The Devil Aspect is a visceral, dark, intelligent thriller that once it has hold of you doesn’t let go. If the novels of Caleb Carr and Thomas Harris had a dark love child this book would be it.

In the first few chapters there is a lot to take in, but I urge you to stick with it as it soon becomes a gloriously dark gothic thriller. The book is set in 1935 Czechoslovakia against a backdrop of the rise of Nazism and the impending war beyond its borders. It offers up an examination of the grisly motivations of six serial killers intertwined with equally dark and delicious Eastern European folk tales. And how do these relate to a Jack the Ripper copycat killer stalking the streets of Prague? The chilling finale will shock you.

An original, devilishly dark thriller ⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars out of five

Russell’s novel that has been written as a foray into the American Market combined a few threads meeting a range of experiences for the reader.. Suspense, thriller, horror, mental health , mythology, history and psychiatry.
Victor is an ambitious young psychiatrist who believes there is a ‘Devil Aspect within thecriminally insane. To this end he secures work at a supposedly impenetrable castle where 6 of the most dangerous killers are housed. He believes that within each killer there is a malevolent inner being and that can be accessed through the use of a very specific drug induced sleep taking them to the edge of life / death.
Concurrently in Prague the Police led by Inspecto Smolak are tryingvto solve a series of murders being done by the nicknamed Leather Apron whose atrocities mirror those of the infamous Jack The Ripper. Smolek visits the castle to try and solve the murders and here the two lines start to come together and lead to the totally unexpected denouement.
The book is atmospheric and entertaining but Not for the feint hearted. It is also well researched carefully weaving the storylines with ancient mythology and the emerging political situation emerging at the time

Hi Karen,
My Next review is:-

“The Devil Aspect”, written by Craig Russell and published in Hardcover by Constable on 7th March 2019. 496 pages ISBN-13: 978-1472128355

During the final months of 1935, whilst Europe politically is getting ready for the worse war ever experienced, six of the most terrible murderers ever known are to be imprisoned in a remote castle in rural Czechoslovakia. The murderers are collectively known as the “Devil’s Six” because when the most bizarre behaviour is exhibited in an individual, he or she is said to be often
possessed by the devil.

A young psychiatrist Dr Viktor Kosarek, who uses revolutionary new techniques often involving hypnotism is recruited to investigate their individual dark secrets. He interviews each of the six and starts his courses of treatment.

A secondary strand of the plot is the behaviour of a terrible killer known as ‘Leather Apron’ who is killing people in a most brutal bloody way all across Prague.
In this deftly plotted, very absorbing thriller we get to find out the link between the “Devil’s Six” and ‘Leather Apron’. Be advised, however, this book is not for readers who are easily shocked as some of the scenes are very bloody and feature torture.

The author has been a policeman and freelance writer before becoming a full time novelist. Craig Russell has been published since 2005 and has already been awarded several prizes for his novels. His work has been serialised on the radio and also turned into a TV programme, with movies planned for the near future as well. This novel is not my first by this author and hopefully it won't be the last. He has written several books about Chief Commissar Jan Fabel set in Hamburg and is also writing another series about a detective called Lennox set in Glasgow during the 1950s and I look forward to all of these.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I read for review previously one of the authors Chief Commissioner Jan Fabel books set in Hamburg, Germany and I have also read his books about Lennox a Canadian private detective set in a 1950’s Glasgow which was the authors home town.

Best wishes,

Terry
(To be published on the eurocrime.co.uk blog in due course)

First of all, a huge thank you to Clara Diaz and Constable, an imprint of Little Brown Publishers for getting in touch via email and providing me with a complimentary digital copy of The Devil Aspect via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. After reading that incredible synopsis, I couldn't help but be excited to read this novel, the first of Craig Russell's work that I've come across and now I've discovered him, definitely won't be the last. This fascinating and occasionally unsettling work of fiction is part historical, part crime and mystery, part thriller with a drop of horror thrown into this heady mixture of genres to make it a story that I still find myself thinking about weeks after finishing it.

