The Devil You Know

Reviews

“The Devil You Know manages simultaneously to be funny, sweet, hip, and utterly terrifying. Elisabeth de Mariaffi has written a smart, unique thriller.”

“In Canadian writer de Mariaffi’s debut mystery, a 1982 abduction and murder teaches girls growing up in Toronto how to be afraid…With so many thrillers cheaply exploiting violence against girls and women, de Mariaffi’s  treatment of the topic, through Evie’s vulnerable yet empowered voice, is refreshingly reverent.”

“Set in and around Toronto in 1993, Canadian author de Mariaffi’s artful first novel chronicles the efforts of journalist Evie Jones to track down the man who murdered a friend of hers…Hooked readers will silently implore Evie to refrain from entering a basement or a cabin in the woods in pursuit of a story—and a killer.”

“The author (whose short story collection How to Get Along with Women was longlisted for the Giller Prize) expertly builds suspense throughout this character-driven debut novel. As it nears its climax, readers will dread turning the pages for fear of what comes next.”

“A gripping literary thriller that will get under your skin and burrow into your every waking thought. You’ll see a little bit of yourself in Evie Jones, and you’ll find yourself looking over your shoulder even more after reading this creepy, chilling, and hauntingly beautiful book.”

“A first novel rich with menace and psychological depth, The Devil You Know transports in the dangerous way of a nightmare but remains grounded—even more dangerously—in the way of a documentary. Elisabeth de Mariaffi delivers a thriller that thrills in so many ways.”

“Take the wit of Gone Girl, the horror of Helter Skelter, the twists of In Cold Blood, and the wisdom of Joan Didion’s The White Album and you feel the thrill of reading The Devil You Know. Elisabeth de Mariaffi has written a brilliant and thoughtful thriller that is tense, funny, scary, smart, and true. Her clear-eyed insight into the kind of fear that women carry through life resonated deeply with me.”