Devlin, a pseudonym for author Elizabeth Scott, offers an eerie and engrossing paranormal murder mystery. Seventeen-year-old Avery witnesses her parents' brutal murder at their home deep in the woods, but she has no memory of the event. The writing reverberates with intense grief and desire, as Avery struggles to adjust to life without her parents; Avery loves the forest, and her isolation and loneliness are overwhelming when she is sent to live in town with her estranged grandmother. She soon connects with new kid Ben with chemistry so powerful that even the revelation that Ben is a werewolf can't separate them. Avery starts to recall pieces of what happened, but she realizes her time is running out when she is targeted and another family living in the woods is killed. As her connection to the forest grows, she is afraid the images she remembers mean that Ben is responsible for her parents' deaths. The plot is straightforward, without a lot of action, but the emotion pouring off the pages should sweep readers into this haunting story. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)
