High school can be hell. Literally.


A demonic detective novel best devoured in a single sitting--from acclaimed TV writer Stephen Lloyd.

    Welcome to Danforth Putnam, boarding school for the elite, sprawled across its own private island off the coast of New England. Sam, a war vet who feels sure he’s seen it all, has been called here to find a stolen rare book. But as he corners D&D nerds, grills steroid-raging linemen, and interviews filthy-rich actresses, he soon senses that something far stranger—“witchy”, in fact—is afoot. When students start to meet mysterious and gruesome deaths, Sam realizes just how fast the clock is ticking.
 
    After joining forces with plucky, epilepsy-defying school reporter Harriet, Sam ventures into increasingly dark territory, unravelling a supernatural mystery that will upend everything he thinks he knows about this school—and then shatter his own reality.
 
    Toss Dracula into a blender, throw in a shot of hard-boiled detective fiction, splash in a couple drops of Stranger Things, and pour yourself a nice tall glass of Friend of the Devil.
 

From acclaimed television writer Stephen Lloyd comes a devilishly good debut: a lightning-fast horror/noir mash-up for fans of Jim Butcher and Joe Hill.

It's the 1980s and Sam Gregory, a substance-abusing war veteran turned insurance investigator, arrives at the galactically elite Danforth Putnam boarding school off the coast of New England to find a stolen manuscript of incalculable value. He soon senses that something far stranger than missing books is afoot-and when students begin vanishing from campus, he realizes how serious it is.



At the same time, a reporter is keeping an eye on Sam. Harriet, a physically fragile but spiritually indomitable writer for the school paper, is trying to figure out precisely what he's up to.



As events at the school become increasingly terrifying, Sam and Harriet both venture into increasingly dark territory to crack the mystery. In the end, they uncover a truth more horrible than they could have imagined.



Put the novels of Raymond Chandler and Bram Stoker in a blender, splash in a couple drops of Stranger Things, and pour yourself a nice tall glass of Friend of the Devil.

Story Locale: An island off the coast of Maine

"Horror and noir collide in this blazing tale of a badass investigator and a case of otherworldly crime. Stephen Lloyd makes a hell of a debut with Friend of the Devil."—Chuck Hogan, co-author of The Strain and The Hollow Ones

"Friend of the Devil is a whip-sharp, fast-paced tribute to slashers, fiendishly delicious in every way. Clever, funny, and blood-splattered..."−Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor and The Hunger

“Lightning-paced and undeniably weird…Friend of the Devil's unusual brand of gore and laughs is wildly, wickedly entertaining and positively unforgettable.“−Shelf Awareness