Lynda O’Rourke’s début series, Kassidy Bell, is one of the most thrilling experiences you’ll have, if you can cope with psychological, paranormal horrors! I am ecstatic to discover that although originally planned as a trilogy, there are now going to be more books! Lynda has a special talent, for this genre in particular, to be able to darken real life situations and stretch them into a great fantasy as admitted in a recent interview. She is most certainly an author on the top of my list!
“…. I….feel like I’m in a bad dream…. like I’ve stepped out of reality and into hell.” (Drug, book 1)
Title: Demon (Kassidy Bell #3)
Author: Lynda O’Rourke
Genre: Psychological thriller, horror
Date released: February 24th, 2016
Released by: Ravenwoodgreys
Length: 170 pages
Blurb: After escaping the Bishop’s house with Ben Fletcher, Kassidy soon learns that there’s more to Ben than the eye can see.
Still running from the demons and police, her journey takes her north in a frantic pursuit to find Doctor Langstone, in the hope that Kassidy and her friends can remove the ever-spreading drug – VA20.
But will Kassidy get there before it takes over her mind and body, before she is snatched back to Cruor Pharma? Can she really make it, now that the demon, Doshia, seems to be travelling amongst her and her friends?
“Demon” – Book 3 in the #1 bestselling paranormal thriller series, by Lynda O’Rourke.
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Review ***** (5* rating)
Demon is the third instalment of the Kassidy Bell series, following Drug and Dwell. What begun as a small group of young, healthy volunteers taking part in a drugs test (VA20) has now become a full-on psychological and paranormal adventure of terror and horror; as the survivors of the group try to head towards the sister company of Cruor Pharma they hope they will meet with Dr. Langstone, a demon himself but one who chose to leave the original experiment due to differences of opinion.
The group hope that he may have the answer to prevent the VA20 from coursing through their veins and from them turning into demons themselves! In the meantime they are being chased by the police, demons and ‘cleaners’ who are quite excited to take over their body, and it’s also possible that demon ‘Doshia’ is possibly travelling amongst them too. But which one of them, if any, has Doshia been lurking in?
Placing doubts in Kassidy’s mind, Raven shares her suspicions with Kassidy in regard to Max and Jude. But, Doshia can’t be in both. I find Raven to be quite irritating and constantly on Kassidy’s back, pointing out everything she finds odd with Jude or Max. This makes you wonder if she is in fact Doshia and trying to throw Kassidy off the scent. However, she could also have a point due to the behaviour of the others at times. I love the to-ing and fro-ing to keep the reader on their toes.
Despite Dr. Ben Fletcher having the demon Quint within him, both seem to be protective of Kassidy, even if she fears him at times. The electricity between these two characters is powerful, and I can’t help but be attracted to Ben, just as Kassidy is, regardless of his attentions! However, Kassidy’s friends are quite peeved when she defends him a little. From their point of view he has a demon inside of him, and he was the one to inject them with VA20! Why Kassidy listens to him they don’t know and this causes tensions between the group.
I feel the author displays a great deal of empathy towards Ben from Kassidy’s point of view, despite how the other characters feel about him. This not only makes you feel more kindly towards him and understand what he lives with on a daily basis, with Quint always ready to burst out and take over, but it also shows how considerate and thoughtful Kassidy is by recognising this.
It is this side to Kassidy which helps her try to reason with Quint early on in the story. When Quint takes over Ben and threatens Jude and Max quite strongly, Kassidy manages to talk him down when asking him to let go of them. I love the fact that Kassidy has this tiny hold over Quint, even if just in this instance. It shows the ability that Quint has to listen to her. This particular scene reminded me of John Connor talking down the ‘good’ terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day when the terminator tries to kill a couple of big, innocent guys that were just checking if John is okay after being grabbed by the terminator. John is able to order the terminator to leave them alone and he miraculously listens to John. Here, we find demon Quint listen to Kassidy. But, will this happen moreso as Kassidy gets closer to him/Ben, or is it a one-time occurrence?
This exciting, thrilling read will barely give you time to catch your breath as you find yourself in a very fast-paced read that is electrifying at every turn, whether it be the thrill of the chase or the powerful, intensifying moments between Kassidy and Dr. Ben Fletcher/Demon Quint.
Demon is great into picking up where we left off in Dwell (book 2) and reminding readers where Kassidy is at and what she has been through. Due to the author’s clarity, great description and some of the dialog it is clear what is happening with the story. That said, if you really want to feel every little bit of what Kassidy and the gang have gone through I would strongly recommend that you read Drug and Dwell too.
Demon is chilling to the bone – a raw blend of gritty horror and gore. All the strong feelings that make you feel alive are present within the first two chapters alone! You’re heart will be racing and you’ll put anything else off in order to finish the book. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it will leave you craving for the next adventure. An unforgettable experience!
Reviewed by Caroline Barker
