This is a debut novel by an author I can see going places!
Erin Sloane was part of a group of friends led by the charismatic Satanist Ricky. Five of her friends went to a wood, but only 3 came out alive. What happened in the woods? Twenty years later Erin is asked to write an article about the killings and soon she realizes there is more to the story than she thought. Riveting reading.

I requested I Shot the Devil from NetGalley as the title and the cover drew me in. I later learned that it follows a true crime reporter, and then I was hooked. I am very intrigued by true crime (I don't want to call myself a "true crime fan"... we really need a better name for this hobby) and I always love it when books include some kind of true crime aspect.

I Shot the Devil has a low rating on Goodreads, and most of the reviews from what I can see are complaining about the main character. I can't argue that Erin does some silly things that get her into trouble, however I personally didn't mind that because I'm of the opinion that characters have to sometimes do stupid things, otherwise there's not going to be a good plot.

I found I Shot the Devil to be very fast paced. I enjoyed uncovering the mystery of what happened in the past - the main events - and how various characters were either misunderstanding the thing that happened, or were spinning the incorrect story on purpose.

There were a lot of character names and relationships to remember, which I think slowed down the plot a little and caused some confusion. I really enjoy small town drama, though, so the varied cast was a plus for me.

I Shot the Devil was a very dark story, and I found it super enjoyable. I'd be interested in checking out more of the author's books, particularly if they have a true crime link or focus.

I was completely hooked by this twisty and suspenseful thriller. There were definite flaws which betrayed its debut origins in that I knew who the killer was and it was repetitive at times but I enjoyed the multiple strands and dark, brooding atmosphere. McIver is one to watch.

On the face of it, this novel has everything: small town crime, Satanic cults, and murder. But in spite of all that, I just couldn't get invested in it. Ostensibly the story of a small town girl, now a journalist, returning home to investigate a historical crime that affected her group of teenaged friends, I Shot the Devil was, for me, a book that was so slow burn it never got past the embers stage.

The cast of characters was large and easily confused, and the writing style, although competent, was almost disaffected. I found it really hard to engage with any of the characters (especially because I couldn't distinguish one from the other) and found myself limping along to an ending that was dealt with quickly and tonelessly and which left me feeling deeply unsatisfied.

I hate leaving negative reviews but I was given a review copy of this novel, and I have to be honest with my thoughts, and my closing thought is that this was an awful lot of work for very little pay off, and an ending that was almost an afterthought.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank youb

An unforgettable story of murder, trauma and childhoods lost, I Shot the Devil is an incredible thriller which I read in one sitting.

Tense and twisted, dark and gritty is how I would describe this book!

I read this on a stormy and blustery night and stayed up till 3 AM to finish, a must read!

Dark and absorbing story surrounding perceived satanism, murder, abuse and corruption. I really connected with the troubled and likeable protagonist, Erin. The pace throughout varied and it was sometimes unclear when the timeframes changed and some of the scenes are disconnected - nevertheless it was an enjoyable read. I was gifted an advance copy of this book by the author, publisher and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

You know those times when you simply can't get on with a story, be it it's writing style, the plot itself or something else? This was one of those times for me. I so badly wanted to love 'I Shot the Devil', with it's interesting premise & hooking first paragraph, but I just couldn't.

The plot follows Erin, a writer, as she delves deep into her past to find out what really happened at the infamous murder of Andre Villiers, whilst stumbling on to some home-truths & a web of tangled lies & deceptions from those she knew & was once close to.

Unfortunately, the story felt very messy & confusing. It had far too many characters & layers - given that it brushes against murder, satanism, abuse, cover-ups, trauma, racism & even drugs- making it a little all over the place. Thus, it was tough to get in to & hard to follow.

But to give credit where credits due, you could feel a lot went in to this book & the twists were pretty good!

Overall, it was a gritty, dark & slow-paced thriller that was too much of a slog for me to enjoy & left me wanting much more than it could give.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ruth McIver & Tinder Press for allowing me to review the ARC of 'I Shot the Devil'; all views are honest & my own.

Struggled a lot with this one I'm afraid. It was super slow to get going and once it did, a lot of it just made me feel really uncomfortable. I could tell right away that the style just wasn't for me, the sharpness of the voice isn't a type I'd gravitate towards. That said, there are some interesting twists I didn't see coming so it keeps you on your toes. For those that like a more dark and intense mystery, it may well be a good pick.

I struggled a bit with this one! I loved the premise but found it difficult to really get into. It probably was about half way through that it seemed to pick up a bit and start getting interesting but initially it kind of dragged and nothing much felt like it was happening. There are a lot of people involved and usually I like that but in this instance it all got a bit muddled with this collection of characters going through these 2 timelines. I did end up enjoying the 2nd half of the story when things took a turn and started to make more sense so I'd definitely say stick with it and it does get better. If you like a slow burn and lots of twists and turns and characters and drama and theories and red herrings and a few cliches then this may be more up your street than it was mine. I did like the writing style and the 2nd half kept me engaged and wanting to keep on reading to find out just what had actually gone back then. The drugs and devil worship just all seemed a pointless and irrelevant overall and it would have bn just as good a story if it had just bn a normal murder mystery without the added pomp and circumstance

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I struggled to get into this book and for me it all started to come together about half way through. There is a lot of detail in the book, and I thought that it jumped from different perspectives, which I had to get my head around. However saying that, I did enjoy the book in the end.

