Sadly, this one didn't do much for me. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the author's writing style a lot, but the plot really never gets off the ground. I don't mind a slow burn, but this one mostly fizzled and smoked rather smouldering. I think this would have actually been a stronger novel without the horror element - the family and community elements were much stronger and more compelling, but I kept waiting for the horror bits to really come to the forefront and they never really did. I also wanted a lot more from John and Kat's relationship, and especially more of Kat's integration into the Endlands but it never gets fleshed out.

I really wanted to like this book. The plot of the story seemed interesting and as it began, I was very intrigued. But simply put, there were too many side stories, lulls and unimportant details that could not hold my interest.

The cast of characters seemed to have important things to say, but didn't. The history of the celebration was the main focus, I thought, but the story moved back and forth so much that I would frequently lose my place in the timeline as I wasn't able to sit down for a full day to read and keep my place.

It became so very frustrating to me that I DNF'd at 50%. I'm sure that there was something great that happened at the end, but I just couldn't stick with it.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing #DevilsDay for an honest review.

I couldn't connect with this story or the characters. I should have known better and stopped reading it. I tried multiple times to continue reading. I forced myself to finish it when I think I should have quit instead.

Why didn't it work for me?

Mostly, because nothing happens. The prose is so slow that became irritating. The book is very (VERY) descriptive but I felt a lack of substance to the story. I don't think anything important happened in the first 25% of the book. Lastly, the main character was flat to me.

I'll proceed to give you an idea of what the book is about.

John Pentecost is moving back to the Endlands to help his father. He brings his pregnant wife Kat with him. His grandfather, Gaffer recently passed away. The Gaffer had many responsibilities including delineating limits. John is back to the Endlands to help gather the sheep and help them come down from the moors. This is what the residents of the Endlands called the Gathering. The day before the Gathering, they have a celebration called the Devil's Day. Legend says the devil came to the Endlands a hundred years ago and killed many people and the animals too.

As you can see, the story is intriguing from the outside. I thought when I was reading the synopsis that pregnancy and the devil reminded me of Rosemary's Baby but it was nothing like it.

I'm sad this didn't work for me but I'm sure others might enjoy it.

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There a couple of things I really liked about this book. The first was the detailed descriptions that were used to develop a strong sense of place. The author creates a sense of a lonely and eerie atmosphere in his details about the Endlands, the moors, crags, hills, as well as the sheep and the tending of them. The second aspect of this story that pulled me in was the strong connection the narrator felt to the place, the people, and their way of life. The horror parts of this story didn't really appeal to me, but I enjoyed the read. My thanks to Netgalley, author Andrew Michael Hurley, and publisher John Murray for the copy of the book I was provided.

A very interesting read with lots of twists and turns though it can be hard to follow at times i recommend for any horror of mystery fan

I suspect that a number of people may not care for the slow pace of Devil’s Day, which is a pity as it is a brilliant novel. Hurley is an excellent writer, crafting a tense and chilling atmosphere more reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby than a typical horror story. The quieter moments are deceptive and it’s impossible to skim over should a vital piece of information be missed.

A slow burner that pays off in more ways than one,

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

"In the wink of an eye, as quick as a flea,
The Devil he jumped from me to thee.
And only when the Devil had gone,
Did I know that he and I'd been one . . .

Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the farm where he grew up, to help gather the sheep down from the moors for the winter. Very little changes in the Endlands, but this year, his grandfather—the Gaffer—has died and John's new wife, Katherine, is accompanying him for the first time."

This was one creepy story! So we'll written that I lost track of how many times I got the chills! Devil's Day reminded me of the book Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt because of the Gothic-like atmosphere. Definitely a great spooky read that was perfect for this time of year.

#NetGalley #DevilsDay

Beautifully written story that leaves lasting mental images of place and time. Explores the meeting of old and new world thinking, and purposes that even the strangest superstitions grow on kernels of fact.

Not a feel good story, but so well-written it's worth the read.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Three different time periods are addressed in this story, with many of the same characters, so you have to follow which time you are in. Family dynamics and small town life are major factors in what happens, and of course the devil plays a major role. How much you believe in the devil is up to you. An okay story, I wish we knew more about what the wife thought during the last time period

A man from a brutal countryside called the Endlands returns for his grandfather's funeral. He stays to help his father with the annual Gathering of their sheep, as well as reveal his newlywed wife's pregnancy. But John Pentecost hadn't realized how much has fallen into disrepair in his absence, or that an evil from his childhood has returned to the treacherous moors. In his time away, John has missed much about the Gaffer he thought he knew, and his wife Kat is also concerned about the recent sinister behavior of the young girl she had befriended, Grace.
As the rites of Devil's Day approach, secrets of the Endlanders come to light and John must choose whether to return to his easy life in Suffolk, or stay and defend his people.
With lavish detail of the dangerous cloughs and valleys, Devil's Day is a mystery horror story for those who love a ominous escalation toward a grim climax about the unfeigned presence of evil in an isolated farm valley.

