Thank you to NetGalley and [a: Bill Schweigart|6564566|Bill Schweigart|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1354114602p2/6564566.jpg] for the opportunity to read the third cryptid, suspense, horror, magic and miracle based novel.

[b: The Devil's Colony|35062747|The Devil's Colony|Bill Schweigart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493912854s/35062747.jpg|56355801] will stand alone, but I recommend going back to [b: The Beast of Barcroft|25300888|The Beast of Barcroft|Bill Schweigart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442245408s/25300888.jpg|45028658] and "Northwoods" to get acquainted with the quirky, unique and talented characters.

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes; the worst it seems come disguised as a human-being. ( )

I'm sorry to say that The Devil's Colony is just not as good as the two previous books. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised about how lackluster this book is. It's like all the energy was put on the two first books and nothing was spared for this book. Characters that I previously cared for did I find uninteresting and quite frankly very flat. I wanted to learn more about Severance when I read the previous books, but in this book did he feel like such an uncharismatic person and his love story felt really, really off. And, Ben and Lindsay, I didn't care a bit about them, and I was really worried about them in the previous book Northwoods. Even when they got in trouble didn't I feel a thing for them.

The story, well, compared to The Beast of Barcroft and Northwoods was the story in this book just way too dull and actionless. Ben and Lindsay's undercover mission was just not that interesting to read about, and the things that happened in the woods around the camp didn't for a moment race my pulse. I loved the horror of Northwoods, but there was no horror in this book. Just a lot of boring talk and even when everything started to go wrong did I find myself not engaged in the story.

The Devil's Colony is a book that didn't work for me. The Beast of Barcroft and Northwoods are great books, but the conclusion of this trilogy was unfortunately not a strong ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

I'm sorry to say that The Devil's Colony is just not as good as the two previous books. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised about how lackluster this book is. It's like all the energy was put on the two first books and nothing was spared for this book. Characters that I previously cared for did I find uninteresting and quite frankly very flat. I wanted to learn more about Severance when I read the previous books, but in this book did he feel like such an uncharismatic person and his love story felt really, really off. And, Ben and Lindsay, I didn't care a bit about them, and I was really worried about them in the previous book Northwoods. Even when they got in trouble didn't I feel a thing for them.

The story, well, compared to The Beast of Barcroft and Northwoods was the story in this book just way too dull and actionless. Ben and Lindsay's undercover mission was just not that interesting to read about, and the things that happened in the woods around the camp didn't for a moment race my pulse. I loved the horror of Northwoods, but there was no horror in this book. Just a lot of boring talk and even when everything started to go wrong did I find myself not engaged in the story.

The Devil's Colony is a book that didn't work for me. The Beast of Barcroft and Northwoods are great books, but the conclusion of this trilogy was unfortunately not a strong ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

Review Copy

I love stories set in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. I have a special affinity for stories of the Jersey Devil. However, this particular tale deals with a different kind of devil.

Välkommen.

Lance Whelan and his friend Danny learned about this place...

"...on the white power message boards, the conspiracy sites, the doomsday blogs."

It was a haven for like-minded individuals and the young men were intrigued by one word more than any other...family.

The Devil's Colony is book three in the Fatal Folklore Trilogy. First, in The Beast of Barcroft, it was what looked like a series of unconnected animal attacks in a suburb of Arlington, Va. A year later, in Northwoods, a strange creature in the waters of Lake Superior. Now, something that ties them all together is happening in The Devil's Colony.

All the usual suspects are back for the conclusion to the trilogy. Lindsay Clark and Ben McKelvie, their leader and world-renowned cryptozoologist Richard Severance. The banter between Severance and his pilot, Erica Cheung, was always fun to read. Then there's the marksman and muscle of the operation, Davis Holland, and Richard's longtime friend Alex Standingcloud.

On the other side of the fence is Richard's one-time friend and now adversary Henry Drexler and his followers.

A white supremacy conclave, monsters, a dollop of H.P. Lovecraft. What more could you ask for? Mounting suspense with just the right amount of humor. It did take more than fifty-percent of the book to get to the weird, but once we got there it was intense. In the conclusion to this trilogy, no one is safe. There were several moments when I just had to sit back and say, "I can't believe that just happened."

With multiple twists and turns and a wild conclusion that requires a total suspension of your disbelief, The Devil's Colony is certainly entertaining.

Although The Devil's Colony could be read as a standalone novel, it really works best if you've read the other books first.

Recommended.

Published by Hydra, and imprint of Random House LLC, The Devil's Colony, is currently available in e-book format only.

From the author's bio - Bill Schweigart is a former Coast Guard officer who drew from his experiences at sea to write the taut nautical thriller, Slipping the Cable. He's spent the last five years working on the Fatal Folklore Trilogy. Bill currently lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and daughter, who along with their monstrous Newfoundland and mischievous kitten, provide him with all the adventure he can handle. ( )

STORY-LINE THE DEVIL'S COLONY BY BILL SCHWEIGART:

In The Devil's Colony, Bill Schweigart, once again brings together his team of monster hunters. In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, Ben, Lindsay, Erica, Alex, Richard, and Davis face the ultimate evil. Once more they are all facing monsters and death.

Henry Drexler, Richard's old partner owns a compound, Välkommen, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Although the name means "welcome", Välkommen's anything but welcoming once you get inside. Drexler takes in everyone, as long as, they are racists, white power neo Nazis'. Realizing Drexler probably summoned the past monsters they battled, Richard must send in Lindsay and Ben incognito to find as much information as they can. Between the black uniformed guards, neo Nazis crazies, and Drexler's sociopath son, they will find information does not come easy. But when found, it's terrible and frightening, as monsters resident in the Pine Barren.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

Once again Schweigart takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of adventure filled with monstrous humans and other-world monsters which should not exist. The first part of the book shows the inhuman side of humanity in all his prejudices and cruelties. Drexler, his Nazis roots, and the scum he has by his side, capture the attention of the reader as Schweigart led Lauren and Ben though their mission in the encampment. As the action heats up, we find Lauren and Ben in the middle of a boiling caldron of evil.

I found this book paced a little slower than the first two books. Yet with twists and turns, plots and subplots, Schweigart held my attention. Schweigart answers questions which we ask ourselves in the first two books and brings to a successful concludes the who, what, when, and how mystery of the monsters. I found The Devil's Colony a solid mystery horror book with a well-developed story-line and believable characters.

In the acknowledgments, Schweigart states: "The Devil's Colony is their last ride". I hated to say goodbye to all the characters I came to know so well; I had cheered them on through 3 books, watched them suffer and survive, and watched each one grow and mature throughout the books. Am I sad to see them go; yes, but I am sure Schweigart has something just as good in store for us. Although a standalone book, I would suggest reading the entire series, as it will increase your enjoyment and understanding of the story-line and characters.
THE DEVIL'S COLONY RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:

Additionally, I received this book from Netgalley.com and chose to voluntarily review the book with an honest mystery horror book review. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. In addition, the ARC did not affect my voluntary book revie ( )