Book Review: Inside the Devil’s Nest by John Durgin
Author: John Durgin
Release date: January 17th, 2023
Last year, I had the pleasure of reading John’s debut novel, ‘The Cursed Among Us.’ It was a fast-paced, coming-of-age novel that was really enjoyable. It was a debut that many people enjoyed and got them super excited for his second novel. When John reached out to see if I’d want to review an early digital ARC of his next release, ‘Inside the Devil’s Nest,’ I said absolutely.
I went in completely blind, not knowing anything about it and I think that was richly rewarding.
What I liked: The story follows a family, forced to flee their home in the city when the father sees something he shouldn’t. He’s a real estate developer, and luckily for them, he had previously purchased a campground outside of the city. The locals say its cursed and he hasn’t been able to sell it, so it makes for a perfect hiding spot – at least on paper.
From here, Durgin weaves a mystery within a supernatural cult thriller, one that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. There’s a lot of pieces that need to be placed within the puzzle and John masterfully throws some down for us right away, while holding others back, allowing us to find them on our own.
Each character has a specific role within the story and I think that’s one of the strengths of this release. As well, Durgin’s writing, at least I found, was significantly more mature in this one. It reads more confidently, showing his growth and willingness to take risks while ensuring the story progresses and we get rewards based off of those risks.
The ending is great – cathartic, emotional and what you would expect from the set up.
What I didn’t like: I think some of the cult stuff at the beginning might have been stronger in the story if it had been teased out. We get everything shared at once in an information dump and the characters seem to just accept it as truth and not react with incredulity.
Why you should buy this: Durgin is quickly cementing himself as must-read and this book will make fans of his debut really happy. For new readers, this is a cult thriller that’ll have you stopping and starting repeatedly, the fear created on each page palpable throughout.
Really well done.
5/5
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