50 books like Working for the Devil

I find the combination of mystery and fantasy in the Harry Dresden books irresistible, and Storm Front is certainly no exception. A typical detective has to watch out for the as-yet-undiscovered killer. Harry has to watch out for the killer—as well as the White Council, the organization of wizards that is profoundly suspicious of him and more than ready to execute him if he takes one step out of line. And then there are various supernatural creatures who want either to kill humans or to use them for their own purposes.

Butcher’s imaginative humor is second to none. I have to laugh every time I think about Bob, the skull animated by an air spirit, or Toot-Toot, the wyldfae who serves Harry in exchange for pizza. Butcher seamlessly blends such touches of original humor with pulse-pounding excitement.

Although Hamilton is not a scientist, he is a science-fiction writer who frequently uses the latest ideas from science.

This book begins with an astronomer making a surprising discovery and then broadens into a complex tale of intraspecies and interspecies war. It is the first book in an exciting series by Hamilton called The Commonwealth Saga, all of which I really enjoyed as both adventure and “at the edge” scientific speculation. 

Arguably the greatest of all detectives, Sherlock Holmes died early in his career when his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sent him hurtling down the Reichenbach Falls in ‘The Final Problem’. But Holmes soon came back to life—firstly in The Return of Sherlock Holmes and in later years as a character in numerous spinoffs/riffs/reboots. One of the best of these is James Lovegrove’s series of Lovecraftian horror stories featuring Holmes and Watson. They are all great but the third one, Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils, has the best title. Lovegrove writes stylishly and wittily and his deadpan approach to the absurd monsters he conjures up makes these a delicious read.   

I bought this book in Hatchard’s bookshop because I liked the cover, and because I like stories about Hell. A great choice on my part—this wonderful crime/fantasy novel features a detective called Thomas Fool in the most lawless land there can be. Thomas has to investigate a series of grisly murders which threaten the Devil’s domain; and to make his police procedural story work Unsworth has to invent a whole new mythology of Hell in which murder is even possible. The writing is stunningly evocative and the logic of the world building is remarkable even if it is,  ultimately, bonkers. This book and its sequel, The Devil’s Evidence, are the noirest of noirs and are completely unputdownable. 

Okay, in doing this I have noticed a trend in what I like. How enlightening. Anyway. Trigger has the perfect combination of darkness and love conquers all. The raw story between Trigger and Tess—two broken people who found exactly what they needed in one another. Sexy, gritty, and captivating, this book has everything I wanted in a motorcycle club romance. 

Clive Barker’s 2007 novel is the sort of book that, as soon as you read the first page, you know you’ve found something special.

The narrator is a demon named Jakabok Botch who desperately wants you, the reader, to burn the book you’re reading. Throughout these pleas we learn about Jakabok’s history, beginning with his childhood in Hell, how he was pulled into the human world in the fourteenth century, and his many exploits since.

What really elevates this book from good to great is the first-person narrative. Barker does an exquisite job in giving a wholly original voice to his demon. Barker has described the novel as, “a different kind of scare, very brutal and very intimate,” and he isn’t exaggerating.

Mister B. Gone is a quick read, especially by Barker standards, but one that’s well worth your time and will have you reflecting upon long after you’ve finished… show more.

The depiction in this book is similar to what I have tried to illustrate in my book, where the demonic spirit hijacks the main character, and the center of the equilibrium could no longer hold. Ron Sutton thinks Satan is a regular church attendee. Various ills and devilish intent have taken over the church, which is supposed to be a place of holiness. 

The question is, does Satan go to church? 

I believe this bothered Ron Sutton when he said: "The devil could sit on the front row in many church services throughout America today and never experience an uncomfortable moment."  

Of course, he is right. I believe the Devil sits on the front row and within the altar. He conducts the service, counsels his disciples in high places in the church, and even performs miracles.

Every church and every leader must embrace the truths in the Bible as it's… show more.

Delicious. Sexy. I Dare You is… honestly, I don’t know how to describe it. I think that’s why I love it so much. From the first page, you are immediately transported to this world full of chaos and depravity. Cole Reynolds is the ultimate book boyfriend with edge and a healthy dose of mystery to keep you enthralled until the middle of the night reading.

This is actually the second book of Zeigler's Tears of Heaven series, but I read this one first and it stands perfectly on its own. There's so much I love about it, from the concept of rebel dark angels working to overthrow Satan with the help and ingenuity of human scientists and soldiers they rescue from Hell's torments to Zeigler's masterful world-building based on scripture and classic depictions of Hell. He pulls no punches in vividly describing the agonies of damnation. But it's his clever use of scientific principles to explain Hell's supernatural rules as well as arm his protagonists that truly stands out for me. I strove to achieve that level of logic in my book, but Zeigler manages to weaponize it as only a trained scientist could.

One of a series that can be read in any order. I found this spine-chilling as it is so easy to put yourself in the place of the characters. I could feel, and live, their fear and desperation. This is not a ghost story. I found it easy to imagine a group of ne’re do wells indulging in these rituals and bringing terror to themselves and others. Not a book I could put down.