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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Series: The Adventures of Roger V #2Published by: Parlatheas Press
Release Date: February 12, 2024
Authors: Jason and Stormy McDonald
Genre: Urban FantasyPages: 274ISBN13: 978-1958315149
ASIN: B0CVGRYPRG
Roger Vaughn must discover the true story behind the legend of Lavinia Fisher, the first female serial killer executed in South Carolina.
"At the hanging, Lavinia Fisher's last words to the minister and the gathered audience were, 'Cease! I will have none of it. Save your words for others who want them. But if you have a message for the devil, give it to me; I'll carry it.' And with that, she leapt off the platform, hanging herself and stealing the privilege from the executioner. A lot of people say it was those words that doomed her. God wanted to pardon her, but she refused it, and the devil didn't want to hear her message."
Two weeks after he and his friends escape the haunted Charleston Gaol, Roger Vaughn has his first client: the ghost of John Fisher. He tasks Roger with finding his wife before the Jack Ketch — the gaol's ghostly executioner — does.
When Roger's investigation sparks a series of murders, he finds himself embroiled in a one-hundred-fifty-year-old mystery. Is Lavinia seeking revenge on the descendants of those who sentenced her and her husband to hang? Or has something more diabolical been released from the Old City Gaol?
Get your copy of Message for the Devil today and find out!
Praise
"This sequel did not disappoint! This novel has it all: action, humor, history, magic, intrigue, suspense and budding romance. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the characters from the first book as well as the introduction of some new characters. Truly, the creativity of these authors knows no bounds. I'm already craving the next installment!" Amazon review
"Incorporating the Fishers' historical presence into the story as a driver for the plot made for a fun ride. We lead off with Roger getting settled into his new home and career....'settled' lasting mere minutes before he finds himself thrown into the mix. As it progresses, the paranormal, mundane, and fantastic collide to form a fast paced tale of mystery and murder." Amazon review
"There is some fairly serious research taking place in order to solve the mystery. Speaking as a guy who has spent his time at libraries pouring over microfilm, the research in Message for the Devil makes sense. It reads like it was written by someone who has done some real research, for the simple reason that the characters in the book are smart enough to find the right place to go to and talk to someone who knows the story and where to find the information they need. This isn't a case of some rando jumping on the internet and solving a two hundred year old mystery in five seconds using Google. There's some real work involved here. I like that." Jimbo's Awesome Science Fiction and Fantasy Reviews (click here for more of Jimbo's review)
"A fun fictional rewrite of Charleston's Lavinia and John Fisher story: I met the authors at AtomaCon in Charleston along with another author James Nettles III and a composer Savannah Cash, who have all been keen to research the local legend of Lavinia Fisher. Cash is writing a musical about the legend. I was unfamiliar with the story and soon intrigued. A fine example of how history gets rewritten and the truth gets squashed because it is too ugly.
For years, the story has been told that she was a witch or a serial killer. She was persecuted and her head was removed and shown around as a morbid exhibit. Recently, the story has been unraveled. What if she wasn't an evil outlaw at all?
Message for the Devil is the continued story of Roger, a man who time warped from another planet to Charleston in the late 60s. The previous story involved a portal of evil opening up at the historic jail which was operational from 1802 to 1939 and was notoriously filthy, ghastly, nightmarish. Being executed would be sweet relief from the overcrowded cell existence.
Well, all was not put to rest last time. Now, the ghost of Lavinia's husband, John, appears and asks for help. And the descendants of the original 12 jury member who found Lavinia guilty are suddenly dying violent deaths.
Unfortunately Roger is first on scene to find the bodies and thus is a prime suspect.
As Charleston is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., one of the things I enjoyed most of this book is the feeling that history is a layered continuum, lingering in the air, lingering over Charleston like the thinnest onion skin. I regret that I'm not more familiar with Charleston as so much of the action takes place on real streets and real neighborhoods." Jesster (click here for more of her reviews)