"A new novel by the author of The Loney, which was praised by Stephen King as "an amazing piece of fiction."

In the wink of an eye, as quick as a flea,
The Devil he jumped from me to thee.
And only when the Devil had gone,
Did I know that he and I'd been one...

Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the farm where he grew up, to help gather the sheep down from the moors for the winter. Very little changes in the Endlands, but this year, his grandfather—the Gaffer—has died and John's new wife, Katherine, is accompanying him for the first time.

Each year, the Gaffer would redraw the boundary lines of the village, with pen and paper but also through the remembrance of tales and timeless communal rituals, which keep the sheep safe from the Devil. But as the farmers of the Endlands bury the Gaffer and prepare to gather the sheep, they begin to wonder whether they've let the Devil in after all."

Yes, OK, I admit it. This "Tuesday Tomorrow" is basically all my Gothic and Halloween reading for October... I mean, seriously, how could it not be? They all look so good!

Devil's Day is a slow, steady burn with moments of extreme creepiness thrown in. It's incredibly atmospheric, and the writing is fantastic. It's definitely one of those books where the setting is just as important as the characters. I'll definitely be checking out some of Hurley's other books.



A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was creepy as hell and now has me wondering how many of the old wives tales I've heard growing up might be true, or at least more truth to them that I once thought. I totally enjoyed this book even if it did make me jump at weird sounds and movements as I was reading. Five stars!

John Pentecost and his new wife Kat return for a short visit to his childhood country of Lancashire, located in northwestern England. John’s grandfather, the Gaffer, has passed away and John must assume the duties of redrawing the village boundaries and assist in gathering the sheep. Kat’s priority is to be accepted by the family and neighbors and announce their pregnancy.
As the days go by, John becomes literally bogged down in the obvious responsibility he feels he owes to stay on the family farm. He has no room for discussion for Kit; that is the way it must be.
The author, Andrew Michael Hurley, devotes a large part of his book to the conversations and beliefs of the people of the Endlands. His style of the deliberately slow pacing of the characters would tend to bore readers who prefer action upon action. He must write in this style to convey his points; not the action but the thoughts, emotions, the land, the weather these events are taking place in. The people have a strong belief in goblin tales of the devil. Over history, the devil has continually lived among them, causing havoc and death whenever possible. John conveys in flashbacks through the book his brush with the devil when he was a child who suffered at the hands of the village bully. In reality, the reader can see what’s actually happening, but the people of this region don’t adhere to the law of England; they respect the law of the land, the law of their people, and the law of traditions.
I found the book to be a bit too slow paced for me but the writing and prose are beautiful. This would be an excellent read for those with family from northwestern England or anyone interested in the traditions and beliefs of the people from that area.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for making it available.)

An eerie book, reminds me of an old style gothic story.
This is the type of book you enjoy reading, it is written well, the plot, and the characters are developed well, but it is creepy and dark.

Hurley has surpassed himself with Devil's Day. It as engrossing as The Loney but shows even more polish in character development..

It doesn’t matter where you are from, everyone has a superstition that they practice, maybe unknowingly! When I sat down to write this post, I had to take a step back and think if I was participating in anything remotely resembling a superstition. I couldn’t think of any! So I turn to ye ole trusted Google and literally googled “Pennsylvania Dutch Superstitions” and lo and behold there it was, my superstition that comes but once a year; eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day for good luck! I grew up with this tradition, and it is extremely hard to step away from a tradition that has been ingrained in you since childhood. What happens if you break tradition? What happens if you step on a crack, does it really break your mother’s back? What happens when we ignore stories that are passed on generation after generation?

John had left the farm he grew up on as soon as he was able. Although he realized the importance of community, John wanted something more. He aspired for knowledge, and that knowledge led him to a teaching career at a school and led him to his wife, Kat. Something in his blood continued to call him back every autumn in time for Gathering. As the couple packed for their upcoming trip, there were a few mixed emotions. John and Kat received a phone call that his grandfather, the Gaffer, had passed away, which would bring them to the Endlands earlier than anticipated.

Kat was excited to see her husband’s childhood home; the focal point of any story ever told. John’s father was now the only relative working the farm. Sure, he had help from the surrounding farms, but no one to continue on the family tradition. John has never seen his father looking so, old. That pull is tugging at him more than ever being back at home, surrounded by the familiar stories and traditions. What he thought he was missing in his life when he left, is actually what will make him pack up everything and move back.

