Maria and The Devil by Graham Thomas

Maria and The Devil by Graham Thomas

'There is nothing so dangerous as lovers.' This is a phrase repeated throughout the book, and each time is holds more significance than the last.

Montana's most feared outlaw, known only as The Devil, has left his secret lover, Maria, alone in their secluded house deep in the wilderness. What he doesn't realise is that she's pregnant. Maria time is consumed by waiting and watching out for her lover. He has left her before, and has always returned just as she begins to give up hope.

This time is different. It's been nine months, and still she waits. Time is running out and soon she will have to give birth, alone and unaided.

Across Montana, a group of men dedicate their entire existence to hunting The Devil; to get revenge for the violence and deaths he inflicted on their families.

First and foremost I must address what an amazing book this truly is. From the very first page, the solitary Western setting is established. The first chapter sets up the plot of the book, although the full significance of the actions that take place in this first chapter will not be realised until far later into the novel, so be sure to remember it well. A lone house in the middle of nowhere. A couple with a young child. And enter The Devil, who will alter the future of this small family forever.

Although it seems from the outset, and the title of the book, that Maria and The Devil will be the main characters, this does infant evolve and change when a new group of men are introduced. They are hellbent on getting revenge, and bringing justice to The Devil for all he has done.

Graham Thomas has done an excellent job with Maria and The Devil. The book is cleverly constructed, and the main character, The Devil, whom the entire plot revolves around in one way or another, does not actually make a big appearance in the book. This is all I can say without spoiling the plot, but his presence is felt in every scene. He is more a character built out of his reputation, but it is incredibly well-done.

The writing style overall flows smoothly and describes each scene beautifully, with just the right amount of information to help the reader imagine the harsh, lonely Montana setting with its troubled characters.

There is an undercurrent of the supernatural running beneath the bigger themes of violence and revenge; and make no mistake, there is a lot of gruesome violence, but this is a Western after all. It would be lacking without.

The only frustration I can find on reflection is that no clear reasoning is given for The Devil's actions, but do outlaws need reason to kill, rob or seriously harm a person?

Gradually, you see each character slowly start to loose their grip on reality. But it makes one wonder whether they ever had a firm grip on it in the beginning. Maria especially seems to only live for her time with The Devil, and any time spent apart from him she passes by waiting, but not fully living.

There is an amazing, totally unexpected twist as the book reaches its climax, so when you think the story starts to slow, don't give up. There is still a lot more to come, and the action lasts up until the ever last page.

To judge Maria and The Devil as an example of Graham Thomas' writing, I can not express my admiration of him enough and I eagerly look forward to anything he publishes in the future.

Maria and The Devil is an essential read for fans of Westerns, or just anybody looking for an engrossing read. I have never particularly been a fan of Westerns, but that might have to change now. As they say, don't judge a book by its cover. Is one is certainly not to be missed.

I would also like to thank Graham Thomas for signing the copy I reviewed!

Handy links:

View Maria and The Devil website: http://www.mariaandthedevil.com/
Buy the book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maria-The-Devil-Graham-Thomas/dp/0956742211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364300517&sr=8-1