Action. More action. Unspooling guts are part of the action. Review: Friend of the Devil

 Friend of the Devil is a book for readers who like constant action. There's some background story to the protagonist, Sam, a veteran of the Vietnam War, and to the gardener, a stoner former Mormon. There's not a lot of pondering, mainly action, action, action. And unspooling intestines, though watching intestines fall out is also a form of action.

The action is gruesome, and the punishments don't fit the crimes. As much as we'd like to unspool someone's intestines for wearing a Reagan button, most of the time we refrain. This flying/demon/thingy hacks away at just about anybody.

Friend of the Devil could go right into a movie script. Action. Dialogue. Did I mention action? It won't be remembered as a literary novel--demons, guts, and krummhorn playing don't often win Pulitzer's, but it's good for action and disembowelment. And there's a krummhorn player!

Thanks for Netgalley and Putnam for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Friend of the Devil and reminding me that if I want to keep my intestines inside of my body, I should not hang around with BBFs of demons. And maybe not take up the krummhorn.