As they prepare for the Gaffer’s funeral, John remembers why the task ahead, the Gathering, is so important for the valley. You see, farmers gathered their sheep from the Moors in October, rescuing the lambs out of the bog and move them to the valley. Many, many years ago, the devil skinned a lamb and pretended to be a part of the flock. From the flock he jumped from man to man, and house to house, wreaking havoc, and leaving nothing but troubles and death in his wake. Once he had his fill of torture, the devil would lay down to sleep.

Knowing his vices, the farmers would make lamb stew, serve blackberry wine, sing songs, and fiddle to wake the devil and draw him to the house in hopes he would overeat, get drunk on the wine, sing and dance his heart out, and fall asleep in front of the hearth. Once asleep, the farmers would gather their sheep from the Moors, rescuing the lambs out of the bog and move them to the valley. Once the sheep were safe, farmers would rouse the devil from his slumber and chase him back across the Moors, only to start the same tradition all over again in a year.

Knowing his father needs help, John decides to make a decision that will affect his family. While excited to see his childhood home, Kat is under the impression that once they have finished helping for the season, they will return home. Return to normal. Is tradition enough to make you return to your childhood? Is there a strong enough calling?

Andrew Michael Hurley is a new author for me. It’s always exciting when I pick up a new-to-me author. You are essentially giving said author a blank slate- there’s no comparing, there’s really nothing but anticipation! I read the back of this book, and it sounded so good! Immediately my brain went right to things like Blair Witch, maybe even a toned down Stephen King; something that starts out slow but then slowly builds into the horror story that makes you sleep with the lights on.

Going off the synopsis on the back of the book, I was gearing up for a slow burn. I kept waiting. . .and reading. . . and waiting. I was so frustrated with this book because the minute you make some progress, we go back to a story from the narrator’s past. . . or the Gaffer’s past. I’ve read plenty of books that bounce back and forth from past to present and back again, but this book really had nothing remotely linear to follow (kind of like most of my reviews here on the blog!). When you finally do start to make traction with the story, Hurley pulls the rug out from under you and abruptly ends the book.

If you’re married/dating , have you ever been to a family party on your spouse’s side? Ever feel like you were left on the outside of an inside joke? That’s exactly how I felt reading Devil’s Day. This particular book I could not personally relate to because of location/vocation. A lot of times I had to stop what I was reading to look up a particular word because I had NO clue what the author was saying.

So, if I didn’t care for this book, who on earth would I recommend this book for? Everyone! It’s okay to NOT LIKE a book. Ok, I didn’t care for this one. Would I read it again? Probably not. It’s an interesting read, that’s for sure. What I would find intriguing is if whether or not this story has any validation to it. Every now and then, I feel we as readers stay complacent in a certain genre, and then lose interest because we are just “genred” out. Step out of your comfort zone every now and then, and pick up something you normally wouldn’t. Judge a book by its cover and DON’T read the synopsis. Browse a DIFFERENT section of a bookstore first. Some of my favorite reads have been picked up on a whim.

Interesting story and Hurley is good writer.

Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the family farm to help gather the sheep from the moors for the winter. This year he brings his new wife, Kat, who is pregnant. And this year they will be attending the funeral of his grandfather, the Gaffer.

John discovers how much he misses the farm and realizes now that the Gaffer is gone, his aging father will need help. He tells Kat he wants to return home to raise their family and help with the family farm. However, after hearing about a crime the Gaffer committed just before his passing, Kat wants nothing to do with the farm and tries to persuade John to leave immediately.

Likes...The story is full of secrets, rituals, superstitions, feuds and traditions. I love reading reading about old superstitions and myths! I enjoyed the history of the Endlands and their beliefs in the “Devil” and the role he played in their lives and misfortune.

Dislikes... I didn’t care for the way the story transitioned between past and present. I felt that the changes were confusing and there were times I had to reread a portion, because I missed the switch and was lost. The story was slow at times.
#NetGalley #Devil'sDay
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

Devil’s day is a gothic tale that seemingly tales a simple story . John Pentecost returns home to the bleak community with disregard for life outseide their world. The atmosphere he creates is creepy and stifling .hurley is gifted writer that has crafted an unsettling folk horror tale

Devil's Day is a slow-burning rural horror reminiscent of The Wicker Man. A tiny community of three families struggles to survive as the matriarchs age and the patriarchs die off; the young people move away to start their own lives or fall victim to boredom and poverty and engage in petty crime. John returns to the Endlands to witness his grandfather's burial. He brings his pregnant wife, Kat, who doesn't know her husband plans for them to stay and raise the baby there. From the beginning John speaks about owing a debt to the valley. He takes the time to mend some of the disrepair that has set in- he has a strong pair of hands after all. As the seasons turn the valley is hit by the kind of bad luck that ruins livelihoods. The terms of John's 'debt' are revealed.
The rural landscape that Hurley describes has a character of its own. Treat it with care and you will be rewarded. But fail to give the Devil his due, and he might pay you a call. How much will the elder Endlanders sacrifice to maintain their way of life?