Fans of "The Historian" won't be able to put down this spellbinding literary horror story in which a Columbia professor must use his knowledge of demonic mythology to rescue his daughter from the Underworld.Professor David Ullman is among the world's leading authorities on demonic literature, with special expertise in Milton's "Paradise Lost." Not that David is a believer--he sees what he teaches as a branch of the imagination and nothing more. So when the mysterious Thin Woman arrives at his office and invites him to travel to Venice and witness a "phenomenon," he turns her down. She leaves plane tickets and an address on his desk, advising David that her employer is not often disappointed.
That evening, David's wife announces she is leaving him. With his life suddenly in shambles, he impulsively whisks his beloved twelve-year-old daughter, Tess, off to Venice after all. The girl has recently been stricken by the same melancholy moods David knows so well, and he hopes to cheer her up and distract them both from the troubles at home.
But what happens in Venice will change everything.
First, in a tiny attic room at the address provided by the Thin Woman, David sees a man restrained in a chair, muttering, clearly insane... but could he truly be possessed? Then the man speaks clearly, in the voice of David's dead father, repeating the last words he ever spoke to his son. Words that have left scars--and a mystery--behind.
When David rushes back to the hotel, he discovers Tess perched on the roof's edge, high above the waters of the Grand Canal. Before she falls, she manages to utter a final plea: "Find me."
What follows is an unimaginable journey for David Ullman from skeptic to true believer. In a terrifying quest guided by symbols and riddles from the pages of "Paradise Lost, "David must track the demon that has captured his daughter and discover its name. If he fails, he will lose Tess forever.
Review :
"Plenty of books claim to be scary, but this is genuinely terrifying, don't-read-late-at-night stuff. Thrilling, compelling and beautifully written, "The Demonologist "makes "Rosemary's Baby" feel like a walk in the park."--S.J. Watson "New York Times bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep "
"Smart, thrilling, and utterly unnerving. Pyper's gift is that he deeply respects his readers, yet still insists on reducing them to quivering children. I like that in a writer."--Gillian Flynn "#1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl "
"A chilling novel for readers who like their horror presented with literary flair."
"A fast-paced "Exorcist"-meets-"Da Vinci Code"".""
"A mesmerizing and melancholy narrative voice lends chilling credibility to this exceptional supernatural thriller."
"In the sly, creepy and often-horrific "The Demonologist", Andrew Pyper knows how to get under the skin of even the most rational reader."
"It's impossible to ignore the devils and demons who have a tangible presence in this story, but the novel's deeper pleasure comes from the analysis Ullman applies to these horrors . . . Bring on the devils."
"Mesmerizing . . . The plot zigs and zags. Coincidences turn into horrors. Appearances deceive. This novel will haunt you relentlessly."
"The intellectual's Stephen King, Pyper lifts a tale of the impossible to the realm of waking nightmare."
"This book is going to be big, and it's going to be popular, and it absolutely deserves to be both of these things. You should buy it, and read it, and let it scare you stupid."
"A smart, thrilling, utterly unnerving novel. Pyper's gift is that he deeply respects his readers, yet still insists on reducing them to quivering children. I like that in a writer."--Gillian Flynn "#1 "New York Times" bestselling author of "Gone Girl" "
""The Demonologist" is that rare thing--a novel that is both genuinely terrifying and erudite. The research is excellent and lightly worn, the pace and cleverness of the plot thrilling. One of the most exciting works of fiction I've read for some time."--Kate Mosse ""New York Times" bestselling author of "Labyrinth, Sepulchre" and "Citadel" "
"Smart and astonishing, Andrew Pyper has created a recurring nightmare for adults. "The Demonologist "holds a mirror to the reader and reveals the places where our deepest darkness lurks. Like Milton's "Paradise Lost", this is the story of the human condition, the fall, and the way back. I slept with the light on for nights, too obsessed to stop reading and too terrified to dream."--Brunonia Barry ""New York Times "bestselling author of "The Lace Reader" and "The Map of True Places" "
"Andrew Pyper is a rare breed. Reading "The Demonologist" is like running through a house on fire--you've got to get through; nothing will stop you. And when you're out, brokenhearted and bewildered, you're left wondering if what happened was real. That's Pyper's brilliance: he does it so well you never see the fiction. Contemporary and masterful, this is grown up horror for grown up people."--Sarah Langan "three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of "Audrey's Door" "
"Andrew Pyper's satisfying prose propels a narrative sure to please readers with or without a dog-eared copy of Milton's "Paradise Lost "on their shelves. If you're looking for smart horror that chills without resorting to "Grand Guignol, "give "The Demonologist "a try."--Christopher Buehlman "author of "Those Across the River" "
"As compelling and smoothly chilling a tale as you'll find this year. "The Demonologist" shows an enormously gifted writer at the top of his game, producing a novel of eerie menace and unique depth. Those of us who write supernatural stories do not throw the names Ira Levin, William Peter Blatty, and Peter Straub around lightly. You'll be hearing all three associated with Mr. Pyper soon, and all such comparisons are warranted, the highest praise I can offer."--Michael Koryta ""New York Times" bestselling author of "The Prophet" "
"Richly crafted, deliriously scary and compulsively page-turning from beginning to end. Imagine "The Exorcist" and "The Da Vinci Code" as penned by Daphne du Maurier. Don't miss this one!"--Jeffery Deaver ""New York Times" bestselling author of "XO" "
