The Devil Inside is the first novel by Australian police officer and author, D.L. Hicks. Detective Charlotte Callaghan is already dealing with challenges she can’t share, so a brutally murdered young woman holding an intriguing clue is just the distraction she needs. A note printed with a biblical verse: in the small coastal town of Gull Bay, it quickly leads her to Father Joseph Callaghan, her step-brother. Perhaps one of his parishioners? Not for a moment does she believe he could be involved, but she needs to be thorough.

Witnesses put suspicion on a local homeless man, although the killer has been meticulous at the scene, leaving no trace. When a second body turns up, again with a piece of scripture, the pressure is on Charlotte more than ever to find the murderer and ensure her brother is in the clear.

Soon enough, Father Callaghan is visited in the confessional by a troubled soul who seeks his assurance about the sanctity of the confessional. Whatever he might suspect, he cannot, of course, share anything with Charlotte. But that’s not the end of the strange incidents, or the killing.

The story is carried by four main narratives: three in the present day (Charlotte, Joseph and the killer) and one in 1987 (the young victim of a sexual predator). This is a tale that illustrates the reality that mandated policies and procedures within the Police Force might not always be strictly followed, and demonstrates the long-term effects of childhood abuse.

And wow, what a page-turner! Filled with twists and red herrings, and if, from certain clues, the astute reader has, by the last third of the book, settled on the identity of the perpetrator, this in no way deters from the enjoyment of the read. Hicks gives the reader quite a shock in the final pages and a chilling last line! A gripping and thought-provoking debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Pantera Press.