The Devil's Only Friend

April 13, 2015
Wells returns to his supernatural-tinged exploration of serial-killer psychology via 17-year-old sociopath John Wayne Cleaver in this thrilling sequel to 2011’s I Don’t Want to Kill You. John works with a group of demon-hunting FBI agents and their advisors, all of whom have relocated to the Midwestern town of Fort Bruce in pursuit of evil metahumans called Withered. John’s Withered-possessed friend and possible love interest, Brooke Watson, has been deposited in an assisted living center in Fort Bruce for safekeeping; when she reports another Withered in town, events escalate, with the hunters soon becoming the hunted. Top-notch writing and well-structured suspense elements keep the story moving briskly as John tries to manage his baser instincts, his emotions (or lack thereof) for Brooke, and the comic relief of unexpectedly becoming a dog owner.

May 15, 2015

John Wayne Cleaver (last seen in I Don't Want To Kill You) hunts demons for the government now, but he would rather stop killing altogether. When the demons turn the tables and start stalking him, this combo of thriller action and supernatural menace kicks into high gear.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2015
About a year after the events of I Don't Want to Kill You (2011), teenage sociopath John Wayne Cleaver appears to have his inner demons under control, and hunting real demons has given him a sense of purpose . . . and a job. He has come a long way since first introduced in I Am Not a Serial Killer (2009) and now works with a secret government hit squad tasked with exterminating the Withered, ancient demons that feed on humans in a variety of fiendish ways. John tolerates working with the team, although he does occasionally think of ways to kill them; fortunately, it turns out a lack of empathy and a propensity for murder are attributes of a coveted skill set. Wells ratchets up the violence as the Withered set their sights on the team, and the hunters become the hunted. John's first-person narration is at once deeply disturbing and darkly humorous. Brisk pacing, top-notch writing, and entertaining characters make this a sure hit for horror and thriller fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)