Book Review: The Demonic Savior

Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker

A captivating exploration of the psyche of a serial killer

Francis Fleming is a pastor from Iowa with a dark secret: he is a serial killer. His victims are those who he sees as living deplorable lifestyles, many of them prostitutes. But this commonality puts the FBI on his trail.

Special Agent Nate Bedford and his partner Chris Bennett head to the Midwest to confer with the local agencies about the potential serial killer in their area. After briefing the Chicago PD on the situation, they set up an undercover operation in hopes of identifying and apprehending their perpetrator. Unfortunately, Francis is able to swipe their undercover officer, Patricia Sutton, right from under their noses.

Back in Iowa, Francis decides to tell Patricia how it all started for him. He wanted her to understand that it wasn’t him truly at fault for all the murders. “It all began after I finished college for engineering and joined the Marines after receiving a draft notice…”

While he was stationed in Vietnam, he was blown up. This left him with shrapnel buried in his back that the doctors say is inoperable and a permanent memory of the horrors that were committed. “…war is hell.”

When he returns home, Francis is unsure of his next move. “I see a lost soul trying to find a way out of the gloom.” But there is a demon inside of him, arguing with him to the point of looking insane. Is this demonic power truly to blame for the pile of bodies he soon leaves in his wake?

The Demonic Savior is written from the serial killer’s point of view, and it illuminates the humanity within a character who has done unspeakable deeds. As Francis recounts the last sixteen years, his story evokes sympathy within the reader which is reflected in Patricia’s reaction: “Her empathy is starting to shine as she realizes the full scope of the trauma this man has endured through life. It does not give him the right to kill, but she is starting to understand that his plight is not of his own doing.”

You’re going to get some unsavory details in The Demonic Savior, but for those seeking fear, these details only enhance the creepiness that lingers around the protagonist. This novel strikes a delicate balance; it invokes disgust in the main character’s actions while still inserting enough doubt to try to convince us that he might actually be the victim.

Anyone who loves a good thriller from the perspective of the bad guy will thoroughly enjoy The Demonic Savior. This book also ties in religious themes, like demons and God from a Christian lens, which will add appeal for those already invested in those stories. The best part about this novel, however, is him. I was captivated by—and simultaneously unsure of—Francis all the way up to the end.

Thank you for reading Chelsey Tucker’s book review of The Demonic Savior by Lawrence Newton! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post Book Review: The Demonic Savior appeared first on Independent Book Review.