Twisted, perverse, devilish.... perfect!
A must read for fellow Lovers of dark & twisted tales!! I loved this story and characters!!

3 stars

Synopsis: Tom used to work for a crime family as the number one assassin. Then he found his daughter and walked away from the business, living a quiet, changed life. But now someone is after him, and his daughter may be just seen as collateral damage. Tom won't let that happen without a fight, even if that means bringing who he used to be out of the closet again.
Doro has been sent to get rid of the only man who ever lived to walk away, by any means necessary. He knows that means he probably won't survive, and he is prepared for any eventuality. Even the fact that the Devil himself might make an appearance.

What I liked: how clearly each character was drawn. You could clearly see how Tom become the Devil, and why he turned away from that life. Doro's motivation and hope were also detailed, and so was Tom's daughter. For the amount of pages, there is a lot of story, but it never feels rushed or as if there is something missing from it.

What I didn't like: it was really hard to connect with Tom, and even Doro. Even though we can see Tom's humanity, his inhumanity overshadowed everything, and influenced everything that he did once Doro came in to the picture. Doro was harder to read, and his motivation harder to understand, since he never seemed to go through what Tom went through in order to become the Devil. Both of them were men without a conscience, and that lack thereof was difficult to overcome for me as a reader.

Overall impression: told in third person POV from all three characters in present tense. This was very atmospheric, and the characters were clearly drawn and well thought out. This is not a romance, as most of the story is Tom trying to figure out how to break Doro, and Doro following his orders.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book – The Devil You Know
Author – Camilla Quinn
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 91
Cover – Creepy!
POV – 3rd person, multi-POV, present tense
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Assassin, Contemporary
Content Warning – memories of violence, kidnap, torture, dissociative identity disorder


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **



This was a refreshing and original take on the whole assassin/mafia enforcer theme.

Present tense is usually not my friend, but I really liked how it was used here to provide a more intimate view of the personalities at play. The characters were both real and slightly typical of the mafia genre, well developed and explored, without any kind of info dump for back stories. I loved the father/daughter dynamics between Tom and Jessie; the chemistry between Tom/the Devil and Doro. The POV was split between all of the main characters – Tom and his split personality, the Devil; Jessie; and Doro. They all got to show their own thoughts and experiences, which really helped explore the delicate dynamics between them all. It also helped with the isolation of the location, making the story much more character and plot focused. I particularly loved the bit about using Christmas music as torture.

Overall, it was a great exploration of the genre, with originality and great characters. I'd love to read more with these characters, but I also really love the perfectly ambiguous and HFN ending.

~

Favourite Quote

“His instructors used to speak of this man, spun of flames and nightmares. They spoke of his violence, his ingenuity, his insight. He used to think they exaggerated.
As he drifts into the darkness, he realized they did not.”

Actual rating: 3.5

Why isn't there more?!

I really enjoyed reading The Devil You Know. If it weren't as short, there would have been the potential of a 5 star rating. Sadly it is rather short and therefore it feels a little bit rushed at times.
I would have loved to dive even further into Tom's head, his past and his DID. I can't tell you how realistic and sensitive this is handled though because I'm not ownvoices. But I can tell you that it isn't wrongly called schizophrenia like it is so often found in media and in everyday use.
The way Tom and The Devil 'interact' (for a lack of better word right now) with each other and with other people was really captivating.

I didn't connect as strongly with Doro and Tom's daughter (I should have written down her name somewhere), but I was still interested in them. I was a little bit baffled at times about Doro's reactions about Tom but if we get a better look into his past and a in detail development between them? No more doubts on my side about this. (It would be too spoilery to tell you what exactly I mean if you haven't read this book).

I don't know why this was labelled as a romance on NetGalley though. There is the potential of one in a sequel - if there ever is one - but in The Devil You Know there is none. But maybe it would be rather a dark romance?

Please let there be a sequel? I need a sequel.

Please tell me this novella has a sequel! The reader follows the story of Tom the former assassin/interrogator with his daughter and Doro the new assassin sent to kill him. Not exciting enough for you? Oh, I forgot to mention - Tom has disassociative identity disorder, an inner (and sometimes outer) persona he refers to as the Devil.

I was surprised at how fleshed out the characters were with only about 28K words. Dreams became well-integrated flashbacks, conversations between Tom and his Devil helped flesh out his inner demons (so to speak), and Tom's daughter's presence brings a lightness to the whole story without diffusing the tension.

It's not a romance, not really, but there is a subtle hint that suggests there's something more. And that something leaves the reader wanting more.

Fair warning - there is violence, but it's not gratuitously so. That said, if depictions of violence are a problem for you, you may want to give it a pass.

Former mob interrogator Tom has fled his life of crime in order to live a peaceful life with his daughter. But is idyllic life is not meant to last and an assassin named Doro is sent to eliminate him.

This is a REALLY short read. We learn about Tom’s fearsome past through well-placed flashbacks and the cat and mouse between Tom and Doro is entertaining. This is a very adult book for some torture, death, and some fantasy smexy times but the real meat of the story is left up to the reader to fill in the blanks. As this is done effectively, I was left wanting to know more rather than left clueless. Not a bad read but I would have liked to see more. 3 out of 5.

Sadly I couldn’t connect with the main character, which made it difficult to enjoy his story. The narrative didn’t click with me, it felt too dry and impersonal to me. Also, I’m not a fan of present tense, at all :(

Since it overall didn’t work for me I didn’t finish the book, hence I won’t be rating it.

