Book: The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens

Det. Sam Harper From Silenced Cry Returns in Second Crime Novel

Oct 24, 2008

Is it prophecy fulfilled or selfishness, greed, and bad choices? If you read just one book this year, read "The Devil Can Wait."

Christmas Eve is fast approaching, but in little Chandler, Massachusetts bodies of young men are stacking up to the frustration of homicide detective Sam Harper. While a local newspaper reporter pushes the homicide detective to his limits with her own secrets, The Devil Can Wait grabs the reader in the first paragraph and holds on to the bitter end.

Can the Devil Really Wait?

The Devil Can Wait is a suspenseful freight train of action. The story opens in the pre-dawn hours in small town Massachusetts with a gruesome beach discovery. The next chapter finds the reader plunged into the Columbian jungle, enveloped in the eerie confusion of the drug cartel, violence, and superstitious prophecy.

Marta Stephens craftily weaves the two places in today’s time together with Ancient Roman Papacy, coveted items, prophecy, greed, and modern crime. Just as the reader might think the criminal is discovered and justice eminent, another twist flings the reader into the next chapter of suspense and curiosity.

The Devil in Perspective

The Devil Can Wait is reminiscent of most any work by the New York Times Best Selling Author, Gregg Olsen such as his non-fiction, Starvation Heights, and his fiction crime novels, A Cold Dark Place and A Wicked Snow, as well as the superstitious undertones of John Berendt’s best selling non-fiction book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Rare Well-Written Novel

The Devil Can Wait is an easy read. If there is only one book to read this season, this is it. At just 316 pages, with interesting clues and puzzles at every turn of the page, it is the perfect solution to a day in the airport, or a snow day when the roads are closed this winter.

The story flows naturally and pages nearly turn themselves. Those pesky grammatical errors bumbling-up most books today are non-issues in Marta Stephen’s, The Devil Can Wait. As delightful as the pre-publication reviewer's copy is to read, the post-edit published version can only be a perfect dance between the reader and the story from beginning to end.

About the Author

According to her biography profile page on the publisher's website, Marta Stephens was born in Argentina and is a life-long resident in the breadbasket of the American Midwest. She has numerous short stories and flash fiction to her career credit.

The Devil Can Wait is Marta Stephen’s second book. It is available in eBook or paperback format, beginning November 3, 2008 from publisher: BeWriteBooks. Her first book, Silenced Cry, also follows homicide detective Sam Harper in Chandler, Massachusetts and is available through BeWriteBooks.

The copyright of the article Book: The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens in Mystery/Crime Fiction is owned by Lynn Pritchett. Permission to republish Book: The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oct 26, 2008 9:34 AM

Marta Stephens :

Lynn,

Wow! "The Devil Can Wait is a suspenseful freight train of action." "If you read just one book this year, read "The Devil Can Wait." Thank you SO much for this wonderful review! I'm thriled to know you enjoyed it.

Oct 26, 2008 9:46 AM

Guest :

The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens sounds very exciting. Thanks for the review. I especially like the idea of a Christmas-time mystery!
Kit Ehrman

Oct 29, 2008 11:43 AM

Guest :

whodunnit? -- lyn with an enticing review and marta, with another sam harper special. the devil can wait to read this one -- I'm for reading it asap!!!
daniel abelman

Dec 11, 2008 8:12 PM

Guest :

What perfect time for the release, sounds like a really neat book.
:) Sheri Fresonke Harper