3.5 rounded up to 4 with the very interesting and detailed historical information in the afterword

Who doesn't love a cryptid? Finding well researched books about cryptids is surprisingly difficult and I would definitely read more if James Kaine continues his American Horrors series (mothman please?)

The characters felt real and well rounded (he does mention a few are based off of real life friends and acquaintances) and I really appreciate hearing about a localized cryptid from someone who actually knows the area with its culture and history.

I did find the writing a tad clunky in parts - every now and then a term that just screamed "I used a thesaurus" would pop up and derail a moment where I was engrossed in what was happening to take a step back and wonder "where did THAT come from?" (ie, patagium. Not really a word most folks would know or throw around in description. After looking it up I now know it's a membrane or fold of skin between the forelimbs and hindlimbs of a bat or other gliding mammal. Who knew.)

I'll definitely be ordering this in to our store and hand selling it, we get a lot of requests for cryptids (though I can't say I've been asked specifically for the Jersey Devil yet) and this was a fun read, even if it could have been shortened/tightened up just a little bit.

This was my first ARC book and from the very first page I knew, that I would love it. Reading it felt like going deeper into the Hollows. I just couldn't stop, certain parts had me gasping, other parts made my pulse race. Usually with multiple time lines I find myself more interested in one of the lines at the time and the other ones become a bit of a chore to read. With this book I didn't even care which time line I was reading, all of them were really interesting. The writing was fantastic, the story flows so well. All of the characters were believable and vivid. The relationships felt real and relatable. I knew nothing about this book before requesting an ARC and had no idea what to expect. I'm so happy that I got to read it and now I absolutely need other books by this author and a physical copy on my shelf. To anyone looking for a good urban legend book I couldn't recommend this more!

I wasn’t familiar with James Kaine’s work before picking up Devil of the Pines, but I have to say I’m impressed. He has a real talent for creating characters that feel believable - I found myself immediately sympathizing with some of them, which made the story hit harder.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me. The first 20% spends a lot of time setting the stage, and I honestly found it a little boring. But around the 30% mark, something just clicked, and suddenly I couldn’t put it down. The pacing picked up, the stakes felt higher, and the atmosphere really drew me in.

I personally wouldn’t classify this book as a horror novel. To me, it read more like a mystery with supernatural elements. That said, it kept me on my toes: there were a few plot points I was able to predict, but others completely blindsided me in the best way.

Another fun surprise was the focus on the Jersey Devil legend. I wasn’t familiar with it before, and learning about it through a fictional lens made the experience even more enjoyable.

Overall, Devil of the Pines turned out to be an engaging and atmospheric read. It takes a little patience to get going, but once it does, it rewards you with strong characters, eerie tension, and a unique spin on folklore.

This is the first book I have read of James Kaine and omg has now become one of my favourite authors, just from this book alone, I cannot wait to read more of his work, this book has me captivated from page one, it was definitely a ride, a different take on the cryptid that I have researched being the jearsey devil, but I loved this book so so much

Pretty good take on the lore of the Jersey Devil. Definitely a fun little read if you already know you like the story of this cryptic and want to see how it can used for a fun little novel.

4.5*
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a bit longer to read than I would have liked, but not because this was in any way boring.

This book has multiple timelines, we follow the early inhabitants of Leeds in the 1700's, when the devil of Leeds is born. We also follow multiple timelines of Patrick Shourds during his early life in the mid 2000's, as well as his current timeline in 2025. Patrick has a terrifying encounter with the devil of Leeds in his teen years, however he is shunned by the town and treated like he is to blame for the awful things that happened during his encounter with the devil. In 2025 Patrick has come back to Leeds to bury his mother and settle her estate, however as events start happening Patrick quickly finds he cannot run from his past.

I was pleasantly surprised by the writing of this, it doesn't read like yet another horror story, it was deeply immersive for me, when I found the time to read I was sucked right back into the story. Multiple timelines can be really tricky to juggle and write well, however the story flowed very well between timelines and I think that helped with the fluidity of the story.

The characters were very well written, it was easy to like the characters we were meant to like and hate the characters we're meant to hate. I love that there was a heated discussion regarding Die Hard being a Christmas movie, I think that really added to the likeability of the characters. The atmosphere of the story was very well balanced, it almost felt like we were in the woods with the characters. Overall this felt very much like a really good horror movie, only in book form. I had never heard of the Jersey Devil before now but I will definitely be looking into the story more.

