Review: The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know by K.H. Koehler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of urban fantasy, fast-paced and fun stories
Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, child molestation (implied, and in the past)

Disclosure: I received an e-galley edition from Curiosity Quills via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Not only does the devil have an only begotten son, but he’s currently residing in the rural town of Blackwater in northeast Pennsylvania.

Semi-retired from law enforcement, the handsome, if cynical, Nick Englebrecht becomes quickly caught up in a local missing child case that seems mundane on the outside, but when the sheriff requests his help as a psychic detective to help find the missing girl, his off-the-books investigation quickly leads him to some terrible truths about life, love and the universe as we know it.

And if that isn’t bad enough, the angels have begun an ethnic cleansing of all beings with demonic blood. Of course, Nick is at the top of their to-do list

My Thoughts: This is a really fun book. I really enjoyed the premise that the son of Satan co-owns an occult shop in a small town in Pennsylvania and used to be a cop in NYC. I also love how the book opens in such a typical, pulp-fiction way, but self-consciously. I really enjoyed Nick himself—he has a wry but funny way of expressing himself that I really enjoyed. For instance: “The thing about angels is, they’re a little bit like Cthulhu and the Outer Gods.” Which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense by itself, but trust me—it’s hilarious in context.

The editing could have used some work. There were a lot of misused words, for instance, like “canvas” for “canvass,” “gleam” for “glean,” and “rapport” for “report,” among others. However, the story itself moves fast enough, and is fun enough, that I was mostly able to ignore that and enjoy the tale.

Another Nick Englebrecht book is scheduled for publication, The Devil Dances. I’m not sure exactly when, but I know I’ll be watching for it. Despite any problems—and there were problems—I really enjoyed this book a lot.



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