Erin is the central character who is trying to find out what happened to missing children and clear her friend's name of murder (Ricky), as Ricky was accused of battering another friend Andre. She is doing this, as she has been asked to write up a story about it.

As with any good book, there are some twists and turns. Steve was the corrupt copper, who you really didn't like. I loved it how Erin thought more of her cat Mister than her Dad - perfect.

I would definitely recommend this book - a good enjoyable read!

Described as a "dark, twisty thriller" about a small town full of secrets, Ruth McIver's 'I Shot The Devil' is centered on a misfit group of teenagers, their families and several crimes.

"Twenty years ago, the devil visited the woods around Southport, Long Island, claiming the lives of two boys. A local youth was charged with murder. Case closed."

But secrets don't stay buried, and one of those teens - 'Eerie' Erin Sloane - is now a true crime journalist assigned to write a story about who the media have dubbed the 'Southport Three'.

Erin has ulterior motives, though, and what she really wants to find out is what happened that night in the woods when her one true love, Ricardo 'Ricky Hell' Hernandez was shot and killed.

While the cover and the blurbs had me thinking I was in for a deliciously dark thriller, the truth is, 'I Shot The Devil' was clunky and hard to get into, with an overwhelming dose of gratuitous violence and drugs and Satanism.

90% of the book is theorising about what might have happened, and there's random moments of intense violence thrown into the mix to make things... Dark? Thrilling? A little less boring?

I found the addition of devil worship to be more cliche than scary, especially since the murders take place on Halloween. And of course the only brown kid is supposedly the ringleader Satanist 🙄 While McIver touches on that racism, nothing is really explained enough to give the story purpose. It all just feels like violence and drugs and sex for their own sake, and with so many characters thrown into the mix, I found it hard to relate or connect with any of them.

I had high hopes for this one, but overall, 'I Shot The Devil' left me bored, and wanting.

Exceptionally well-written debut from an author to watch out for.

I was surprised to learn later that this intense psychological mystery was by a debut author. It was exceptionally well written and an absolute pleasure to read. The story flowed, was well paced and a good length. The main character, Erin Sloane was likeable, authentic and I felt invested in her and her struggles.

The subject matter dealt with serious and deep topics including trauma, child abuse and domestic violence which may be triggering for some readers. The story was believable, realistic and horrifying in a way which will leave you thinking about this one long after you finish. I read the whole book in 24 hours, I didn’t want to stop.
I’d highly recommend this book and will be keeping an eye out for future books by this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A clever, twisted and dark tale that will keep you up at night and keep the pages turning.
I Shot The Devil is written smartly, with a growing anxiety that leaps off the page and with just the right amount of twists to keep you guessing. A must read for this season.

#IShotTheDevil #NetGalley
Loved it.
Erin Sloane was sixteen when high school senior Andre Villiers was murdered by his friends. They were her friends, too, led by the intense, charismatic Ricky Hell. Five people went into West Cypress Woods the night Andre was murdered. Only three came out
Ativan, alcohol and distance had dimmed Erin's memories of that time. But nearly twenty years later, an ageing father will bring her home. Now a journalist, she is asked to write a story about the Southport Three and the thrill-kill murder that electrified the country. Erin's investigation propels her closer and closer to a terrifying truth. And closer and closer to danger.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me an advance copy.

Intense, Dark,Traumatic…
Intense, dark, twisty and traumatic suspense with a frankly terrifying premise which ultimately delivers. A slow burn start with an underlying vein of menace which continues throughout as the reader is propelled along with Erin, now a journalist, as she chronicles a murder from her past. A powerful, often disturbing, and compelling read.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it is well written with a gripping storyline and well deve,loped and engaging characters. It was fast paced, twisty, mysterious and unpredictable. I couldnt pu tit down and would highly recommended.

As a teenager journalist Erin Sloane was part of a group of friends led by the charismatic Satanist Ricky Hell. While Erin was away the other 5 in the group met up in a local wood and during the usual drug and alcohol consumption things spiralled out of control with only 3 of them coming out alive. Those 3 became known to the media as the Southport Three and the story achieved notoriety as a satanic thrill-kill with the demonic perpetrator meeting his own end at the hands of the police.

Twenty years after the event Erin is asked to write an article about the killings which takes her into a past that has left her scarred,in more ways than one,and with alcohol and other issues. The more Erin digs the more she realises that there's a lot more to than story than first appears and her memories and perceptions are deeply flawed.

This is a very dark tale with plenty of graphic violence and some deeply unpleasant characters. There are many scenes that some readers might find upsetting. It is however a great read,I wasn't too sure what to expect and the book appeared to be going along a predictable route until author Ruth McIver throws in the first curve ball , things really begin to take off and it appears the accepted narrative is very far from the reality and there are some deeply nasty people trying to prevent Erin from discovering,and exposing,the truth.

It took me a little while to get into the book but once I did I was gripped, it's clever,pacy and original. Erin is a flawed character but a resilient one and the rest of the cast often turn out to be very different people to how they initially appear.