and his storyline's fresh and original. I found myself worn to a frazzle as I closed this book, yet, thoroughly satisfied and entertained. Written In Blood is one of the best crime dramas I have read in some time. I could not put this book down. As a result, I suggest you get ready for a long day and night of reading as you delve into the town of Creekville. I would not hesitate to buy this book for myself or a friend.

WRITTEN IN BLOOD RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:

Additionally, I received this book from the author and Edelweiss. I chose to voluntarily review the book with honest crime suspense book reviews. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. Also, ARC's do not influences my voluntary crime suspense books review.

William Addison - retired United States diplomat - disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bush veld of Zimbabwe. Assigned to investigate the Addison case is Dominic Grey - Diplomatic Security special agent - a product of a violent childhood and a well-worn passport. He is not typically a 'by the book, follow the rules' special agent - but because he is so well-traveled, and knowledgeable in the martial arts - Dominic has managed to keep his position with the American Embassy.

Aiding in the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, religious phenomenology scholar and expert on cults, and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison. What Dominic uncovers during his investigation is a terrifying cult older than Western civilization, the harsh underbelly of a country in despair, a demagogic priest seemingly able to perform impossibilities, and the identity of the newest sacrifice.

Himself.

The Summoner: A Novel of Suspense, is the first book in a series which spans the globe; whose protagonists investigate the world's most bizarre and dangerous cults. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was well-written and fast-paced, and captured my attention right from the beginning. I must say that there were several unexpected plot twists - at least for me - and the various cliff-hangers throughout the story had me literally on the edge of my seat.

I give this book a definite A+! and look forward to reading more from Layton Green in the future. This story is certainly not for the faint-of-heart, and is totally thrilling and suspenseful.

By Lis on my blog: Book Girl on Mur y Castell


*Squee* Remember how a while back I reviewed Layton Green’s The Summoner? Remember just how much I loved it and recommended you read this book too? Well a while back B. was contacted by the author to do a pre-release of the author’s latest book: The Egyptian. Let me tell you, I was one happy happy woman when she got me that request. Needless to say I got right down to reading, but the knights put me of from writing the review. So here I am with my notebook full of squee about this book. Let’s see if I can get you to squee right along with me.

To tell you the truth, this book is not a girly, squee, romantic kind of book. It’s quite the thoughtful and scary story, full of details of myths and history, occultism, background and world building, and a mystery to rival The DaVinci Code.

Remember Dominic Grey? In The Summoner he worked for the Diplomatic Service, but since then he started working for our other hero: Professor Viktor Radek, who specializes in religious phenomenology. Basically, he consults high ranking clients on dangerous, obscure cults. Grey is James Bond to Viktor’s Indiana Jones and together they make one heck of a team.

This time the mystery involves a mummy. Alright, I’m kidding. There is a mummy but the mystery goes much deeper than that. Initially Grey and Radek are hired by an Egyptian company to locate stole research on something oh so interesting – I’ll let you find that out for yourself – but it isn’t long before they run into a dangerous cult and things get real interesting real quick. You know how cults, religion and science make a very bad mix? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Like in the first book there is a lot of information in this book. There is a lot of background on myth, history and the occult and cults (and the cult featured in this book actually made my skin crawl). The flow of information in this book is well balanced by both the story and the characters. Grey is just as interesting and rogue as in the first book and Radek is just as mysterious. While they are the main characters in this story, they are supported by a well-balanced cast. These characters are not just your average story characters. They are complex, interesting and mysterious. The author gives you just enough to keep you wondering as to what they role in the story really is. One character I found most interesting was Veronica.

The setting in The Egyptian is breathtaking. Layton knows how to write the characters’ surroundings in such a way that it almost feels as if you’re actually there. Just like in The Summoner this story takes you places: from Egypt to Eastern Europe. It’s nice to see a setting that doesn’t feature America predominantly.

The Egyptian is a rare gem that puts the DaVinci Code to shame. It’s a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes you want to grab your teddy bear and hide under the covers just as it keeps you from putting it down because you want to know what happens next. I sure hope this author keeps writing!

