The Devil's Feather: Reviews

In addition to becoming a UK bestseller, Minette's latest book, The Devil's Feather, is a hit with the critics! We've included some of these rave reviews below.

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"Like the other Brit queens of crime, Rendell and James, Walters has always been read by men (other female crime writers often target a female readership only); but with this book, she resolutely joins such American specialists in the extreme as Tess Gerritsen, whose books feature female protagonists in scenarios that are perfectly tough enough for the most astringent male tastes."
-- Barry Forshaw

The Daily Express

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"Walters has succeeded in uniting the traditional crime narrative with a distressing and effective account of the private cruelties that can flourish amid general mayhem…she takes the genre to a deeper level." 
-- Jane Jakeman
The Independent
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"This is high octane, on-the-edge stuff, at which Walters excels…engrossing reading."  The Times

"Full of menace and tension."  Marie Claire

"Topical and disturbing."  Books Quarterly

"Thoughtful and accomplished thriller." Daily Telegraph

"Skilful plotting…it’s hard not to empathise with [Connie Burns] as the tension builds to a gripping climax." The Sunday Telegraph

"A new novel by crime writer par excellence…[a] tense psychological thriller."  Red, Book of the Month

"A multi-layered novel with sharply-drawn characters both good and evil and a wonderfully ambiguous twist in the tail."  Birmingham Post

"This is certainly another page-turner that will be accompanying many people as the nights draw in."  CrimeSquad.com

"Psychological thrillers don’t come better than this…set to be an instant bestseller, this is Walters at her terrifying best."  Sainsbury’s Magazine, Book of the Month

"A gripping psychological thriller, it’s the kind of page-turner Minette Walters does so well."  Choice, Book of the Month

"The kind of psychological thriller that Walters has made her own."
-- Time Out

"Walters’ strength is her pacing and structure – she doles out sufficient info to keep the reader hooked, but leaving you desperate for more. The Devil's Feather is a book destined to remain in your mind for a long time after you’ve closed it and set it aside."  Reviewingtheevidence.com

"If you need more evidence that crime fiction is at its best when it deals with character and contemporary themes, then you need look no further than Minette Walters." 
-- Peter Robinson
The Globe and Mail

"[The Devil's Feather] is both suspenseful and satisfying, Walters in fine, new form indeed."  The Calgary Herald

"The inevitable dramatic climax is masterfully done and the surprise ending satisfying."  The Toronto Sun

"It's a rich mixture - imagine a contemporary version of Rogue Male, as rewritten by Daphne du Maurier. Though the plot has a tendency towards rococo elaboration, the research is reassuringly solid, which lends authenticity to its less plausible elements, and its underlying themes are timeless. Sly stabs of wit vary the tone.

Psychologically, Walters never puts a foot wrong. The novel revolves around two strong but damaged women, Connie and Jess, who need to find their own ways of healing themselves if they are to survive. The result is a thriller that really does thrill - partly because we care about its protaganists, and partly because Minette Walters has an enormous talent for old-fashioned story-telling." 

-- Andrew Taylor

The Spectator