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A review by drey72
The Devil You Know by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
3.0
Elisabeth de Mariaffi's debut The Devil You Know is the story of a young reporter who's assigned to cover the investigation into a suspected serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo. Evie Jones' childhood best friend was one such victim, and it doesn't take long for her to start looking into that cold case while she does assigned research on past similar crimes.
What I really liked in The Devil You Know was the feel of the story. Elisabeth de Mariaffi has a deft hand in giving us the creepy-crawliness of a what it's like to constantly
look over your shoulder, wondering if the shadows are just that or something more menacing. I was on the fence as to whether Evie was totally paranoid or not paranoid enough throughout the book - at least until the end, when I was wondered if she was completely crazy to do what she did.
What I didn't care so much for was the tone of the story. There are no quotation marks used in the dialog, which sometimes made it hard to determine who was "talking". The voices also felt a bit flat and emotionless, as if Evie only let her real feelings out in her head. There was also a lot of backstory that I didn't feel contributed much to the story, and her relationship with David was awkward for two people who've been close friends for as long as they have.
The plot itself wound around a bit, tangling with Evie's mother's and David's father's pasts. I thought it got a bit too convoluted, honestly - the bleak history and current high anxiety alone would've made for good reading.
Overall I would recommend this for fans of Elizabeth Haynes for the sheer creepiness of the story.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!This review was originally posted on drey's library
What I really liked in The Devil You Know was the feel of the story. Elisabeth de Mariaffi has a deft hand in giving us the creepy-crawliness of a what it's like to constantly
look over your shoulder, wondering if the shadows are just that or something more menacing. I was on the fence as to whether Evie was totally paranoid or not paranoid enough throughout the book - at least until the end, when I was wondered if she was completely crazy to do what she did.
What I didn't care so much for was the tone of the story. There are no quotation marks used in the dialog, which sometimes made it hard to determine who was "talking". The voices also felt a bit flat and emotionless, as if Evie only let her real feelings out in her head. There was also a lot of backstory that I didn't feel contributed much to the story, and her relationship with David was awkward for two people who've been close friends for as long as they have.
The plot itself wound around a bit, tangling with Evie's mother's and David's father's pasts. I thought it got a bit too convoluted, honestly - the bleak history and current high anxiety alone would've made for good reading.
Overall I would recommend this for fans of Elizabeth Haynes for the sheer creepiness of the story.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!This review was originally posted on drey's library