Goddess Fish Promotions Presents

And the Devil Walks Away
by Kevin R. Doyle

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $15 Amazon/BN GC – Enter Below

Helen Lipscomb seemingly has nowhere to go but down. Cashiered from the force, ostracized by most of her former acquaintances, and with no real connections left to the community, she’s been getting by as a sort of unofficial investigator, doing piecework for various lawyers and bail bondsmen. Her former life as a homicide detective seems far behind her until a notorious serial killer, locked away and facing the death penalty, offers her the challenge of a lifetime. Not to prove his innocence, but to prove him guilty of even more murders than the authorities suspect, murders for which another convicted man, several states away, is taking credit.

5 out of 5

Doyle certainly knows how to grab your attention and hold it tight. The opening starts strong, and by the time you’ve reached the end of part 1, you’re absolutely hooked. I have to admit, I got a little nauseous reading the opening, because the imagery was so vivid. The premise is interesting, and carried off well. I love the idea of a serial killer who wants to be proved guilty, and is determined to do so while already behind bars. The plot is pretty fast-paced, and there’s enough action scenes to get your heart rate up. Following along as (former) Detective Helen Lipscomb worked to crack the case was interesting, and I have to admit I was a bit annoyed every time I had to set the book down, because I just wanted to keep reading. If you enjoy thrillers with a little mystery mixed in, you’re going to love this!

“I think you’re working under something of a misconception,” Benson said. “You’re correct. The authorities suspect me of more slayings than they’ve convicted me of, though even they can’t guess the actual number. But I don’t want you to work to prove my innocence. My guilt has been pretty much firmly established, at least in the three cases that have brought me to death row. Considering all the death sentences I currently face, wouldn’t you agree that would be pretty much a waste of your time and my money to attempt to prove otherwise?”

Helen frowned and glanced at Conroy, whose face remained impassive, before turning back to Benson.

“Then what do you want out of me?” she asked.

Benson smiled, but the expression had no warmth.

“I want you to prove that I’m guilty,” he said in a flat, calm tone. “Guilty of those murders they haven’t yet pinned on me.”

“Excuse me?” Helen was sure she looked as baffled as she felt.

“I thought that was fairly clear,” Benson said. “Someone’s out there taking credit for my work, and I want you to put a stop to it. If I have anything to say about it, no one’s going to get the credit for my work but me.”

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

A high-school teacher, former college instructor, and fiction writer, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of numerous short horror stories. He’s also written three crime thrillers, The Group, When You Have to Go There, and And the Devil Walks Away, and one horror novel, The Litter. In the last few years, he’s begun working on the Sam Quinton private eye series, published by Camel Press. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel.  The second book, Heel Turn, was released in March of 2021, while the third in the series, Double Frame, came out in March of 2022. The fourth Sam Quinton book, Clean Win, will be released in March of 2023.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Follow the tour here
The more posts you comment on, the more entries you get!