Thursday, July 23, 2015

Blog Tour (Review): Name of the Devil by Andrew Mayne (ARC) #Thriller @AndrewMayne @HarperCollins @TLCBookTours



Title: Name of the Devil (Jessica Blackwood #2)
Author:
Andrew Mayne
Publisher: Bourbon Street Books (HarperCollins)
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours

In this electrifying sequel to the crowd-pleasing thriller Angel Killer, magician-turned-FBI agent Jessica Blackwood must once again draw on her past to go up against a brutal murderer desperate for revenge at any price.

After playing a pivotal role in the capture of the Warlock, a seemingly supernatural serial killer—and saving the FBI’s reputation in the process—agent Jessica Blackwood can no longer ignore the world she left behind. Formerly a prodigy in a family dynasty of illusionists, her talent and experience endow her with a unique understanding of the power and potential of deception, as well as a knack for knowing when things are not always as they appear to be.

When a church congregation vanishes under mysterious circumstances in rural Appalachia, the bizarre trail of carnage indicates the Devil’s hand at work. But Satan can’t be the suspect, so FBI consultant Dr. Ailes and Jessica’s boss on the Warlock case, Agent Knoll, turn to the ace up their sleeve: Jessica. She’s convinced that an old cassette tape holds the key to the mystery, and unraveling the recorded events reveals a troubling act with far-reaching implications. The evil at work is human, and Jessica must follow the trail from West Virginia to Mexico, Miami, and even the hallowed halls of the Vatican.

Can she stop a cold-blooded killer obsessed by a mortal sin—or will she become the next target in a twisted, diabolical game of hunter and prey...?


My Review

You can read my review of Angel Killer (Jessica Blackwood #1) HERE.

If you read my review from yesterday, then you know that I absolutely adored Andrew Mayne's Angel Killer. I was so excited about reading Name of the Devil that I actually bought a Kindle copy (even though I had an ARC) so I could read it on my phone at work, in the bathroom, in line in the grocery store, etc. These books are that unable-to-put-downable. In this follow-up to the first book, there is a very different sort of mystery, but I enjoyed it just as much.

Where Jessica had to chase a killer on a time table in the first book, Name of the Devil had a bit more that had to be picked apart. It was her keen eye and good police work that took her to new leads and clues. I liked that there was more personality conflicts with Jessica among her coworkers, because it would be unrealistic otherwise. There were so many truths about the workplace shown, even if it was in an FBI setting.

Name of the Devil had the integration of magic tricks in Jessica's police work like the first novel, but in this one, it was more in the name of badassery. There were some scenes early in the novel that were in Mexico that just had me in awe of her. Jessica Blackwood is easily becoming one of my favorite adult literary characters.

My favorite character from Angel Killer, Damian, also appeared in Name of the Devil, which made me very happy. He is my guilty pleasure, and I don't care what anyone says.

As I read both books, I noticed something. There's such a great blend of the cases, nods to magic tricks, and character building, and I have no idea why there isn't a television or movie studio that has picked this up. (If there is, I apologize. I couldn't find it on the Google.) Jessica Blackwood would be fantastic as a weekly show. I mean, they wouldn't even have to follow the books exactly! And I wonder who I would cast as Damian... But I digress.

If you've never heard of these books, you should take a minute to look them over. Both Angel Killer and Name of the Devil are favorites of mine for the year, and I really hope that a third book is in the works. I know I'll be picking it up as soon as I can get my hands on it.

- 4.5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound



About the Author








Andrew Mayne is the star of A&E’s magic reality show Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne, and has worked with David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, and David Blaine. He lives in Los Angeles.








Find Andrew Online
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Follow the Tour


Name of the Devil Tour Schedule

Tuesday, July 7th
From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, July 8th
A Bookworm’s World

Thursday, July 9th
5 Minutes For Books

Friday, July 10th
Ace and Hoser Blook

Monday, July 13th
Bibliotica

Tuesday, July 14th
Girl Lost in a Book

Wednesday, July 15th
Priscilla and her Books

Thursday, July 16th
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies

Monday, July 20th
Always With A Book

Monday, July 20th
Mystery Playground

Tuesday, July 21st
No More Grumpy Bookseller

Wednesday, July 22nd
Why Girls Are Weird

Thursday, July 23rd
Bibliophilia, Please

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so looking forward to reading this series - Jessica sounds like such a unique character!

    Thanks for being a part of the tour!

    ReplyDelete

You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!