You don't need to know anything extra about this novel save what is in the synopsis above. In fact, if you've already skipped the synopsis and headed straight to my thoughts, I might even boldly suggest that you go into this novel knowing as little as possible. This isn't because the synopsis gives away spoilers but because I read the synopsis a long while before I actually physically started the book and had forgotten much of what the novel encompassed. This meant that the juicy little surprises revealed throughout the narrative came as a welcome shock compared to if I had been overly familiar prior to starting my journey into Russell's delectable writing. All you really need to know is that it's the story of a psychiatrist in the 1930's who begins work at a Prague asylum harbouring incredibly dangerous prisoners who will never be released back into the general public. He is investigating new medicinal and hypnotic methods into unravelling the evil deeds that they have done with the hope that he can make them better people as a result.

That's The Devil Aspect in a nutshell. However, you can't really put this book into a nice little box and wrap a bow around it. It's about so much more than that. It explores the unpredictability of madness, the power of the human brain, the danger of psychopaths, the difference between evil and good and how folklore and superstition can be used against already fragile and vulnerable individuals to take advantage. It's definitely a thought-provoking read that made me consider how frightening the human mind can be, especially as we don't know half of what it's capable of OR how the terrifying way in which our memory can fail/change, sometimes without our conscious knowledge that it has occurred.I'm not usually too bothered about graphic events in a work of fiction but holy hell, some parts of this really were brutal - Russell definitely doesn't shy away from detail. I'm sure all I need to mention is Jack The Ripper for you the reader, to understand what I'm alluding to? As an aside, I would have been interested to see the fascist angle in this book to be explored in more depth however I completely understand why the author didn't do this. He has SO many irons in the fire with what he chooses to write about and perhaps another thread to the story would have been slightly too much to deal with. I was a perfectly willing and happy participant to the surprises and shocks I received throughout The Devil Aspect and will absolutely be seeking out more of the author's work.

Set in Czechoslovakia in 1935 with the menacing shadow of Naziism growing daily, Craig Russell has presented us with a truly gothic horror of murder and madness.

Viktor Kosárek, a young psychiatrist has accepted a new position in a secluded high security asylum for the country's six worst serial killers. Built on a cliff top and surrounded by forest the Devil's Six as they are known are kept in strict isolation. Viktor, trained in Jungian psychology is convinced that each of them is harboring a 'devil aspect' to their personality which he is convinced he can find with a new technique in the hope that he can cure them. At the same time, a new serial killer, emulating Jack the Ripper is killing and eviscerating women in Prague. Detective Lukas Smolak is convinced this new killer has some connection to the Devil's Six.

The mix of anti-semitism and ethnic tensions, local mythology, madness and the ominous creepiness of the castle make for a very dark and brooding atmosphere. This is a long book and although well written and researched, I did find the first half of the novel a little slow and ponderous as Viktor draws out each of the patient's history and crimes. However the second half made up for that by being wholly engrossing and the twist of the plot was superb as Viktor finds more than he was looking for. A very dark tale indeed.

gothic central european thriller, psychological treatment of serial killers at a prison in an old castle. Quite enjoyable.

This was a little too gruesome and gory for me I'm afraid - I had no idea I was such a wuss! It is well-written and has a great plot but I struggled with some of it and couldn't finish it I am afraid. Many thanks for the copy.

I'm grateful to the publisher for a free advance e-copy of this book via NetGalley.

Czechoslovakia in the mid 1930s, and psychiatrist Dr Victor Kosárek is travelling to take up a new appointment at the Hrad Orlu asylum - where the most dangerous of the criminal insane, the "Devil's Six", each with a nickname (The Clown, The Vegetarian, The Glass Collector and so on) are confined in a medieval castle among the central European forest. Meanwhile, Kapitán Lukáš Smolák of the Prague City Police patiently, methodically hunts down a serial killer - Leather Apron - who murders and butchers women in Prague. Against a background of rising political tensions, as the Nazis in Germany stir up trouble among German Czechs and it becomes important to watch what you say and who you say it to, the young doctor struggles to understand the Six, treating them to a revolutionary new "therapy" - bringing them close to death with sedatives in search of their "Devil Aspect", the dark part of their psyche that holds clues to their evil behaviour.

I found this book impressive in many ways. From the opening scene, Russell plays with our expectations, exploiting the reader's familiarity with, or even just knowledge of, horror tropes. Take that opening scene. A doctor named Viktor. A "patient" in restraints. The isolated castle. It's hard not to see this as a reference to Frankenstein, just as, later in the book, the fear and hatred of the villagers for the castle and its inhabitants brings to mind Dracula. There's even a reference at one point to a mob of villagers hunting down what they think is a monster.

