The Bookwyrm's Review of Devil's Night by Curtis M. Lawson

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Rating: 9.75/10

Synopsis

Bear witness to the ghosts and dark gods of Motor City, revealed by the light of a fiery cityscape. It’s the night before Halloween and Detroit is burning in a celebration of arson and vandalism. Devil’s Night is a unique collection of interconnected urban horror stories taking you back to October 30th, 1987.

Drawing inspiration from Michigan legends such as the Nain Rouge and the Hobo Pig Lady, Lawson weaves a rich and haunting tapestry of terror and tragedy. Inside these pages, you will find cursed vinyl records, inner-city druids, diabolical priests, and slim slivers of hope. Devil’s Night burns with Curtis M. Lawson’s signature brand of supernatural dread. This is smart psychological horror, ablaze with visceral imagery, with equal measures of heart and heartache.

Review

I am not usually a big horror fan, having grown up with fantasy and sci-fi as my go to genres. That being said, I do enjoy the occasional foray into the dark side, the side of the devils, demons and ghosts, especially when its written by one of my favorite authors. In this case, that author is Curtis M. Lawson, who is a very talented author of supernatural horror, and he has created an absolute gem with Devil’s Night.

Centered in a series of stories set in Detroit on October 30, Devil’s Night, it imagines a darker reason for the arson, looting and rioting that was a Detroit tradition for so many years on the night before Halloween. Reasons Like the Nain Rouge, and imp that destroys families over the course of years, and reasons like the Hobo Pig Lady, tied into the mysterious disappearance of children. We see serial killers and thugs get their comeuppance in some horrifying ways, and we also see some true monsters in human form be led to even more power. There might even be a story about the son of the devil, doing good work stopping some heinous evil, and we find out just what the true cause of the evil behind Devil’s Night is, and see the one person who can possibly bring it to an end.

I loved the variety of the stories. From straight horror to more dark urban fantasy, we get a glimpse into evil, and even into the good trying to offset it. The stories are so visceral, and you really just get sucked in. I spent a few late nights finishing this, realizing I was on to something special. This is easily the best horror anthology I’ve ever read, and I hope to see more of the Devil’s son in future novel length stories. I think he would make a great sort of anti-hero urban fantasy protagonist. Check out this book today!