Rachel Bea's Reviews > Devil's Day

Also posted on my blog, Serpent Club.

“Look for an animal trying to be an animal, Johnny lad, and it’s probably him. He can’t always get it right. That’s why he likes to hide himself in a flock so no one notices.”

Devil’s Day is a horror novel set in The Endlands, a rural community where a few farming families cling to their traditions and rituals.

John Pentecost and his newly pregnant wife, Kat, return to the Endlands after John’s grandfather, The Gaffer, passes away. John has been absent from his family and the community for a while and harbors guilt because of it. When John and Kat arrive at the Endlands, John has already decided that Kat and himself will move back to take over the family farm and raise their family there. Kat, of course, is not privy to these plans, and it’s clear from the beginning that she is not comfortable there.

Their arrival to the Endlands is shortly before the annual Devil’s Day ritual. Devil’s Day commemorates an incident that happened generations ago, when the community survived what they call “The Blizzard”: a supernatural event where the devil arrived. He killed a sheep and disguised himself among the flock, tearing through the land and by the end, killing 13 people. The ritual of Devil’s Day first attracts the devil, who is referred to as “Owd Feller”, with the slaughtering of a lamb, feasting, and singing. Then it casts him out.

While the families prepare to bury the Gaffer and to get everything in order for Devil’s Day, tensions build. Through a mix of flashback, the story is told through John. We learn more about the family history and the conflicts between the Endlands locals and the slaughtermen from the nearby village. John is an unreliable narrator, which contributes to the creepy undercurrent running through the story. His memories are shared in pieces, but it’s clear that sometimes, information is omitted or it’s not the truth. As I was reading, I was a bit fearful of John, and not quite sure that I could trust him.

What also makes the story creepy is the build up of seemingly supernatural events. Mysterious and sinister actions take place, but is it really the work of the Owd Feller?

The writing is beautiful and slow. This is a book that requires patience. Savor the descriptions; the environment is basically a secondary character. Hurley absolutely nails atmosphere and tension. Fans of Hurley’s first novel, The Loney, will appreciate the style of Devil’s Day. And anyone who is interested in folk horror needs to add this to their list.