But the book also makes other connections - the comparison between that "Devil Aspect" in all of us, and the rising tide of evil and hour soon to swamp Europe, hardly needs to be pointed out. It's felt by Jewish Judith Blochová and expressed in nightmares of her and her family being led out into the forests to be killed. It's there in the attitudes of Nazi-sympathising staff at the asylum, whose proposals for the imprisoned criminals are easy enough to guess. And it's there when Kosárek and his friend Filip Starosta run into trouble one night with a group of Czech Germans.

The whole atmosphere - drawing deeply on Slavic mythology and European history, as well as an impressive deployment of Jungian psychology - is one of subtle menace, even before we are given graphic details the murders in Prague and told (via Kosárek's interviews) of the crimes of the asylum's residents, and before comparisons are made with jack the Ripper. I did begin to find that succession of crimes a little much. With six prisoners in the castle, all of whom have committed multiple murders, it's quite a lot to hear even if, thankfully, we generally get the setup rather than all the details. The Prague murders are fewer but we're told more about the killings and mutilations. On the whole I preferred the parts of the book that deal with the subtler threats - the suspicious villagers, the dancing bars with their political and ethnic tensions, even the distressed man who Kosárek encounters at the station after his friend fails to appear at the start of the book.

I also enjoyed the slyer aspects of the book such as Smolák's deputy who, while perfectly competent, is clearly waiting for him to fail, and in the meantime, trying to scatter a little doubt and suspicion around, or Judita's history, with her thwarted ambition to study medicine. If the book has any message it is, I think, to watch out for seemingly inconsequential things - dreams, coincidences, mistakes - and to join the dots.

So - on the whole a satisfyingly creepy horror/ psychological thriller, especially in the opening part, establishing that stressy atmosphere, and in the final third where the hunt for the killer really gets moving. Overall I think that in the middle part, more could have been made of the political aspects, and there could have been a bit less gore. But well worth reading if you like your horror a little different.

An extremely atmospheric read. A dark, chilling Gothic novel set in 1935’s Czechoslovakia.

We first meet Dr Viktor Kosarek, a 29 year old psychiatrist setting out to catch his train to his new job. He is leaving Prague to work at The Hrad Orlu Asylum, where the only patients are those known as The Devil’s Six. These six inmates have all committed atrociously violent and macabre murders and are kept under strict security. Viktor is very keen to start his new job and begin work to see if he can prove his theory he calls The Devil Aspect.

The asylum is in a small village about an hour outside Prague, housed inside a castle steeped in folklore and stories of death and murder. There is a strong undercurrent in the story here and a dislike of anything to do with the castle is felt by the villagers.

At the same time, and back in Prague, a serial killer, known as The Leather Apron, is on the loose. Possibly mimicking Jack The Ripper infilling terror and fear into the citizens of Prague. Here we meet Kapitan Lucas Smolak (my favourite character of the book) in charge of the investigation.

The story unfolds extremely effectively introducing us to these two story lines. The setting is superb, both in history and place and you can tell the author has been very thorough in his research. We learn of the individual cases of those locked up in Hrad Orlu and this is where it gets very dark indeed, with graphic horror stories like descriptions. The research and true facts injected into these tales are very enjoyable. The suspense and growing fear and darkness is evident and makes for a very good read.

I liked the horror type twist at the very end and overall I found this a chilling read. I hadn’t read anything else by this author before and liked the afterword at the end of the book.

This book was published this week. I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A dark and disturbing tale in a dark and disturbing setting, I really enjoyed this creepy historical thriller set in the years between the first and second world wars. The year is 1935, and in the countryside outside Prague the Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane welcomes a new doctor, Viktor Kosarek . Despite its setting in mountain top medieval castle, the facility offers cutting edge treatments to its violent inmates., and the new doctor is eager to pursue his theory of the Devil Aspect, an innate evil side that he hopes to investigate under sedation in a type of hypnosis. The six infamous inmates will be his test subjects, and through them he hopes to confirm his hypothesis.. Meanwhile in the beautiful city of Prague below, a serial killer seems to be modelling himself on the infamous London murderer, Jack the Ripper, When a clue left behind at one of the crime scenes seems to implicate one of the asylum inmates, police inspector Lukas Smolak must visit , and hopes to use the expertise of the doctors to hep track down a deranged killer.
This is one chilling, atmospheric book, the setting is perfect for the dark tale being told, and I particularly loved that elements of eastern European folklore were woven into the story. While not being a focus of the plot, there are several references to the political situation in that area and time, and these were deftly handled and woven into the book seamlessly to anchor the setting. The two ,main plot strands were each well handled and came together perfectly in the conclusion of the book. Characterization was also on point, each of the six inmates of the asylum had appropriately dark and disturbing back stories, but each had their own voice, and this attention to detail is another thing to admire about this well crafted pager turner.
I read and reviewed an copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own

