Author: Craig Russell

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Constable

Page Count: 496

ISBN: B07H8G3YW4

Goodreads Rating: 4.20

A terrifying novel set in Czechoslovakia in 1935, in which a brilliant young psychiatrist takes his new post at an asylum for the criminally insane that houses only six inmates--the country's most depraved murderers--while, in Prague, a detective struggles to understand a brutal serial killer who has spread fear through the city, and who may have ties to the asylum In 1935, Viktor Kos�rek, a psychiatrist newly trained by Carl Jung, arrives at the infamous Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane. The state-of-the-art facility is located in a medieval mountaintop castle outside of Prague, though the site is infamous for concealing dark secrets going back many generations. The asylum houses the country's six most treacherous killers--known to the staff as The Woodcutter, The Clown, The Glass Collector, The Vegetarian, The Sciomancer, and The Demon--and Viktor hopes to use a new medical technique to prove that these patients share a common archetype of evil, a phenomenon known as The Devil Aspect. As he begins to learn the stunning secrets of these patients, five men and one woman, Viktor must face the disturbing possibility that these six may share another dark truth. Meanwhile, in Prague, fear grips the city as a phantom serial killer emerges in the dark alleys. Police investigator Lukas Smolak, desperate to locate the culprit (dubbed Leather Apron in the newspapers), realizes that the killer is imitating the most notorious serial killer from a century earlier--London's Jack the Ripper. Smolak turns to the doctors at Hrad Orlu for their expertise with the psychotic criminal mind, though he worries that Leather Apron might have some connection to the six inmates in the asylum. Steeped in the folklore of Eastern Europe, and set in the shadow of Nazi darkness erupting just beyond the Czech border, this stylishly written, tightly coiled, richly imagined novel is propulsively entertaining, and impossible to put down.

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A little while ago I was asked to read and review ‘The Devil Aspect’. Although I don’t often read Gothic Thrillers, this book sounded so fascinating and the cover looked so beautiful, I just couldn’t decline this review request. As a nurse working with the occasional psychiatric patients, this book definitely spoke to me, and I couldn’t wait to start reading.

‘The Devil Aspect’ is a thrilling, fascinating and cleverly written book that makes you want to keep reading. From the very first page it is clear that the author did an incredible job researching this book. ‘The Devil Aspect’ takes place in 1935 Czechoslovakia and it’s a great combination of history, combined with fiction. Reading about the main character Victor Kosirek, a psychiatrist who works in an asylum that houses six of the most treacherous killers was definitely something else. Although there were some moments inside this book that were a little slow, I mostly found myself wanting to read more.

On more than one occasion this book definitely freaked me out a bit. In a good way! I work as a nurse on a Trauma ward and see psychiatric patients a lot. I definitely don’t like working with patients that are schizophrenic or psychotic too much, but it is a part of my job and reading this book I found myself recognizing certain aspects the main character had to deal with. And it was definitely a little disturbing at times but definitely made me want to keep on reading.

‘The Devil Aspect’ keeps you hooked and wanting to read more to find out what is really going on. We go from following psychiatrist Victor, to following police investigator Lukas Smolak who is on the hunt to find a brutal serial killer. I could have gone without all the side info about these characters. Which made this read a little slow at some moments, but because the main part of this book is so fascinating you’ll find yourself wanting to keep on going.

Even though this book isn’t one I usually would read I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was thrilling and exciting and I loved the whole history part too. Especially since I’ve been to Prague too. As with a lot of great books that take place in cities I’ve been too, I could picture the main characters walking through the beautiful streets of Prague and it made this book even more fascinating to me.

If you are looking for a dark and scary, well written thriller with twists.. ‘The Devil Aspect’ is definitely for you.

Award-winning, best-selling and critically-acclaimed author. His novels have been published in twenty-five languages around the world. The movie rights to the Devil Aspect have been bought by Columbia Pictures. Biblical, his science-fiction novel, has been acquired by Imaginarium Studios/Sonar Entertainment, four Jan Fabel novels have been made into movies (in one of which Craig Russell makes a cameo appearance as a detective) for ARD, the German national broadcaster, and the Lennox series has been optioned for TV development. For more information please visit his website. Or visit him on Facebook and Twitter.

* I received a copy of this book in exhange for my honest review *

Maureen Bakker

Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always!  Facebook | Instagram