Still, I appreciate the time and love the author put into creating this book and its characters. I’m certain there are the right readers this book out there; many probably!

So, don’t let my review hold you back: give it a try! :)

▽

Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review, even if this time I can’t really give you one.

The Devil you Know is an interesting story which promises a lot but delivers in a very different way.

You have a back story that is hinted at but at times the reader is never really given enough information. It is up to the reader to fill in the blank spaces and this will be the thorn in the side for some readers. Personally, I enjoyed this aspect and it gave me food for thought long after I finished the novella.
The main characters are extremely well developed with an inner monologue happening within the main character’s two distinctive personalities Tom/Devil. As the story is short on details, not sure if this is a personality coping mechanism due to the chequered past of Tom being a heartless hitman or if he suffers from a personality disorder. As his life with his daughter, Jessie does not support this, I think it is a plot device to separate the doting and loving father and the comparison with his hitman former life.

Quinn does expand on the character of Doro and as with Tom, his back story is hinted out and slowly unfolds with a storyline that is often hinted at. The situation and scenes between Tom and Doro are extremely well done and handled with a professional tenseness that the author handles expertly.

Overall, this is a story that is over before you know it and does the reader a bit cold to begin with but will start niggling within the subconscious long after finished. I felt that if the writer gave a fuller story this would be an excellent book but looking at the novella as it is, it is very well done. It does lend itself open for discussion and feel that the book delivers on many levels.

ARC reviewed for Netgalley – MILD SPOILERS
The Devil You Know by Camilla Quinn
Arghhhhh, Arghhhhh, Arghhhhhhhhhh! The length of this book…or should I say the lack there of?

Tom Burnham is a man with a mission: run from his violent, bloody past and keep his precious daughter alive and well and out of the clutches of his former employer. But that proves to be easier said than done when young and sexy assassin Doro and his bad aim show up to put Tom out of commission. The two men must decide who lives, who dies, and who does what next.

First, I loved the premise. The idea of a former assassin so heinous and heartless that he earns the nickname The Devil isn’t that unique until you discover that poor Tom actually suffers from a personality disorder, and this Devil is another personality inhabiting his mind and sometimes taking control of his body, leaving Tom fighting to once again become the man who is raising a daughter with love and devotion while simultaneously needing to be The Devil in order to find out what Doro intends to do. I just loved the idea of these two complete opposites battling for control inside the same brain. It was very fresh and well written.

But then came the crushing disappointment. Just as a crucial decision is made between Tom and Doro, these tiny letters appear: Fin. As in finished, as in The End, and in the story is over. WHAT THE WHAT???? That’s it? The action was just heating up. The decision made by the MCs was going to have some huge fallout, and I hadn’t gotten enough of the Tom/Doro show, and you’re telling me it is over. There I sat with my hot cup of tea, my snuggly penguin blanket, and what I thought would be all-night page-turner, and just like that it’s over. There is nothing on Netgalley or Goodreads to indicate that Quinn intends to continue this story, so, as of now, it seems that she gave us this great, unique plot, and then tore it out of our grasp. Not cool, not cool at all.

So, I am giving the story 5 stars and the length of the story 1 star. Yes, I can be just stingy with my stars as Quinn was with the word count. And I will just be here crying into my now cold tea and hoping that this isn’t the end for Tom and Doro. And The Devil.

Wow, this was so much better than I was expecting! I wish this was a full-length novel, but there IS room for a sequel so maybe we'll get that one day [pretty please]. I really liked all the main characters; Tom and Doro both had very interesting backstories and it was great to watch their little game of cat and mouse. Tom's daughter was also really great and I appreciated that she was a character in her own right rather than just someone who was like there as a plot device so he would have something to protect or whatever. The only actual complaint I have is that we didn't get a real sex scene, but considering any sex that happened in this context would be dubcon AT BEST ...I understand why the author chose not to go that way [and it's probably for the best but I still definitely wouldn't have minded]

Also please heed the warnings that the publisher has on their website: "The Devil You Know contains some explicit content, scenes of semi-graphic torture, and off-screen, past rape." I wouldn't say that any of it is that explicit but it is there and it's all very relevant to the plot so just be aware.

I really enjoyed The Devil You Know.

I was unsure what to expect from this novella as there was a short advisory that the book contains some explicit content, scenes of semi-graphic torture, and off-screen, past rape. I honestly didn't find this book that explicit or remotely upsetting. (I'm beginning to question if my book torture meter may be broke at this point, however, due to reading too many super violent books over the years.) That said, I found the books premise very interesting and the story itself was not gross or gratuitous in its violence.

I believe very strongly in the possibility of starting over and that almost anyone can be redeemed so I went into this little book with a pretty opened mind, which the reader should probably posses. Otherwise you might not enjoy a book about a former hitman and an active hitman.

I really liked Tom, our senior hitman (as in he was middle aged himself, he didn't go around killing old people). He genuinely seemed to be trying to be a better man and he kept it together the best that he could. You got to work with what you have in life, and he had a lot going on.

I also liked Doro, the younger hitman sent in to take care of Tom. He was not quite as well fleshed out to me as Tom, and I didn't always really understand his motivation in his actions, but the story did not suffer because of this.

I liked Quinn's writing style and found it tight which drew me into the book immediately. And while I can't really say what genre this book was exactly (It was not exactly suspense or romance, or even a crime drama) I enjoyed it anyway.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fun stories about hitmen making friends and changing their lives for the better.