The Devil Aspect is such a delicious thriller. A story about psychopaths and a serial killer on the loose. What's not to like? The time period in this book also adds much to the story since there is a big growing unease in Czechoslovakia and also a growing xenophobia. And now there is a serial killer loose as well. Amides all this is Dr. Viktor Kosárek taking up his new position as a psychiatrist for the so-called "Devil's Six". Six really nasty and dangerous psychopaths.

This book was very fascinating to read, and of course, a bit bleak since the theme of the book is pretty dark. During the books progress do we get to know more about "Devil's Six" as Viktor Kosárek is trying to unlock their secrets. We also follow the police investigation in the hunt for the serial killer known as "Leather Apron". Kosárek himself gets involved in the case because of his job. There were moments closer to the end when I was starting to wonder how it would all end. The serial killer case seems to near its ending and I was unsure how it all would end up at the castle with all the psychopaths. It's here something brilliant happens. Something that I did not expect, at all! A twist that really makes me see past events in the book in a different way. I just have to say wow! That ending is so fabulous. This is definitely a thriller I recommend if you want to be astonished!

At the close of the book, Craig Russell has included a small piece on why and how he chose to write this, and the depth of research he undertook in its creation. With its sublime mix of history, both societal and psychoanalytic, folklore, murder and mental disturbance, this is a real edge of your seat read, so settle back and find out why…

The book follows the progress of a grisly murder case, where a woman is eviscerated in the same style as Jack The Ripper’s victims some decades earlier. As the murderer stalks the street of Prague, a connection is made between the perpetrator the dark stories concerning the inhabitants of a mental asylum, and the apocryphal history of the haunted Hrad Orlu castle itself. Russell sucks us in completely to this ever more sinister tale, where we bear witness to the escalating violence of the killer in Prague, and the gradual unveiling of the Devil’s Six incarcerated in the asylum, and their uniquely horrific stories. However, what sets this apart from a slightly creepy horror story, are the fascinating strands of narrative that Russell fleshes the story out with, so we also get an insight into the heightening political tensions in both Czechoslavakia and Europe, the differing schools of thought regarding the treatment of mental disturbance, some truly creepy stories arising from Czech folklore, and a stark reminder of the tissue thin boundaries between sanity and insanity. Not only is this a skilfully rendered and haunting story of madness and murder, but the incorporation of these other facets make for an admittedly eerie but utterly fascinating read as we are so immersed in this period, and bear witness to the slowly evolving revolution in the treatment of the insane, continuing with, or challenging the work of Freud and Jung.

The characterisation in The Devil Aspect is top notch, and I really enjoyed the way that Russell toys with our perceptions of who is good or evil. Everyone is to some degree or another touched by madness, be it in their professional capacity, their interactions with the patients themselves, in the darkest corners of their own psyches sparked by events in their formative years, or the burgeoning of the present itself and the increasing hostility and restlessness sweeping across Europe. I am reluctant to dwell too much on individual characters themselves, as I really want you to be as surprised and shocked as I was as Russell slowly shines a spotlight on each, incorporating more than a few ‘bloody-hell-I-didn’t-see-that-coming-moments’ as he delves into their psyches. Suffice to say your sympathies and belief in some of the characters may be sharply turned on its head as you get more and more involved in this one.

Mwahaha…

So gird your loins everyone, as this book is guaranteed to haunt your dreams and undoubtedly some of your waking hours too. It’s clever, skilfully blending the worlds of science, detection and superstition, populated with an intriguing set of characters, and Russell uses the twin locations of Prague, and the remote forest setting of the Hrad Orlu asylum to the creepiest nth degree. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, so can not be anything less than highly recommended.

The Devil Aspect is a Gothic horror story set in 1930's Czechoslovakia .The Devil's Six are incarcerated in an impregnable castle now used as an Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Viktor Kosarek is a young psychiatrist who begins work there and is testing his theory of The Devil Aspect personality.Also there seems to be a copy cat Jack the Ripper stalking the streets of Prague ..The book is very atmospheric and creepy very beautifully written which is one of those books that is so gripping it is very hard to put down .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

Content warnings include mental health, suicide, references to the death of a child, description of an animal’s slaughter, anti-Semitism, sexual assault, child abuse, murder and torture.

