Something different

If you could sum up The Devil Rides Out in three words, what would they be?

Gripping, Exciting, Occult

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Devil Rides Out?

The night time in the library when the evil forces try to take Simon.

What about Nick Mercer’s performance did you like?

Brilliant reader. The characters were clearly defined by his reading and amazingly consistent.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was fascinated by the period drama aspect of the story, the aspects of occult and the pace and clarity of the writing.

Any additional comments?

I usually prefer modern crime or Agatha Christie but fancied something a little different. This was superbly written and so well read as to be a tour de force. Some aspects are a little too far fetched but that in part is the joy of the occult.

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6 people found this helpful

Old fashioned but fun

Old fashioned tale but fun.Lots of silly exposition but enjoyed the the yarn. Remember we the movie as a kid

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Great Listen

Cracking story told brilliantly by Nick Mercer loved the film and the book never slows in pace. I can easily recommend it’s purchase.

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2 people found this helpful

Stay with it as the pace picks up

Initially I found the building up of the story a little ordinary, not bad but somewhat formulaic. At the same time I didn't initially feel sufficiently invested in the character who was in jeopardy to really feel the tension. However, once I got about a third of the way in there are some brilliant set pieces and the characters had grown on me enough that I cared about their plight. I had to listen to the last 2 hours or so in a solid block, so it had really picked up by the end. The conclusion was perhaps a little unsatisfactory, but I honestly can't think of a better way to do it, so I don't really think I can heavily criticise it for that.

The narration was a bit patchy at times, Nick Mercer sometimes seemed to be confused about which character was speaking and on at least one occasion read one of the characters names wrongly! Pretty solid overall though.

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3 people found this helpful

Wheatley at his best.

I have read all the Dennis Wheatley occult series on paper. Considering this was written in the 1930's it is still scary. Nick Mercer narrates all these stories superbly.

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2 people found this helpful

Put me right off Satanism

I mean the orgies and the lavish buffets sound alright, but save me from the endless mansplaining.

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A Classic

Its good stuff, slightly ridiculous upper class British people caught up in tussle with a fiendish Satanist.

Its very much of its time and needs to be listened to as such, but its a classic of British Horror and I enjoyed it.

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2 people found this helpful

Great horror but dated language/tropes

This is a great horror story. The only issue is the use of ableist tropes and some out dated racial language. These are relatively few and far between but still this prevents it being a five out of five. Performance is excellent.

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Old School Horror!

Genuinely scary. Of course this was written a long time ago in 1934, allow for that if you will. Narration sublime.

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Old Fashioned As Hell But I Loved It...

If you could sum up The Devil Rides Out in three words, what would they be?

Only 3 words... Moi... You are asking the impossible... My favourite tea as a child was "Alphabetti Spaghetti" on toast...

Being of the age when Dan Brown and Stephen King provide me with my type of books I am more than surprised at how much I loved listening to this book... To be honest I don't think I would have stuck with the printed version until the end but having it read so well for me meant I ended up listening for much longer periods than I planned, I like to sit with a coffee and a couple of biccies listening to thirty minutes at a time usually! This book absolutely reeks of the time when it was written by Dennis Wheatley, I had never heard of him before being told how good a writer he was by a lady neighbour who is in her 70's. At times the narrators version of an American accent brought a smile to my face but overall he did a very good job of the narration. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject around which it is written, and also who may want to experience how thriller writers wrote "back in the day"...

What other book might you compare The Devil Rides Out to, and why?

This is my first experience of a book written around the subject of the occult, so I cannot compare to any other book. I will definitely be buying the other book by Dennis Wheatley "To The Devil A Daughter which is also available from the brilliant Audible!

What about Nick Mercer’s performance did you like?

I could not find any real fault with this narrator except his slight inability to maintain an American accent throughout the passages where it was required.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Be very careful who you choose as your friends, if you aren't there may be the devil to pay...

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to hear "To The Devil A Daughter" also written by Dennis Wheatley.

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