I SHOT THE DEVIL
FIVE WENT INTO THE WOODS. TWO NEVER CAME BACK.
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 aging 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.
FIVE WENT INTO THE WOODS. TWO NEVER CAME BACK.
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 aging 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.
An unforgettable story of murder, trauma, and childhoods lost, I Shot the Devil is a taut, prizewinning debut novel from an electrifying new talent.
- Blackstone Publishing
- Paperback
- 344 Pages
- 9798228569584
Buy the Book
$19.99
About Ruth McIver
Ruth McIver is a Dublin-born Western Australian and NYC writer currently based in Melbourne. In 2019, she completed her PhD in the field of true-crime-inspired fiction with Curtin University. Her first novel, Nothing Gold, was runner-up in the inaugural Banjo Prize (2018) and was one of seven novels selected to be pitched at Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival (2014). Ruth’s self-published novel-in-verse, The Sunset Club (2014), was highly commended in the Anne Elder category by the FAW (Fellowship of Australian Writers). I Shot the Devil won the 2018 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers.
Praise
“A slick, atmospheric thriller.” —Sunday Times
“I loved this book…I can see David Lynch reading this up in Mulholland Drive.” —Brendan Cowell
“An incredible thriller that kept me up reading. Intense. Wickedly smart. A stunning debut from a gifted author.” —Adrian McKinty, bestselling author of The Chain
“One of the freshest debuts to come along in a long time. A tense, irresistible thriller shot through with moments of unnerving darkness. A clever, compelling read.” —Dervla McTiernan, #1 bestselling author of The Ruin, The Scholar, and The Good Turn
“This book reminds me of the first time I read Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. It’s THAT good.” —Steve Cavanagh
“This is a stunner of a debut thriller.” —Irish Independent