The Devil's Own - Maria McDonald - ★★

AUTHOR: Maria McDonald

GENRE: Drama.

RATING: 2 stars.

In a Nutshell: Good premise, but I didn’t enjoy the writing. I am very much an outlier in my opinions.

Story Synopsis:

September, 2020. After a long stint with the Irish Army, Brian is looking forward to a retired life with his wife Jean in their new home. While clearing out their current army-issued house, he stumbles upon a cabinet in a far corner of the attic, wherein there are three journals, each dating to the early twentieth century. One journal is written by Arthur, one by Edith, and one by Henry. Who are these three people, and how have their journals ended up in Brian’s house? What makes this quest more intriguing is that one of the persons who wrote the journals is a serial killer.

The story comes to us in the first person perspectives of Brian and Jean, and also of Arthur, Edith and Henry through their journals.

Where the book worked for me:

✔ I couldn’t see the ending coming. That was a nice surprise.

✔ The book is pretty fast-paced.

✔ I liked the details connected to the Irish setting – the place, the army, the attitude towards the Brits.

✔ The author’s informative notes at the end of the book were interesting and helpful.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

❌ There is plenty of repetition not just in the writing but also in the scene development. Edith’s thoughts constantly swing between “I love him” and “I can’t believe I married him”. Brian keeps mentioning how “lucky” he is. Arthur is always on and off with alcohol, with the same reaction every single time. Ditto with Henry and his reactions. All the characters were stuck in a loop almost throughout the book.

❌ Parts of the journal entries are set in India during the time of the British colonial rule. The content related to Indian citizens in these sections is almost offensive. Of course, the journals were written by characters who believed in the monarchy and that the “heathen natives” were nothing but savages. So you might say that those three characters were genuinely representing the British thinking of that era. But I would have appreciated it if Brian and Jean in the contemporary time would have passed some remark on how narrow-minded their countrymen were a century ago. As an Indian, I was left fuming at the language used and the lack of empathy.

❌ The India-related content didn’t feel much accurate. Of course, we don’t even know which area of India the three characters were settled in for a major part of the book. But prepping for the monsoon in March? Not getting relief from the hot summer till December? Soil so bad that grass is never green but always yellow? What part of India is this???

❌ A major part of the content comes to us through the three journals. But these don’t feel authentic at all. All three journals were more like flashback chapters than journal entries. When people pen journals, they don’t use direct speech except maybe a couple of times. One of the characters’ journal entries are rendered impossible after the big reveal, considering what was told to us about that character earlier in the book. I also couldn’t figure out why a majority of the journal entries were dated 21st September in various years, no matter whose journal we were reading.

❌ The contemporary timeline is equally weak. Brian’s reactions are quite disjointed. When he first comes across the serial killer’s journal, he gets all flustered and agitated, wondering what to do. Within a couple of scenes, he has put that journal aside and gone back to the other journals. After a few chapters, the same thing occurs. Also, any normal person would not read three journals part by part, but would complete one and then move to the next. So it was quite odd to see Brian and Jean casually ambulate through the three journals.

To sum up, I expected a lot more from the premise. But the serial killer sections, though shocking, are repetitive, with no clear motive coming out. The contemporary timeline is good for nothing except to provide a foundation to the story of the past. Edith’s story is the only one with substance. However, none of the characters were likeable. The only thing that salvaged the book somewhat was the tiny surprise at the end.

A strictly average read for me the outlier.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a complimentary copy of “The Devil's Own”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.