Gae-Lynn Woods debut novel, THE DEVIL OF LIGHT, is a humdinger.

Place is one of the most important components in a good story.  To captivate the reader, the setting must be authentic and the people who populate it must ring true. So, I was especially delighted to find that Woods’ book was set in East Texas, the place I know best, the place that has been my home most of my life.

Woods nailed the place and the characters.

Some city folk harbor the notion that life in the sticks is idyllic, untouched by the darker human passions.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Small towns can be vicious.  The residents pass alliances and feuds down from generation to generation. Power resides in the hands of a select few, those whose money gives them a death grip on the community. People make decisions based on words whispered in private, or behind doors locked to the common folk.

Such is the small town America Woods describes so well.

THE DEVIL OF LIGHT is a thriller/ murder mystery filled with suspense.  It chronicles ritualistic killings tied to a Christian cult which is  shrouded in secrecy.

Woods’ writing is topnotch, comparable to that of any “name brand” author working today.

 

 

 

THE DEVIL OF LIGHT is the first installment in the Forney County Thriller series.

 

 

 

 

Customers on Amazon have said this about the book:

The Devil of Light is excellently written, beautifully paced and offers such great eye for detail that the reader will have no problem following the locations in vivid detail. The main characters are both convincing and likeable and the development of the main protagonist is excellent, allowing for the effects of personal trauma and dealing with the horror of overcoming events that threaten to unleash the demons of her past.– The Raven

Frankly, I’m amazed this book is an independent effort, its quality of prose being right up there with the best in the business today. I judge police procedural stories harshly! Realism is above all else necessary for me to continue reading a story, regardless how entertaining it may be. Disappoint me in the realism department, and you’ve lost me as a reader forever! Having said that, I want to return to Forney County as soon as possible, because there are stories yet to be told. I trust Ms. Woods knows this and is working diligently to bring them to light.– Daniel C. Chamberlain

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of THE DEVIL OF LIGHT. If you get one now, you’ll be ready for the sequel.