“‘Maybe it would be best,’ she said at last, ‘if you left the Devil alone in his hiding place.’”

This book had so much to love - a serial killer on the loose, a medieval castle with a dark history that’s now an asylum and a psychiatrist delving into the minds of the most notorious murderers in Europe, all steeped in folklore and mythology and set in the lead up to WWII.

I adored the settings, from the creepy castle to the shadowy forests and the bone church. The writing flowed well and it felt like the author had done a lot of research, particularly around Central European myths and legends, which I need to learn more about now that I’ve had a taste. I really enjoyed the blend of psychology and mythology.

“Here am I and I here stay,
for this is where Evil resides.
Here am I and I here stay,
for this is where the Devil hides.”

The idea of having a front row seat (nestled behind the safety of the pages) when infamous criminally insane people told their stories was a big draw card for me. While I was interested in the backgrounds of each of the Devil’s Six, none of them gave me the chills I experienced when I first met Hannibal Lector so many years ago.

I found myself just getting into one of the Six’s stories and then it would be over; I’d want more but the story moved on. Each of the six could have had an entire book devoted to their story so sitting in on one session with their psychiatrist was never going to be enough for me. I was disappointed when I found some of their stories fairly predictable, especially the Vegetarian’s.

Has obsessing over more than 300 episodes of Criminal Minds finally ruined me? I am notoriously terrible at figuring out who did it and why, yet there’s been a disturbing recent development; I’ve been working out who did it early on and then spending the rest of the book hoping for a blindside that never arrives. It happened again here and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve magically levelled up in my ability to sniff out the clues from the red herrings or if it really was that obvious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Constable, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

A little while ago I was asked to read and review ‘The Devil Aspect’. Although I don’t often read Gothic Thrillers, this book sounded so fascinating and the cover looked so beautiful, I just couldn’t decline this review request. As a nurse working with the occasional psychiatric patients, this book definitely spoke to me, and I couldn’t wait to start reading.

‘The Devil Aspect’ is a thrilling, fascinating and cleverly written book that makes you want to keep reading. From the very first page it is clear that the author did an incredible job researching this book. ‘The Devil Aspect’ takes place in 1935 Czechoslovakia and it’s a great combination of history, combined with fiction. Reading about the main character Victor Kosirek, a psychiatrist who works in an asylum that houses six of the most treacherous killers was definitely something else. Although there were some moments inside this book that were a little slow, I mostly found myself wanting to read more.

On more than one occasion this book definitely freaked me out a bit. In a good way! I work as a nurse on a Trauma ward and see psychiatric patients a lot. I definitely don’t like working with patients that are schizophrenic or psychotic too much, but it is a part of my job and reading this book I found myself recognizing certain aspects the main character had to deal with. And it was definitely a little disturbing at times but definitely made me want to keep on reading.

‘The Devil Aspect’ keeps you hooked and wanting to read more to find out what is really going on. We go from following psychiatrist Victor, to following police investigator Lukas Smolak who is on the hunt to find a brutal serial killer. I could have gone without all the side info about these characters. Which made this read a little slow at some moments, but because the main part of this book is so fascinating you’ll find yourself wanting to keep on going.

Even though this book isn’t one I usually would read I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was thrilling and exciting and I loved the whole history part too. Especially since I’ve been to Prague too. As with a lot of great books that take place in cities I’ve been too, I could picture the main characters walking through the beautiful streets of Prague and it made this book even more fascinating to me.

If you are looking for a dark and scary, well written thriller with twists.. ‘The Devil Aspect’ is definitely for you.

A psychological thriller with more than a touch of the gothic. A very atmospheric read with a Jack the Ripper style of kìller. Set in Prague during WW2. The first half of the book is great and I was really hooked, unfortunately the middle seemed to be stuck and I started to lose interest. Luckily the ending was good and definitely not what I was expecting. This book was a little disappointing but still a good read. Almost five stars. I will read this book again later to see if my views have changed.
I would like to thank the author, Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.

http://www.alexjbooks.com/review/the-devil-aspect-by-craig-russell/

“The greatest danger in seeking out the Devil, my dear doctor, is that you might find him”

1930s Czech Rep, Dr Víctor Kosarek is on his way to begin a new job at the Hrad Orlu Asylum for the criminally insane, home of 6 Patients know as the Devils Six.

