*Rating* 3.5 stars*Genre* Mystery, Suspense, Psychological*Review*The Devil’s Footprints, by Amanda Stevens, begins in 1922 when an oil rig worker in the small town of Adamant, Arkansas discovers cloven footprints in the snow. They disappear soon thereafter but the residents believe that the Devil himself escaped from Hell after the wells were drilled into the earth.Flash forward seventy years where the body of 16 year old Rachel DeLaune is found and once again, investigators find cloven footprints at the scene of the murder along with her 13 year old sister Sarah covered in her blood.Sarah is soon shipped off to a boarding school by her overbearing father who just happens to also be a county Judge and who blames Sarah for Rachel’s death. Rachel was his daughter in every way possible and hates the very sight of Sarah because of something her mother did. For fourteen years, Rachel’s murder has gone unsolved, and her death haunts Sarah. Sarah now lives in New Orleans where she is a tattoo artist trying to make her way in the world. She is broken, but not totally down and out. Her very essence is shattered, and she can’t forget the past no matter how hard she tries including seeing a psychiatrist named Michael who has skeletons of his own to deal with.Sarah suffers from ongoing nightmares about a boy named Ashe Cain who she believes may have had something to do with Rachel’s death. She pops Xanax like M&M’s to keep her stress and anxiety levels from reaching unbearable levels and has fallen into self-destructive behavior as well as depression especially after being dumped by Sean Kelton without any particular reason.So, when Kelton, a New Orleans Homicide Detective, walks back into her life and asks for Sarah’s help in identifying tattoos on a dead woman, as well as possible satanic symbols at the scene; Sarah realizes that something looks hauntingly familiar to Rachel’s murder. Additional murders are soon discovered and they are all within a short distance of Sarah’s New Orleans home which leads Sean to believe that Sarah may play an important role in solving these murders if not the reason behind them.After having been disappointed with the Dollmaker’s ending, I wanted to give Amanda Steven’s work another try. I’m glad I choose this book first. This story mixes psychological thriller with mystery and suspense to give you a story that keeps you on your toes until the very end. My only disappointment was not finding out who Sarah’s real father was, or why her mother basically gave up on life after Sarah was sent to boarding school against her wishes. The answer was hinted at, but never named as truth. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read The Dollmaker or The Graveyard Queen.
GizmosReviews
*Rating* 3.5 stars*Genre* Mystery, Suspense, Psychological*Review*The Devil’s Footprints, by Amanda Stevens, begins in 1922 when an oil rig worker in the small town of Adamant, Arkansas discovers cloven footprints in the snow. They disappear soon thereafter but the residents believe that the Devil himself escaped from Hell after the wells were drilled into the earth.Flash forward seventy years where the body of 16 year old Rachel DeLaune is found and once again, investigators find cloven footprints at the scene of the murder along with her 13 year old sister Sarah covered in her blood.Sarah is soon shipped off to a boarding school by her overbearing father who just happens to also be a county Judge and who blames Sarah for Rachel’s death. Rachel was his daughter in every way possible and hates the very sight of Sarah because of something her mother did. For fourteen years, Rachel’s murder has gone unsolved, and her death haunts Sarah. Sarah now lives in New Orleans where she is a tattoo artist trying to make her way in the world. She is broken, but not totally down and out. Her very essence is shattered, and she can’t forget the past no matter how hard she tries including seeing a psychiatrist named Michael who has skeletons of his own to deal with.Sarah suffers from ongoing nightmares about a boy named Ashe Cain who she believes may have had something to do with Rachel’s death. She pops Xanax like M&M’s to keep her stress and anxiety levels from reaching unbearable levels and has fallen into self-destructive behavior as well as depression especially after being dumped by Sean Kelton without any particular reason.So, when Kelton, a New Orleans Homicide Detective, walks back into her life and asks for Sarah’s help in identifying tattoos on a dead woman, as well as possible satanic symbols at the scene; Sarah realizes that something looks hauntingly familiar to Rachel’s murder. Additional murders are soon discovered and they are all within a short distance of Sarah’s New Orleans home which leads Sean to believe that Sarah may play an important role in solving these murders if not the reason behind them.After having been disappointed with the Dollmaker’s ending, I wanted to give Amanda Steven’s work another try. I’m glad I choose this book first. This story mixes psychological thriller with mystery and suspense to give you a story that keeps you on your toes until the very end. My only disappointment was not finding out who Sarah’s real father was, or why her mother basically gave up on life after Sarah was sent to boarding school against her wishes. The answer was hinted at, but never named as truth. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read The Dollmaker or The Graveyard Queen.
