Better the Devil

get ready for queer mayhem in the gritty psychological thriller from the bestselling author of All That's Left in the World

by Erik J. Brown

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Pub Date 22 Jan 2026 | Archive Date 22 Jan 2026

Hachette Children's Group | Hodder Children's Books

LGBTQIA | Mystery & Thrillers | Teens & YA

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Description

Get ready for queer mayhem in this gritty psychological thriller filled with stolen identity, true crime and first love, from the bestselling author of All That's Left in the World. For fans of One of Us Is Lying, The Reappearance of Rachel Price and They Both Die at the End.

Desperate to escape a family who will never accept him, a queer runaway in police custody borrows the identity of a boy who vanished years ago: Nate Beaumont. But when Nate's family come to take him home, he's trapped in a web of lies.

Then he meets Miles - the cute, clever and true-crime obsessed boy next door - who knows more than it seems. Unexpectedly, Miles agrees to help, in exchange for uncovering the truth about what happened years ago to his childhood best friend. As their investigation turns dangerous, their feelings turn real.

Time is running out.
They don't know who to trust.
And someone is watching who wants to keep this case cold.

Will they find the missing boy . . . or will they find each other?

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"Brimming with darkness and suspense, each page of Better the Devil ramps up on a slow, creeping dread until the explosive, incredibly tense climax. A smart, sinister book that also explores themes of self-acceptance and identity - I flew through it."
- Ravena Guron, author of This Book Kills

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781444973556
PRICE	£9.99 (GBP)
PAGES	320

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Additional Information

Average rating from 14 members

Featured Reviews

Jenni Y, Reviewer

This book was so good, I read it in a day! It’s a YA thriller/mystery that centres around our protagonist, an unnamed gay teenager who runs away from home when his parents attempt to force him into conversion therapy. After being arrested for shoplifting when starving, he spots a ‘missing’ poster for a boy who looks just like him. In a moment of desperation he takes on the missing boy’s identity and slips into his family… but someone knows the truth, and ‘Nate’ is terrified of being found out, because what if they know what happened to the real Nate?

Gossssh this was so good. It had me guessing throughout; I loved ‘Nate’ and his sleuthing buddy and neighbour, Miles. There were moments when I was genuinely, viscerally scared for ‘Nate’, especially towards the end when the secrets surrounding the mystery start to unravel…

Whilst this is definitely a YA novel, I still really enjoyed it as an adult. The mystery wasn’t overly complex, but it kept me guessing and I was genuinely surprised when the reveal happened! The author has thrown in a lot of red herrings, which kept me busy! Overall a great read for all ages and a happy ending 💕

Read Better The Devil for:
✨ YA Queer Mystery Thriller
✨ Gay teen escaping religious persecution
✨ Taking on identity of missing boy
✨ Someone knows the truth…
✨ What happened to the real Nate?
✨ Queer sleuthing buddy / love interest
✨ Doing it for the true crime podcast
✨ The dog’s called Chardonnay
✨ (PS. The dog is fine 💕)

Thank you so much to Hachette, Hodder Childrens Books and the author for an ARC of this book via NetGalley! It’s available on the 22nd Jan 2026!

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Book Trade Professional 434511

I absolutely ATE this up!

I've read about the true-crime story this is based on and seen the ABC show the story follows so I was SO excited to read a book that is inspired by those events! Although I guessed many of the story arcs, I enjoyed the writing and suspense the author was able to build up. To be honest, knowing the case made the reading even more pleasurable!

I would say this is for you if you love:

- True crime
- Edge of your seat writing
- Complicated families