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300th out of 703 books
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703 voters
The Devil of Light (Cass Elliot Crime Series - Book 1)
by
Gae-Lynn Woods (Goodreads Author)
A BIZARRE MURDER
When young Detective Cass Elliot responds to a report of domestic violence at the home of a prominent businessman, she finds him violently murdered in the barnyard with his battered wife unconscious near the tool that killed him. Still raw from her own unsolved attack six years ago, Cass is stunned when confronted with graphic photographs scattered across t...more
When young Detective Cass Elliot responds to a report of domestic violence at the home of a prominent businessman, she finds him violently murdered in the barnyard with his battered wife unconscious near the tool that killed him. Still raw from her own unsolved attack six years ago, Cass is stunned when confronted with graphic photographs scattered across t...more
Kindle Edition, 455 pages
Published
June 20th 2011
by Dead Head Press
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Masterfully written, a tightly woven tale. "The Devil Of Light" treads where most stories dare not go. Detective Cass Elliot investigates a gruesome murder in her hometown. She finds a mysterious secret in a town that she once believed held no secrets. No one is safe in the small Texas town when a group of religious men seek to hold on to the power of ancient beliefs and cleanse the world around them. Desperate men grasp for power. Officials are blackmailed and punished. The Word is twisted. Dem...more
Gae-Lynn Woods is a name you should remember. She's one hell of a storyteller, and if "The Devil of Light" is any indication of what to expect from her, we'll hear a lot more about Ms. Woods. "The Devil of Light" is a tense, sometimes enigmatic tale of murder, mayhem and deception set in a small east Texas town where it appears some kind of quasi-religious cult is carrying out rituals that are leaving people dead and children sexually assaulted. Forney County sheriff's detective Cass Elliot is o...more
I enjoyed this book very much. I had a little bit of trouble getting into it and almost gave up on it at first but once I started learning who was who and getting more and more hints about what was going on, I had a hard time leaving it to do other things I needed to do.
When I got toward the end and saw that there wasn't enough pages to answer all the questions, I figured there would be a sequel. I can't wait to read the sequel and I think this author has a very bright future ahead of her.
This i...more
When I got toward the end and saw that there wasn't enough pages to answer all the questions, I figured there would be a sequel. I can't wait to read the sequel and I think this author has a very bright future ahead of her.
This i...more
The Devil of Light is a fast-paced, suspenseful crime novel set in a small, peaceful town in Texas. The peace is disrupted as mysteries dating back to the 1920’s, and bodies from recent missing person reports, boil up to the surface.
Gae-Lynn Woods leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter with a little tease that will keep you moving through to the next chapter. I like the main character, Cass Eliott and her partner Mitch Stone (great detective name). The investigation into the crimes, the p...more
Gae-Lynn Woods leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter with a little tease that will keep you moving through to the next chapter. I like the main character, Cass Eliott and her partner Mitch Stone (great detective name). The investigation into the crimes, the p...more
Apart from one little hint that there is another layer to be revealed, this novel is your standard detective-thriller/murder-mystery. A series of apparently unrelated events: a mutilated skeleton, arson, the murder of a prominent businessman by his abused wife and revelations that respected members of their community are involved in a morally twisted, pseudo-Christian cult, begin to reveal themselves in interesting ways as Detective Cass Elliot and her colleagues unpick the evidence.
The pacing i...more
As a writer I’ve never been one for following rules – so I don’t mind too much when other writers break from them. Who says everything has to be done the traditional way in order to work? Gae-Lynn Woods throws away enough of the rule book to keep readers on their toes while sticking to the tried and true when it counts.
A mix of thriller and good old fashioned detective mystery, with a very subtle undercurrent of horror, The Devil of Light is well paced with strong characters and an intriguing pl...more
A mix of thriller and good old fashioned detective mystery, with a very subtle undercurrent of horror, The Devil of Light is well paced with strong characters and an intriguing pl...more
The first thing I need to say about this book is, I was very impressed with how well written it was, and how quickly the author draws you into the world of the protaganist, Cass Elliott, without giving anything much away about what is coming for her. The "family" scene at the start of the novel really gives you a sense of her before you begin to dig into the main plot. I love this - sometimes you feel that a main character in a novel is embroiled in all sorts of things but you don't actually kno...more
***Caution***schedule time to read!
I'm a very busy woman. I work 55 hours a week and write when I'm not working, so the LAST thing I need is a suspense thriller so believable, so twisty, so vivid it has me up til 12 PM night after night (granted I don't start reading until ten p.m., perhaps that's where I went wrong!)
Hitch and his drill--evil incarnate, yet somehow not as scary as the ordinary men of the very local-color Texas cult that practices corruption of the word of God-- and of every dec...more
I'm a very busy woman. I work 55 hours a week and write when I'm not working, so the LAST thing I need is a suspense thriller so believable, so twisty, so vivid it has me up til 12 PM night after night (granted I don't start reading until ten p.m., perhaps that's where I went wrong!)