Kaptain Luke’s Smolak is investigating a series of killings, people being butchered by the “Leather apron” a killer who appears to be targeting German nationals and has disturbing similarities to Jack the Ripper.

The asylum is as high tech as money can buy and Victor begins to treat his patients with new untried methods, to reach into their psyches like never before.

WW2 and Nazi Germany simmer throughout this book and the Village around the asylum feels like an unwelcoming place, the locals scared and close knit, occult rumblings , local myths and legends strong in the community, outsiders from the Asylum are not welcome.

Straight from the outset you can feel the brooding gothic atmospheric way this book is written. The writing is superb dealing with Mental health and phycosis at any time must be hard to write about, but basing it 1930s Eastern Europe must be infinitely more difficult yet it’s just fantastic.

The characters draw you in, even more so the 6 murderers. especially for me , The Sciomancer. They are written so superbly and each is more sinister, more evil than the last.

Professor Romanek the head dr at the asylum has a mysterious way about him and the staff all seem slightly off, Judita the administrator. who becomes Victor's love interest has an air about her which fills you with uncertainty, she seems lost at times.

It’s a dark, brooding , intense macabre toxic tale of the occult , the devil, the supernatural, of dark Eastern European myths, Legends and Demons.

It fills you with an anxiety and fear I don’t usually feel whilst reading, I’ve read a lot of horror, but this book really was disturbing and I challenge you not to look over your shoulder especially whilst reading in the dark!t

It quite simply stunning and it’s my top read of 2019. Its going to take something very special to beat this book this year

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Net Galley for my free review copy, as ever this has not influenced my review score at all.

I was initially interested in reading this book, however my tastes have shifted and I do not think I will be able to get to it now. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a digital copy!

I really enjoyed this book.
The story is set in Czechoslovakia in 1935, and someone is butchering women in a most brutal manner.
Victor is about to start his new job at an asylum for the criminally insane within a medieval castle which the locals are very wary of.
There are only six patients resident in the castle, but these are the most dangerous and evil killers.
Victor hopes to prove his theory that these killers share a something he’s called the ‘Devil Aspect’ but as he tries this out with each patient something sinister comes to the surface.
Both the story of the brutal murders by ‘Leather apron’ and the story of the asylum come together in a in a breathtaking way.
This is a darkly gothic read and one which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Little Brown book group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

My thanks to Little Brown Book Group U.K./Constable for an eARC via NetGalley of Craig Russell’s historical thriller ‘The Devil Aspect’.

It is set in 1935 Czechoslovakia as the threat of Nazi Germany is growing in Europe. Dr. Viktor Kosárek has come to an ancient remote castle that is now serving as an asylum for the criminally insane. It houses only six patients, the so-called ‘Devil’s Six’. Viktor has trained under Carl Jung and is at the asylum seeking to prove his theory of the ‘Devil Aspect’ in the personalities of these vicious murderers.

Meanwhile in Prague a killer known as ‘Leather Apron’, is killing women in a similar style to Jack the Ripper. Kapitán Lukáš Smolák of the Prague Police is leading the investigation. He briefly meets Viktor in the opening chapters after an incident at a train station. Later Smolák’s investigation brings him to the asylum.

These two narratives run concurrently with the occasional overlap until the shattering climax. I was literally shaking as I read the closing chapters.

I have been a fan of Russell’s Jan Fabel series of Euro crime thrillers since their beginning and loved his use of Gothic elements, folklore and fairy tales in those. In this stand alone novel he dives deeply into the culture, folklore, and mythology of the area weaving a powerful, dark Gothic novel. It is extremely visceral and disturbing in some sections, hence I would also classify it as horror.

Viktor seeks to use psychological theories and science to understand the nature of evil and banish the supernatural and superstition. These aspirations gives Russell plenty of opportunities for exploring these themes.

Russell has created a strong supporting cast of characters. It’s also clear from the Author’s Note that he did a great deal of research into the period and setting. Even though the asylum is fictional, it is inspired by real locations.

I was immediately drawn into this intelligent, complex novel and that total sense of immersion didn’t diminish. Just amazing! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

I expect that existing fans of Russell will be as stunned as I was by it and that it will also attract new readers to his work. Highly recommended.