Devil's Playground

Samantha Cody #1

by D.P. Lyle

Deputy Samantha Cody finally bagged her man. The jury’s verdict: three counts of murder in the first with special circumstances and a recommendation of death by lethal injection. Only Judge Westbrooke’s final decree stands between Richard Earl Garrett and death row. After three weeks of an exhausting trial and being haunted by images of the three sacrificially mutilated children, Sam’s only wish is to wash her hands of Garrett, whose only defense is “the devil made me do it.” Just as the chaos in Mercer’s Corner settles down enough for Sam to focus on her dream of entering the world of women’s professional boxing, the jury foreman and two members of the jury die under suspicious circumstances. When more murders occur, each with Garrett’s signature, a cadre of characters flocks to the tiny California high desert town, from pseudo-Satanic followers to a crazed reverend with his First Church of God disciples. Soon the town is whipped into a lynch-mob frenzy, and Sam’s world of hard facts and pragmatism has quickly spun out of control.

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2001

About the author

DP Lyle, MD is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Scribe, Silver Falchion, and USA Best Book Award nominated author of many non-fiction books as well as numerous works of fiction.

He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others

For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.

Reviews

[Ellen Behrens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be a generous rating: I confess I didn't read the entire book. You need to know why.

The book grabbed me early on--a trucker goes a little nuts, crosses the median, and hits a car he seems to have targeted, killing the couple inside. It all seems tied to a man just tried and convicted in a tiny Mohave town, a man who serves Satan.

From there the book sort of devolves into a series of gruesome murder descriptions and at least one scene of Satan-worshipping which concludes with a sex orgy. That's where I closed the book.

All along I'd wondered if DP Lyle was a man because so much of the way Sam was described -- a sort of "just between us guys" tone crept through to me with the sexualization of a Satanic ritual and the glorification of two women getting into a boxing ring to hit each other.

I'm all for strong female protagonists, and tend to choose the books I read hoping to always find them (Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak comes to mind), so I'm not a fan of shrinking wallflowers. Because of some of the phrases Sam used, I even wondered if the book had originally been written with a male main character, then switched to female in a later draft, not quite successfully.

Some odd typos and other details were likewise distracting. A Cherokee woman appears in Sam's office to warn her. I'm no expert in Native American tribes, but Cherokees are generally on the East Coast, and while such a character could certainly be in the Mohave, I would have liked some explanation for it.

And somehow it's hard to imagine a town as tucked away as fictional Mercer's Corner is supposed to be having a Starbucks. Or other businesses. Novelists are known to stretch the truth, and I would have bought into a non-brand-name coffee shop. But Starbucks?

Yep, I take the suspension of disbelief seriously. I want to be sucked in, I want to believe this town and these characters exist someplace. When I get poked and prodded and nudged away from that believe, the book fails for me.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devil’s Playground by D. P. Lyle
Sam is a deputy in Mercer’s Corner a tiny town in the desert. The story begins with a satanist’s conviction for the foul murder of three children. Richard Earl Garrett believes he is connected to the devil and he seems blithely unconcerned about his confession to murder and subsequent conviction. The plot includes Nathan, a tabloid journalist seen by Sam as a bottom-feeding slime bucket.
Sparks fly between Nathan and Samantha. Their mating dance is interwoven throughout the story. Manson like followers of Richard Earl Garrett show up in town and murders begin.
Lyle creates a lot of tension. The fearful community, the insanely attractive slimeball journalist, the town’s mayor, Reverend Billy, an unscrupulous pseudo evangelist all seem pitted against each other.
The tension carries to the end and as this is the first in a series featuring Sam, you can guess he survives the terror-stricken town’s ire.
I enjoyed the book.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up because the back cover synopsis sounded so good and intriguing. It was fast paced and definitely intriguing. Was the murdered really in league with Satan or was he schizophrenic? And if he is in prison, who was committing all the gruesome murders? It was a page turner, though I was really disappointed with the sex scenes the author felt he had to include in the book. It would have been fine without them. Innuendo would have sufficed.
Not a keeper on my shelf.

[Julie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another DP Lyle character that I've read and enjoyed. A little dark but compelling story with excellent writing and good characters. I still probably prefer Bobby and Harper but so far have liked Jake, Dub, and now Samantha. Great author.

[Tony Rampling · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite series from this super talented author. This book got me from the beginning and never let go. Hope there are many more books to come in this series.

[D.J. Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many strong, female protagonist stories, but D.P. Lyle’s Deputy Samantha Cody’s strength is near to unwavering from beginning to end. The Devil’s Playground, the first book in the Samantha Cody series, is both a mystery and a gripping suspenseful story pitting good against evil, while asking the unnerving question many have asked--Is the Devil real? When Deputy Cody catches the vile, Richard Earl Garrett, she believes her job is finished and she merely needs to wait his sentencing…death. Yet, jury members are murdered. Members of the community, good folks, are thought to have murdered. And Richard Garrett, locked away in jail, takes responsibility for it all, stating it proves he is in concert with the devil and is one of the devil’s disciples. I turned page to page wondering how Mr. Lyle was going to finish this book. Almost as if I was waiting to see if he would in fact answer the age old question.

[AustinT · Rating 1 out of 5]

2015