I absolutely enjoyed everything about this book, I've definitely found a new favourite horror author! I think James Kaine is up there with the likes of Stephen King and I will be reading more of his work in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Devil Of The Pines is the horror I never knew I needed! It is dark, eerie, atmospheric, and overall haunting. After a woman cursed her thirteenth child along with the town, the Leeds Devil was born. The devil can not die, or else the town will die. The curse is passed down from generation to generation, and when the devil's vessel (body) is killed, the spirit of the devil will inhabit another, and that individual becomes said devil.
This book is greater than 5 stars! I was gripped from the very beginning and completely consumed by the story up until the very end. It's creatively written, wonderfully paced, and the suspense is top-notch! 5+ stars across the board!
Thank you NetGalley, Horror House Publishing, and James Kaine for such an outstanding ARC!

I enjoy the stories around all sorts of urban legends, although I don't know much about the Jersey Devil. The way the creature was described was very gnarly and demonic. I enjoyed the historic opening section and the gore in general was decent.
There are three timelines here - the 1700s, 2005 and 2025. I liked it for the most part but things did get a bit confusing at times. There was a fair amount of heavy pop culture references in the 2005 section (I assume to make things easier to tell which section it was) but it often felt a bit clunky.
The main character is interesting but not perfect, and it's easy to see how those small town rumours can ruin someone's life.
I got slightly confused when the 1700s timeline was brought back a way into the book, either there were a couple of inconsistencies or I'd forgotten the details.
A solid read in general, some creepy set pieces, and a good monster.

I loved everything about this book! A story with 3 different timelines so we can understand better when the story started and how ended , with lot's of details became a great movie in my head. While reading it. Cam the bully kid, Megan the rebel one, Patrick the shy kid... this was a perfect trio. A kind of story that keped me on the edge of the seat , and mind blowing at the end leaving us with the huge question mark. Did the curse continued or not? This is what i love at the horror stories, not knowing exactly what comes next or how truely ended.

Exactly my kind of horror! The three interwoven perspectives were artfully managed and worked together effortlessly. Also, just enough gore without being too much, if that makes sense! I wished for a happier ending, but I knew that wasn't meant to be for these characters, no matter how much I liked them!

I enjoyed this story, it got going quite quickly, kept the pace throughout and was easy to follow while jumping around in different time periods.

The only problem I had with the book was not really feeling invested in any of the characters, so I did find myself skimming the dialogue a little at times.

Devil of the Pines by James Kaine was obtained directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never knowingly read this author before but that will change. I had heard of the Jersey Devil, I mean who could not have heard of it since there are many television shows and books about the beast. I will not go into plot details, as many other reviewers have done so already, but I generally dont like jumping around centuries and timelines, this book and author did a good job of keeping everything in order, so kudos for that.If you, or someone you buy gifts for, likes cryptids in general, the Jersey Devil or just horror with some history built in, give this book a read, since the spooky season and gift-giving seasons are fast approaching.

I don't usually like monster books or cryptid storyline, but found myself invested in this one. It read like a historical fiction which made a brilliant story. I ended up enjoying this very much with the great writing and solid characters.

I was honestly hooked from the moment I read the prologue. It stays with you for a while and it is a must-read for horror lovers. This book had so much to offer and I am so, so impressed with the multitude of layers that came together so flawlessly and provided me with a perfect read. I recommend this book to those who are looking for something more than just a good scare.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane? No! It’s the Jersey Devil…
Much like Mothman or The Ozark Howler, my knowledge of The Jersey Devil is minimal. A loose collection of lore and myth I’ve heard on YouTube videos or on late-night History Channel shows. So I was naturally drawn to a creature-feature book about a cryptid I knew so little about.
I received Devil of the Pines by James Kaine as an ARC from NetGalley and Victory Editing/ Horror House Publishing. A big thanks to them. Now let’s get into the review!

Plot:
1700s: A woman pregnant with her 13th child sends for a midwife. What follows becomes the basis of the Jersey Devil myth.
2005: Two young boys playing in the Leeds Pines have a run-in with The Jersey Devil that changes their lives forever.
2025: One of the young boys returns home after his mother dies and deals with everything that happened all those years ago.

What did I like?
First, I want to talk about how much I enjoyed having three separate plots being juggled. There was zero whiplash in the timeline. Nothing felt cheap or hard to follow. While the plots are separated by time, each new chapter moves forward in time relative to that plot’s last chapter. It was handled perfectly. Avoiding that potential nightmare was something I loved as a reader.
The way James Kaine squeezes drama out of situations is something I need to take notes on. Everything had a purpose. At no point in the story was I bored. There was no padding in the middle. The plot marched on even if I wasn’t ready to. Some of the plot was tropey. But by the end, it didn’t matter. Everything paid off as a horror novel should.
We gotta take a second to admire all the references that were squeezed in here. As a ‘93 baby, I got hit hard by the Member Berries. And they were all appropriate for the moment in time we were in. Three Cheers for the Emo teens we were.