Layton Green's Dominic Grey is beginning to resemble Daniel Craig's James Bond - angry, hurt, seething. The character hasn't become boring yet but I fear he may become so fairly soon. Green again provides interesting supporting characters, a good enough villain, and spooky info about the shit people are willing to believe. To me, again, his great strength to make multiple places come to life. Miami, the Yucatan, Bogota, Medellin, and Cusco are the strongest presences in the book, more like characters than locales.

I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author; this was the first time I have read Layton Green. I will read more Layton Green and look forward to his Dominic Grey and Viktor Redek series.

The Metaxy Project is a great book that makes the paranormal and agnostic faith tangible to the reader.

Layton Green takes time to flesh out the characters in the first quarter of the book. The details at time became tedious and I thought, "Man, I should not have chosen this book, and the author wants me to review it." Layton Green's use of cliche stilted the voice of his characters; the dialogue at times was melodramatic and made me cringe. However the author's use of dialogue improved as the action took flight.

Green does a great job at setting up these believable characters in unbelievable circumstances. I could feel the stress that Gemma felt in providing for her sick child, and became enraptured with her character.

The setting of Atlanta is described expertly and one can envision the complexity of the monstrous city. The author knows Atlanta and can show the reader its various facets.

I had a hard time, in fact, putting the book down during the chilling climax. I will read more Layton Green.

There is more action and suspense and less yakking this time as the two men fight diabolists who worship, not on the grudge holding fallen angel of Christianity, but Ahriman, the Zoroastrian god of darkness, equal of the god of light. The inevitable exposition centers around the different types of Satanic cults, an interesting topic. A scary, tense read.½

I'm not sure what kind of complement I am paying to a thriller when I say that I found the multiple expositions in the story -- about Bulgarian life and culture, anti-aging research, primitive Egyptian gods, and jujutsu -- is as interesting as the story. I liked the story well enough, and the characters, especially the soldier of fortune whose career was launched by his deep need to get the heck away from rural Oklahoma.

An intriguing book with a mix of conspiracy theories and the paranormal. Intense writing in that I had to stop at times to take a breath!

Layton Green's The Metaxy Project makes brilliant use of an old-style sci-fi narrative framework to tell a definitively postmodern tale. From the non-linear narrative which opens in first person present to the engaging, segmented first person recollection of the main narrative, I found myself caught and intrigued. Some of the metaphysical elements felt old hat, familiar tokens one might find in any typical conspiracy theorist, but they were handled in a fresh and interesting way. The characters were beyond likeable, and even a little loveable. By the end, I was definitely rooting for the protagonist. And, the ending was entirely satisfying.

There are some adult situations (both violence and sex) but these were deftly handled so as to create the right mood with minimal graphic language. I definitely appreciated that aspect of the text. The author's treatment of inner-city poverty was especially compelling and well-done.

Again, Layton Green has delivered a mystery that is not only a great story that is fast paces action with every turn but delivers a philosophical question of old, immortality, into the hands of the 21st century ethics of this search. The what-ifs of living encompassed by the secrets if the ancients. What would happen if there was such a thing? What are the implications to the world population? How do we muck around in these questions without losing our humanity?

Dominic Grey and Viktor may cine at this from to different positions but their passion is relentless. Answering the questions we all have while searching for their own soul in these questions. Their place within these mysteries.

A mystery that had me baffled till nearly the end! What a thrill! Well researched, well written and a jewel to be found for this mystery buff! Excited that Dominic and Viktor's next adventure was on sale this weekend for inky $0.99 on Amazon! Going to dive in and enjoy more thrills from this latest jewel!

This is a fascinating start of a series starring Dominic Grey, a embassy official in Zimbabwe with a dark past and a reputation of flouting authority. He is assigned to the case involving the disappearance of an ex-diplomat and is forced into partnership with two individuals with equally dark pasts and murky motivations. As the trio delves deeper into the ancient African Yoruba religion, they confront evil mysteries that are grisly and unfathomable.

