Published in March of this year, The Fox and The Devil is the latest novel from horror author Kiersten White. This is the same author who brought us such emotionally devastating books as Hide, Mister Magic, and Lucy Undying.
Needless to say, I’m a fan. And you should be, too.
The Fox and The Devil is the story of Anneke Van Helsing. After the murder of her father, Anneke has become a freelance detective of sorts. She’s called in when the local police are baffled. But when her friend David sends her a series of pictures from a crime scene, she’s startled to see a familiar face. The face of her father’s killer.
What follows is a year-long chase across the continent, as Anneke and her team chase a ghoulish serial killer, culminating in a showdown at the Paris World Fair.
If you’ve read Lucy Undying and are now reading The Fox and The Devil, you’ll probably come to the same conclusion that I did. White really dislikes Abraham Van Helsing. Which, as a horror fan who reads classic horror and also a woman, I really appreciate. Let’s be fair, a lot of our original horror heroes were not exactly great guys. They were bad parents, bad husbands, and overall bad people.
We’ve all heard the arguments in their favor. They were products of their time. They were heroes. They were flawed characters. And yes, those arguments are all true. And yes, I love a good flawed character. Good characters don’t have to be good people, and I’m not in any way saying we should stop reading or even writing these characters. I highly encourage it, in fact.
But I also love a queen pointing out a piece of shit when she sees one.
Another thing I loved about this book was the rich descriptions. And by rich, I mean a fantastic juxtaposition. This book goes all over Europe and describes beautiful historical cities in rich detail. The fountains, the art, the beautiful architecture. It’s wonderful.
The kill rooms were described in the same gorgeous detail. Victims who appeared to have taken their own lives, left in bloody messes that had been photographed.
Through the book, we see scenes of victims at the Paris World Fair in 1900. This all leads up to Anneke and the killer coming face to face during this magnificent celebration of advancement and whole world unity. This was a terrific way to end the book, the perfect stage for a killer and a hunter.
Finally, I have to point out my favorite part of the whole book. That is the series of letters that are left for Anneke by the woman who murdered her father.
These letters are poetic. They are gruesome, ploying, and passionate. It’s easy to read them and feel a sense of jealousy and revulsion. Many of us would love to be loved that much. Some of us realize how very dangerous that could be.
I highly encourage you to read The Fox and The Devil. It’s dark, it’s sexy, and it’s gruesome. Check it out today.
Weird Wyrlds 
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