Welcome to Danforth Putnam, boarding school for the elite, sprawled across its own private island off the coast of New England. Sam, a war vet who feels sure he's seen it all, has been called here to find a stolen rare book. But as he corners D&D nerds, grills steroid-raging linemen, and interviews filthy-rich actresses, he soon senses that something far stranger--"witchy", in fact--is afoot. When students start to meet mysterious and gruesome deaths, Sam realizes just how fast the clock is ticking.
After joining forces with plucky, epilepsy-defying school reporter Harriet, Sam ventures into increasingly dark territory, unravelling a supernatural mystery that will upend everything he thinks he knows about this school--and then shatter his own reality.
Toss Dracula into a blender, throw in a shot of hard-boiled detective fiction, splash in a couple drops of Stranger Things, and pour yourself a nice tall glass of Friend of the Devil.
"Friend of the Devil is a whip-sharp, fast-paced tribute to slashers, fiendishly delicious in every way. Clever, funny, and blood-splattered..."--Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor and The Hunger
"In this compelling horror thriller with very wide appeal, Lloyd builds a strong sense of place, claustrophobic and unsettling, that draws readers into the disturbing mystery before unleashing a stunning, sinister, and thought-provoking twist that will devastate readers and leave them begging for another Sam and Harriet adventure."--Library Journal
"Lightning-paced and undeniably weird...Friend of the Devil's unusual brand of gore and laughs is wildly, wickedly entertaining and positively unforgettable."--Shelf Awareness
"A demonic thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat...A good novel to start off your summer reading season."--Red Carpet Crash
"[A] demonic spin on the noir detective novel."--USA Today