Devils at the Door - (A Shana Merchant Novel) by Tessa Wegert

About the Book

A suspicious drowning throws New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant's life into turmoil in this taut, thrilling small-town mystery set in the Thousand Islands - perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.

Book Synopsis

A suspicious drowning throws New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant's life into turmoil in this taut, thrilling small-town mystery - perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.

Sixteen-year-old Henrietta used to be happy. But that was before her family hit the national news. Before she - and the whole world - knew she was related to one of New York's most prolific serial killers.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant readily agrees when her brother asks her to take in his troubled, rebellious daughter for the fall semester. Doug's convinced that spending a few months in Alexandria Bay with Shana will straighten Hen out.

But when Hen arrives, Shana's not so sure. She can't help but distrust the strange and manipulative teen, who binge-watches bloody movies and roams the house at night, taking things that aren't hers.

Soon, though, Shana has more to worry about than missing heirlooms when she's called to investigate the suspicious drowning of a local teenager, only to discover her niece at the scene of the crime.

What happened that night on the dark, uninhabited island of Devil's Oven? With Hen and her new friends not talking, and a community determined to keep their secrets dead and buried, Shana knows it's a race against time to uncover the truth before her niece is upgraded from key witness to prime suspect.

Review Quotes

[A] standout crime thriller . . . Wegert nicely balances plot and characterization. Fans of Denise Mina's Alex Morrow will be pleased-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Dead Wind"

[Wegert has] rightly earned the badge as one of the finest talents of the past three years. And The Kind to Kill is her best novel to date-- "The Strand Magazine on The Kind to Kill"

A compelling, unique mystery with twists I never saw coming. I couldn't put it down-- "Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife"

A tale whose secrets keep getting more and more devastating. Missing your relatives and your summer vacation? Wegert has the perfect antidote-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A taut, atmospheric and compulsive thriller that had me gripped as every secret unravelled and the investigation reached its compelling conclusion-- "Nadine Matheson, author of The Jigsaw Man"

An explosive small town mystery filled with delicious and deadly secrets-- "Darby Kane, #1 international bestselling author of The Engagement Party"

Stellar . . . Devil's at the Door has all the hallmarks of this excellent series - spooky Thousand Islands atmosphere, rich characterization, and a compelling circle of suspects-- "Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Maggie D'arcy mysteries"

The complex plot and subtle characterizations elevate this above similar fare. Wegert remains a writer to watch-- "Publishers Weekly on The Kind to Kill"

Wegert does an admirable job of generating mounting suspense-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Kind to Kill"

Wegert expertly . . . keeps readers off-balance as the investigation unfolds-- "Publishers Weekly"