Throw politics, the US judiciary, Mexican drug cartels, corporate America, and the deeper state into a blender and out comes The Devil You Know, a perfectly blended tale that is brilliantly structured and marvelously written. Chris Hauty delivers yet another gratifying and cinematic gem filled with suspense, violence and heart.
Hayley Chill is in the midst of a downward spiral, seeking refuge at the bottom of a Tequila bottle, when the secret organization she worked for wants to bring her back into the fold on a critical mission. One Supreme Court justice is found murdered by their protection officer and Publius fears the assassination is part of a massive conspiracy to reshape the biggest court in the land. Hayley reluctantly agrees to travel to Maui to augment another justice’s protection team, not coincidentally the same location where a school bus full of children is taken hostage. Working through her own personal demons, Hayley must do everything in her power to keep her protectee safe, knowing there’s no one she can trust, that danger lurks in every shadow, and that everyone she encounters could be a part of the nefarious plot.
While the plot of The Devil You Know is fantastic and more realistic than we might want to believe, it’s the characters that make this novel special. It starts with the continued development of Hayley Chill. We know she’s a badass of the first degree, but she’s also a regular person with regular problems and traumas. So to see her struggle mightily makes her more relatable and therefore makes her subsequent triumphs that much more sweet. But this book is more than just Hayley. The villains are intense, vicious and possibly clinically insane. The protection officers are honorable but conflicted. The justice is extraordinarily driven but approachable and unpretentious. The school bus driver a coward but hopefully redeemable. And best of all, a few of the school children are cool customers and mini badasses themselves. Put together, they make for a character-driven novel that is as good as anything you’ll read in 2023.
How Chris Hauty continues to deliver silky smooth stories with (seemingly) such ease is a great mystery. But let’s not complain, as we’re the great beneficiaries of his literary talents. And it’s nice to know that when you pick up one of his books, you’re in for ~6 hours of non-stop satisfying entertainment that hooks you early and doesn’t let up until Hayley saves the day.
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Purchase The Devil You Know
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Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
