The Devil’s Pocketbook by Ross Jeffery

I’m honestly completely blown away by this story. I don’t even know how to put my thoughts or feelings into words to try and review this.

My heart positively bled for Erik. His marriage was broken upon the death of their daughter, so he and his wife take a holiday to try and recover and to spread their daughter’s ashes only to meet their worst nightmare. A witch born from the sea sent to feed on Lara’s deepest, most desperate desire to be with her daughter. A witch who would make them each do horrible things to the other, all for her amusement as she weaves her spell over Lara.

God, I got so wrapped up and invested in this book. Erik was easily my favourite character as his pain was so raw; I felt like it was pouring out of the book into me. He was so desperate to save his wife and try to salvage anything he could of their life together, and I was riveted. It’s hard for me to feel as deeply for Lara since she was taken in by Scylla so easily, and she did and said all these awful things to Erik. However, her pain and grief were so all-encompassing and numbing that it’s hard for me not to feel for her a little. And Erik’s talk on the cliff about no one knowing the strength it takes to go against every natural instinct you have….I had chills. No one truly knows what those feelings are like until you’ve been there, and I think Ross managed to capture that so achingly perfectly.

Ross, man, you’ve got a real winner here. I’ve never read something as powerful and real as The Devil’s Pocketbook, and I was captured from the start. You’ve weaved a spell of your own over me, and this is a book that will never leave me as long as I live. Thank you for sharing this tragic, beautiful story with the world, and thank you, DarkLit, for allowing me to read this early!