BLOGTOUR, BOOK REVIEW - Demon (Six Stories #6) by Matt Wesolowski

 

                                                                    BOOK SYNOPSIS

In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world.

Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.

Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.

And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, and King himself becomes a target of media scrutiny and the public’s ire, it becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun...

Elusive online journalist Scott King returns in the sixth instalment in the dark, addictive and often thought provoking six stories series. His latest investigation centres around the shocking murder of twelve year old Sidney Parsons who's battered body was discovered dumped in a small stream situated near the isolated village of Ussalthwaite which nestled in the stunning Yorkshire countryside. The crime had caused shock waves to ripple across the nation due to the fact that the perpetrators of the innocent young boy's murder Robbie Hooper and Danny Greenwell were also both just twelve years old. I don't know the statistics involved when it comes down to children being murdered by their peers but two cases that did come to mind whilst I was reading this spine chilling story were Mary Bell in 1968 and poor little James Bulger in 1993. I don't think many people would struggle to remember the shocking image of little James being led away from the shopping centre on that fateful day by his two young killers. As in the Bulger case, Demon's fictional killer's Robbie and Danny stood trial,were found guilty,had served their allocated sentences and had been released back into society with new identities. Free to continue their lives and do all the things that their heartless act of violence had deprived their young victim of achieving. The question is, does the rehabilitation of prisoners actually work? Should perpetrators of sickening crimes have the right to live anonymously amongst people who have no knowledge of their crimes? Is it right that citizens like you and me fork out millions of pounds a year to ensure that convicted criminals can sleep peacefully in their beds at night? We all know how well rehabilitation worked for one of Jamie Bulger's killer's don't we?

The plot of Demon also raises the age old debate of nature vs nurture, is it possible for a child to be born evil or were Robbie and Danny simply innocent victims of their individual circumstances? What directions would their lives have taken if they had never met and become friends? 

As Scott's six witnesses recounted their individual stories, a picture began to emerge like the illustration on a jigsaw puzzle as the various pieces are slotted into their correct locations. It was a picture that portrayed the culture of small mindedness, judgement, bullying, neglect and gossip which resided within both the picturesque village and the outer reaches of civilisation and society. A picture which revealed that no matter how outwardly serene and beautiful a setting might appear, it can still have undercurrents of darkness and suspicion bubbling away below the surface.

Scattered throughout the book was letters that were written by one of the killer's which gave the reader an insight into the village and it's residents as seen from that person's perspective. We were taken through the events leading up to Sidney's tragic death and what had actually happened on that fateful day.

As with the previous five titles in this extraordinary and addictive series, the author deftly combines realism and fiction with a added dash of the supernatural to produce a story that is dark, mesmerising and thought provoking. Demon is a powerful story that causes the reader to experience a wide range of conflicting emotions and has a jaw dropping,unexpected conclusion that almost caused me to drop my kindle in shock. The author's cast of characters were a eclectic mix of realistic individuals,some more likeable than others. Although Demon is the sixth book in the series and if you want to enjoy this brilliant series to its full potential, it is advisable to read the books in the correct order, it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. If I could, I would definitely award this book far more than five stars, chilling, brilliant, compelling and very very very highly recommended by little old me.

                                                                        AUTHOR BIO

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care. Matt started his writing career in horror, and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous UK- an 

US-based anthologies such as Midnight Movie Creature, Selfies from the End of the World, Cold Iron and many more. His novella, The Black Land, a horror story set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013. 

Matt was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015. His debut thriller, Six Stories, was a bestseller in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and a WH Smith Fresh Talent pick, and TV rights were sold to a major Hollywood studio . A prequel, Hydra, was published in 2018 and became an international bestseller, Changeling (2019), Beast (2020) And Deity (2021) soon followed suit.

PUBLICATION DATE: 20th January 2022

PURCHASE LINK.....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Demon-Six-Stories-Book-6-ebook/dp/B099P71LWC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ZLT2DTLI05KA&keywords=Demon&qid=1643132967&s=books&sprefix=demon%2Cstripbooks%2C771&sr=1-2

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