Speak of the Devil (Raine's Landing #5) by Tony Richards

It may look like a perfectly ordinary New England town, a little larger than most. But Raine’s Landing, Massachusetts, holds some very dark secrets. The real witches of Salem fled here just before the Trials of 1692, and the place has been full of magic – the good and the bad kind – ever since. And a curse hangs over the whole population … there are so many people because nobody born here can ever leave.

It’s only early February, and the town should still be in the grip of winter. But the air has turned unseasonably warm and an unexpected thaw has come. And as the snows begin to melt back, bodies start to be discovered, murdered human corpses, each with strange ritual markings carved into their flesh.

At first another serial killer is suspected, but it is not that. The markings are satanic ones. Somebody inside the town is practising black magic of the foulest kind. Demons have been summoned, dark spells cast, doorways opened into deeper realms. And then the Landing’s adepts start to be attacked.

And with his sidekick, Cassie Mallory, unable to help him, ex-cop Ross Devries is facing the toughest and most brutal fight of his entire life. Because this time, he is battling the hordes of Hell.

“Richards is a master at suspending disbelief and combining horror, fantasy and humor in a way that will mesmerize readers from cover to cover” – RT Book Reviews - sf/fantasy section.

“When it comes to fiction for me, characters are first and foremost the most important factor in drawing me into the story, and Mr. Richards’ characters are absolutely wonderful. The action is fast and furious, with plenty of witchcraft, magic, and supernatural beings. His writing is atmospheric and spooky, once you start you will find it hard to put down” – The Monster Librarian.

“The rest of us stand on the sidelines with eyes wide open at his audacity and wonder what he’ll do next” – Peter Tennant, Black Static magazine.