What didn’t I like?
I already touched on how the plot had some tropes, so let’s unpack that more. A lot of media is centred around a bloodline or royal lineage. We flirt with that idea here, but it gets spun in a direction that makes it feel fresh. Plus, the ending makes up for any hangups I have over that.


Final thoughts?
If you like a well-crafted story? Check this book out. If you like horror stories? You gotta check this one out!

Will be posting this on Goodreads on September 23, 2025

2.5 stars rounded up.

“Devil of the Pines” follows Patrick, a Leeds, NJ native who leaves home after his best friend is brutally murdered by the Jersey Devil. As devastation seems to follow Patrick at every turn from his childhood friend dying through high school, he leaves town after graduation vowing to never return. He comes back years later to attend his mother’s funeral, and he finds out answers about his family, his hometown, and the infamous creature that are unbelievable.

I was really hooked in the beginning of this story – the premise is very interesting! The standout chapters are the historical backflash chapters, which discuss the origins and lore of the Jersey Devil. The writing, pacing, and dialogue in those sections were by far the strongest in the novel. Ultimately, I think the novel suffered from a pacing problem. The first third of the story felt appropriately paced but fell off after that point for me. The next third largely felt like filler with a few important nuggets of information randomly sprinkled in. Much of the information and clues that were revealed in that section of the story could have been evenly revealed throughout, but it seemed to all come at a breakneck speed at the (predictable) end. The author, in the afterword, mentions being up against a deadline he was unsure he would make, and unfortunately, I think the result reflects just that.

I’d suggest this book for anyone interested in the Jersey Devil lore and someone getting started with the horror genre.

First and foremost, thank you to James Kaine, Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC of Devil of the Pines! Where “in these woods, legends become nightmares”…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, how can I not when it’s got lore, horror, and history?!
We meet Patrick, his ghosts, and his future in a story that spans across the 1700’s, 2000’s, and present day to spin us a tale about the famous Jersey Devil. One that I didn’t really want to end! James Kaine had me hooked from the prologue and the atmosphere he set.

Kaine dishes out spectacular character development, and made some folks we could truly love (Meg & her music taste), and hate (looking at you, Vivian and Cam), too.

I can’t wait to read more of the American Horrors series. This is the perfect book for me to recommend to friends that aren’t super into the heavy horror, and still like a story they can follow with characters they can fall in love with too.

I hope you give this a shot, it’ll be out in time to get your own copy and curl up with during peak Spooky Season. As someone who regularly reads a lot of gory horror, this was giving a softer, spooky horror, and I loved it. Happy Haunting!

I had no idea going into this that it was part of a series because had I known I wouldn’t have requested it. But I’m glad I did because this book was actually worth it.
The story, using three different timelines, expands on the upbringing of the great Leeds Devil (or Jersey Devil), a child that was cursed before it was even born. The first and oldest timeline sets the foundation of the story. The second one, fourteen years later, sheds light upon multiple question marks regarding the devil. The third timeline, the one that is being used the most and is interwoven into the other two, follows the protagonist, Patrick Shourds, a guy having fled town in an (unsuccessful) attempt to put his personal nightmare behind him.

The author’s writing helped culminate the feeling of being present in his every description of all the eerie places he guides us to. The characters felt realistic since they acted not only based on their personal logic but also on emotions. The way the story unfolds was pretty well done, twisting this way and that so that you’re always looking to answer some kind of question. While I saw some turns coming up, I wouldn’t say that the plot was actually predictable. I especially liked the way the story ended. This has to be one of my favourite aspects of this book.

I believe the only thing that felt like a drawback for me was the fact that I didn’t connect much with the characters. While there was enough information about them, and I found them generally likeable, I just didn’t get attached like I usually do. That way, the book didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to since I’m a person whose favourite pieces of fiction are almost always pretty character driven, so this is the reason behind why I’m giving it a 3.5/5 stars.

As always , thank you so much NetGalley and publisher for this arc!! I also want to thank and congratulate the author for his great work on this book!!

This is a fantastic monster horror that smacks the reader around from the first page and doesn't let up! At this point I'm going to say James Kaine terrifies me a little!

As a cryptid lover this book was everything. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines that we got to see, I really felt like it amplified the lore and story line al0t. The characters are a fun blend of hate to love, love to hate them. I very much enjoyed this installment in the horror's series.