The Devil Takes You Home: A Gripping Thriller Novel - Perfect for Late-Night Reading & Book Club Discussions

Synopsis-Mario’s daughter has just passed away from cancer, his wife leaves him, medical bills are piling up. He needs money - NOW. The closest thing he has to a friend, Brian, comes to Mario with a dangerous job, one that involves violence, and the bounty of $200,000. Now Mario, Brian, and Juanca have to do the impossible and steal from a drug cartel. But there is so much more to this job than what Mario signed up for.Review-I tried reading this book in November, but was unable to do so for various reasons. What I did hear (it was an audiobook), made me realize this was a book I really wanted to read, but when I was ready.Fast-forward 9 months, and I know I’m ready. This time, I read a digital version of “The Devil Takes You Home” and oh my goodness it was worth it [this is by no means a reflection of the audiobook, I remember it being a good listen, it’s just the first format available]. Gabino Iglesias’ writing is great; one that effortlessly weaves between beautiful descriptions to gut-wrenching, surprise gut punches. I’d like to start by saying that I tend to shy away from themes that have to do with cartels and gun violence, but for some unknown reason, I decided I’d give this one a try. I credit a booktoker/bookstagrammer I follow (Jessie: known as @exclusivepalmbeachliving on socials) with bringing this book to my attention.There were times when I was reading that I was transported into the world of the book, forgetting where I was, feeling the fear, tension, and paranoia that eventually Mario would feel. Iglesias was able to make me get caught up in the environment of the story, lowering my defenses, and then quickly pull me back to the gravity of the situation within the same paragraph. Suffice it to say, my heart rate was going through it.There were a quite a bit of scary moments, and a variety in the types of horror displayed that I enjoyed. It ranged from realistic horror, religious horror, and gore. It was awesome! At one point, I kept looking from the corner of my eye because A) I had to read with the light on and B) my chair’s shadow kept freaking me out.Themes include: religion/faith, brujería, death, repentance.Pick Up or Put Down-Pick this up AFTER reading trigger warnings. When you’re ready, it’s worth it!I mentioned I don’t ingest material that deals with cartels or gun violence (when I can help it), so an author that can make me not only continue reading it, but also enjoy it, is one I want to continue reading. I’ll be working through Iglesias’ backlist throughout the rest of the year.Vibes-Scary, whatever your choice of horror, I’m sure you’ll find it here.