And the Devil Walks Away by Kevin R. Doyle
GENRE: Mystery
MY REVIEW
“You going to do anything illegal in there?”
“Don’t worry, counselor. Nothing that anyone’s going to complain about.”
I immediately liked Helen Lipscomb. Two years earlier she had been a by the book homicide detective. She had been pushed out of the police force, ostracized. Now, the thin blue line has gotten even thinner for her.
The serial killer angle is different from the norm. Instead of proving his innocence, Benson wants her to prove his guilt. He resents that someone else is taking credit for his kills.
“Anyone who can so piss off the members of the power structure is exactly who I need.”
Because she is low on funds she takes it on. She will be traveling around the country to find the answers.
Mysteries intrigue me, but lack the intense, fast paced action, and the darkness that drives my own twisted mind. So, to say that And The Devil Walks Away by Kevin R Doyle, seemed a bit slow to me, it may be through no fault of the book or the author. I will say, as the mystery grew I found myself becoming more interested in the outcome.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of And The Devil Walks Away by Kevin R Doyle.
BLURB: Helen Lipscomb seemingly has nowhere to go but down. Cashiered from the force, ostracized by most of her former acquaintances, and with no real connections left to the community, she’s been getting by as a sort of unofficial investigator, doing piecework for various lawyers and bail bondsmen. Her former life as a homicide detective seems far behind her until a notorious serial killer, locked away and facing the death penalty, offers her the challenge of a lifetime. Not to prove his innocence, but to prove him guilty of even more murders than the authorities suspect, murders for which another convicted man, several states away, is taking credit.
“I think you’re working under something of a misconception,” Benson said. “You’re correct. The authorities suspect me of more slayings than they’ve convicted me of, though even they can’t guess the actual number. But I don’t want you to work to prove my innocence. My guilt has been pretty much firmly established, at least in the three cases that have brought me to death row. Considering all the death sentences I currently face, wouldn’t you agree that would be pretty much a waste of your time and my money to attempt to prove otherwise?”
Helen frowned and glanced at Conroy, whose face remained impassive, before turning back to Benson.
“Then what do you want out of me?” she asked.
Benson smiled, but the expression had no warmth.
“I want you to prove that I’m guilty,” he said in a flat, calm tone. “Guilty of those murders they haven’t yet pinned on me.”
“Excuse me?” Helen was sure she looked as baffled as she felt.
“I thought that was fairly clear,” Benson said. “Someone’s out there taking credit for my work, and I want you to put a stop to it. If I have anything to say about it, no one’s going to get the credit for my work but me.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links
A retired high-school teacher and former college instructor, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of numerous short horror stories. He’s also written four crime thrillers including The Group and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter. In the last few years, he’s begun working on the Sam Quinton private eye series, published by Camel Press. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel. The fourth Sam Quinton book, Clean Win, was released in March of 2023.
- Web site: kevindoylefiction.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/kevindoylefiction
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473241.Kevin_R_Doyle
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Sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
Nice review, Sherry. I’ve enjoyed some of his other books.
Could you imagine a serial killer coming forward asking you to prove he actually did it. How crazy is that but I love the plot.
Mary,
I was actually rather pleased with myself when I thought of the basic plot twist. However, putting it into execution was a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be. I hope the end result was worth it.