“Oh that’s not nice, I think he’s a sugar plum!”

12. Devil’s Gate – Elizabeth Ergas

Allison used to live in Draconia, New Hampshire, and she left for a cool fun life in New York City…but she will be reeled back in after some obscene phone calls and her aunt having medical issues. Her aunt wants her to stay away because it’s getting weird in Draconia. There’s a new development and a very attractive man is responsible for it, he would be very familiar if anyone had been around for the original saving of the town when the devil showed up during a severe storm and prevented the mill and the very town that used to be called New Hope from being destroyed and becoming a lake. You see, he’s been here before and seduced and killed some young ladies and they tried to stop him but he’s the devil so it didn’t work. And he’s back because the devil is very keen on development deals in the early 1990s.

Allison, as a descendant of a founding family and a happening lady, is marked by the devil for his latest round with his sassy palm kiss. On her way into Draconia, she has a major car accident when she sees some things and is rescued by out of towner Sam, who’s there to work on the development and also to continually call Allison “sweetheart” and keep her safe from her creep ex-husband. And to help her stay away from those “dandy dogs” that smell like spoiled meat. And away from the headless death coach, well it’s being driven by someone headless and led by headless horses too, which caused her car accident in the first place. Quite the image, very weird foes all around, even with the devil’s apparently overpowering sexiness. But, Sam and Allison and some older ladies lead the charge in figuring out how to stop all the sacrificial murdering and bad smells. Draconia has a lot of its own lore and for some reason is super attractive to the devil, he just loves a bargain and cyclical continuity.

 

Peregrine returned to under the coffee table because Horace warned her of an impending development deal up just off the rug, or by the Devil’s bookshelf, as it would also be known in the living room.