Shane T. Clark’s The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is an interesting story with psychological depth. The suspense and intrigue had me hooked from the very first page. The author’s style of storytelling drew me into a world where nothing is as it seems, and every character is hiding secrets of their own. You’ll find yourself right there alongside the characters in places like a gritty prison setting and the quiet streets of Sherman, Ohio. Clark does a really great job at creating these places in which his unforgettable characters can come to life.
This novel keeps a relentless pace and goes into unflinching exploration of the human psyche. I loved the dark tones. As the story goes on you’re confronted with uncomfortable truths and moral ambiguity that makes you think. Nothing is black and white! The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is a unique and rich novel I’d definitely recommend it. I can’t wait to see what Shane T. Clark has in store next!
The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart
Some vendettas can never be forgotten…
When Sherman Rehabilitation Center suffers its first murder in decades, authorities race to find a motive as the media swarms. The brutality is unprecedented, even in a prison setting. One week later, eighty-seven-year-old Elmer Ray walks into the local Ohio Highway Patrol Post, claiming he has the answers. First, they need to hear about the two most interesting people in the world: Adrian Franklin and Conner Wallace.
Adrian Franklin, the young neighbor of Elmer Ray, lived a troubled life of neglect and abuse. He had a bad haircut and a worst nickname. The older man tries to take the boy under his wing in a way no one else has ever done. For Adrian, most see a quick temper and lost soul. Elmer sees something different in him, a sense of loyalty and a yearning to feel loved.
Conner Wallace, a British National, a drifter on a motorcycle, and a pugilist with a quick wit, roamed the west and lived by an unbreakable moral code that got him in more trouble than he bargained for. After a five-year bit in a Nevada prison, he finds a safe haven in the underground fight scene on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
What does a young boy and foreigner have to do with a brutal prison murder in the sleepy town of Sherman, Ohio? Only Elmer Ray knows the answers. And he isn’t giving them until the Post Commander hears how their lives converge with an Appalachian drug dealer, a sexual predator, and a mob boss to influence the brutality in that prison cell.
The Devil Won’t Keep Us Apart is a shocking and raw account combining a coming-of-age tale with a disturbing psychological thriller.