At times, this book almost becomes too macabre and disturbing but the fast moving action moves it along too fast to linger on these scenes. Zimbabwe provides a fascinating and chaotic setting and how the character interact with the culture and politics of the country adds substance to the book. I look forward to reading further books in the series. This book was a Goodreads Giveaway.½

This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2013/06/6242013-diabolist-by-layton-green-boo...

The Dominic Grey series has been picked up by Amazon's Thomas and Mercer imprint, which goes to show, yet again, that if your book is good enough, even if you start out self-publishing, someone is going to notice!

In this third-in-series novel, the reader travels with Dominic Grey (our tough guy) and Victor Radek (our absinthe-addicted cult phenomenolist) from San Francisco to England to Paris and Italy on the trail of a killer whose victims are leaders of so-called "black cults".

In this intelligent thriller, we come across great thinking points on Satan, Lucifer, and the origin of evil even as we follow our main characters on their journeys (most of the time they are on separate paths as they follow various leads).

We may not feel too sorry for the victims, but whoever is killing them has to be even worse. Intrigue, betrayal, deception, kidnapping, truly evil villains and a mysterious beautiful woman who keeps appearing (and then disappearing) - what more could a thriller offer? Oh! Danger! There's plenty of that in this title as well.

Although this is a series, the author does a great job of filling in background info which means that you don't have to read the previous two titles to appreciate this one (but I DO recommend them!). In my review of the first novel, The Summoner, I stated: "I'm hoping to see a lot more of one of the secondary characters, Victor Radek, who is interesting in his own right." - and in this novel, Victor definitely comes into his own.

One thing that distinguishes this series from many other thrillers that I definitely appreciate is the character development. There's not just swashbuckling, knuckle-clenching action, you learn enough about the protagonists and their backgrounds to make you care about what happens to them.

QUOTES:

He didn't know what was more disturbing: being helped by a beautiful girl who kept disappearing into thin air, being chased by a pack of bloodthirsty Satanists who knew his name, or taking a plane to London in pursuite of a mysterious figure who terrified both the bloodthirsty Satanists and the girl.

Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars

BOOK RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Sensitive Reader: One dream sex scene and some brief scenes of violence.

I’m not at all surprised that Green has been picked up by Amazon’s publishing imprint, Thomas and Mercer. I regarded both The Summoner and The Egyptian as unique and exciting thrillers and I am glad the author has gained recognition for his work.

The Diabolist is the third cleverly crafted novel in the series featuring Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek. In this installment, the investigator and the renowned phenomenologist are convinced that a series of bizarre murders of the worlds religious leaders are the work of a charismatic prophet preaching for a new age. As Dominic attempts to infiltrate the upper echelons of the international cult, Viktor works to unravel the chilling end game planned by the ghost from his past.

Fast paced and action packed The Diabolist is an intelligent psychological thriller. Moving from San Francisco, to the catacombs of Paris, and between the streets of London and a hidden monastery in Sicily, Radek and Grey need to sort fact from fiction, truth from illusion in order to prevent further murders and expose the mastermind of a plot to destabilise organised religion.

A larger question in the novel addresses the nature of faith and how the concept of good and evil is defined within it. The focus on darker occult practices might disturb some readers but it is where faith, science and the inexplicable intersect that interests the author and his protagonists.

Though you could read The Diabolist as a stand alone, familiarity with Radek and Grey strengthen the appeal of this novel. Central to the character development of both men is the way in which their beliefs are challenged by the events that take place.

I liked having the opportunity to learn more about the enigmatic Radek in this installment. Radek’s cool, academic persona is rattled by the confrontation with an old friend, now enemy, triggering a personal and professional crisis. The troubled past of the absinthe-drinking professor reveals his motivation for his study of the world’s belief systems, and his particular interest in unexplained phenomena.

As with the earlier books in the series, this novel is characterised by an original, complex, and meticulously researched plot and intriguingly flawed characters. The Diabolist is a provocative thriller that challenges a simple world view and I am looking forward to the next installment.