Hitch and his drill--evil incarnate, yet somehow not as scary as the ordinary men of the very local-color Texas cult that practices corruption of the word of God-- and of every dec...more
This murder mystery has all the elements of a great book. A beautiful detective with a troubled history; bodies turning up in strange circumstances; a villain who himself is only the tip of the iceberg. If that sounds like cliche, think again. The Devil of Light is full of surprises.
It all starts when they turn up a half–buried body out in the woods. The strangest thing about this body is that it’s missing a foot. Mystery lovers will enjoy putting the pieces of this puzzle together. There’s a my...more
It all starts when they turn up a half–buried body out in the woods. The strangest thing about this body is that it’s missing a foot. Mystery lovers will enjoy putting the pieces of this puzzle together. There’s a my...more
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A Dyson of a novel!
Be aware! Go anywhere near Gae-Lynn Woods’ debut novel and you will be sucked in and spun around amongst the goings-on in Forney County until you’ve read every word of it. This is a work of crime fiction which stands right up there amongst the best. The writing is so effective that even this reader’s overbearing sense of editorship was cast aside and I found myself carried along by the story, the wonderful characters, the riveting sense of place and the real trauma of a commun...more
Be aware! Go anywhere near Gae-Lynn Woods’ debut novel and you will be sucked in and spun around amongst the goings-on in Forney County until you’ve read every word of it. This is a work of crime fiction which stands right up there amongst the best. The writing is so effective that even this reader’s overbearing sense of editorship was cast aside and I found myself carried along by the story, the wonderful characters, the riveting sense of place and the real trauma of a commun...more
There's a consensus brewing about this novel...and I for one have to absolutely agree. The writing is eloquent, timely, descriptive without being overly burdened, and the mystery element is THERE. Really, right there. I loved this book. I read it very quickly when I first downloaded, and then, I went back and re-read it, just for the deliciousness of the text, the wonderful way it weaves itself, the marvelously defined characters, Cass, of course, WOW! But, also in the supporting characters. The...more
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I was intially intriqued by this book based on the character Hitch, who I wanted to find out more about, and what happened to Cass and her brother Jack who was put into jail perhaps falsely. There was the investigation into several murders that had taken place. I felt that many parts of the book were well written , but ultimately I believe as a reader at least for myself that I am looking for a bit of resolution. After finishing the book I felt the main point of conflict was handled very quickly...more
Woods keeps the reader guessing right to the last page while crafting a plot with more twists and turns than a silly straw, all in an incredibly thoughtful and well-written novel. Her sense of place is evocative, her characters richly drawn, her command of language dexterous, and her ability to balance all the elements in the story without resorting to cliche or predictable devices unexpected. This debut effort is further proof that there are undiscovered novelists out there who can more than ke...more
Gae-lynn Woods is a magnificent writer!!! She tells a story in a way that brings it's surroundings and the characters to life and in full view!
I felt as if I was watching one of the most exciting movies ever written!!!
I gave myself a week to read this book, but I couldn't stop reading and finished in 2&1/2 days!!!
It's too exciting, mysterious and I just loved the ending so much!!! It was one heck of a finale!!!
Thank you Gae-lynn for the fantastic entertainment!!! :-D
I was a lil scared, but I...more
I felt as if I was watching one of the most exciting movies ever written!!!
I gave myself a week to read this book, but I couldn't stop reading and finished in 2&1/2 days!!!
It's too exciting, mysterious and I just loved the ending so much!!! It was one heck of a finale!!!
Thank you Gae-lynn for the fantastic entertainment!!! :-D
I was a lil scared, but I...more
A series of bizarre murders, seemingly unrelated, challenge Cass Elliot to dig into the best-kept secrets in town. Nicely developed, solid, down-home characters, peppered with enough personal detail about their lives to allow you to really identify with them. As you follow the case through, you can’t help but wonder what the heck is going on – and Ms. Woods plays it close to her vest until the very end!
I was quite surprised (and disappointed) that this is only her first book. I want to read more...more
I was quite surprised (and disappointed) that this is only her first book. I want to read more...more
Clearly Gae-Lynn Woods is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the crime thriller genre. The Devil of Light begins as a classic crime, murder mystery but very soon the reader learns it is so much more.
Following the death of upstanding member of the community, Lenny Scarborough, at the hands of his wife, a disturbing trail begins to emerge, a trail that threatens to shake Forney County to its very foundations. Following that trail are the story's protagonists, Cass Elliot, a firey young rap...more
Following the death of upstanding member of the community, Lenny Scarborough, at the hands of his wife, a disturbing trail begins to emerge, a trail that threatens to shake Forney County to its very foundations. Following that trail are the story's protagonists, Cass Elliot, a firey young rap...more
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Gae-Lynn Woods is a Texan who has traveled the world, lived overseas, and come back home. She and her husband, British jazz guitarist Martyn Popey, share a ranch in East Texas with a herd of Black Angus cattle and one very cranky donkey.
THE DEVIL OF LIGHT and AVENGERS OF BLOOD are the first two books in the Cass Elliot Crime series. When she's not playing the roadie, tending to cows, fixing fence,...more
More about Gae-Lynn Woods...
THE DEVIL OF LIGHT and AVENGERS OF BLOOD are the first two books in the Cass Elliot Crime series. When she's not playing the roadie, tending to cows, fixing fence,...more
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