Dark Star Publications, ISBN 1-58697-309-6
Horror? Well, yes, horror with an attitude, some of Satan's minions and lots of scary stuff along the way.

Staff writer for the Scientific Skeptic (a magazine devoted to debunking so-called paranormal phenomena) and full-time cynic, James Bells follows his editor's orders and heads for Fort Stockard, Texas, to investigate reports of cattle mutilations and the disappearance of several of the town's inhabitants. It's summer and hot enough to qualify as hell, but Bells doesn't really expect to find demons roaming around. Especially after his rental car overheats and quits running.

But then again, Bells didn't expect a female sheriff to give him a ride and take him along on her investigations either. He got demons and Lady Law, and both far exceeded his expectations. But only the demons threaten his sanity and his life (and maybe a final shoot-out between good and evil to save the world).

The back blurb calls the book a "rip-roaring horror adventure." The Devil in Texas provides that, with a lot of thriller thrown in for a few extra chills and even a shiver or two. The protagonist, Bells, and the sheriff, Barbara Connolly, arrive fully-fleshed -- as does the Texas setting. Some of the point of view shifts kept me on my toes, forcing me to figure out who or what constituted the narrator of the moment. Still, I read a review copy, not a final copy, and such errors should be edited out of the final version.

Overall, The Devil in Texas proved an interesting read, offering some quirky characters and some that ice the bones. Horror lovers will probably enjoy it a great deal.

According to one of the end sheets, James Bells will next encounter the Father of Lies in the winter of 2002 in a book entitled The Devil in Manhattan. This leads me to believe the disillusioned Bells -- who so desperately wanted to encounter a real paranormal happening just once in his lifetime -- will continue his investigative reports for his magazine.

Patricia Lucas White

Patricia Lucas White's latest historical novel, To Last a Lifetime, was an Eppie finalist for 2003. To Last a Lifetime and two of her fantasy romances, the Sapphire Award-winning A Wizard Scorned and The Godmother Sanction, can be ordered through Hard Shell Word Factory. Her recent contemporary, PS, I've Taken a Lover, is available from Lionhearted Books.

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