To The Devil A Daughter

Description

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Customer Reviews

a great book by a masterful writer.
Dennis Wheatley is one of my favourite authors, I have read every novel and now I am re reading them.
A great book

2009-04-03 | cashie (australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Cute, for a novel about satanism....
This book was written post-WWII. Two of the protagonists, then, are ex-British secret service (of some sort), and their enemies have changed from Nazis to anyone who subverts the return to Order--Communists especially. Communists in league with Satanists, doubly-especially.

For modern audiences, this reads a bit dully: mother and son don't so much talk *at* each other as throw hefty paragraphs of exposition at one another's heads. Sometimes the dialogue almost seems normal, but those are normally the 'charming and witty' phases of interaction--some friendly joking between mom and son or between mother and former coworker.

Plotwise, think satanism combined with spy thriller. There's kidnapping, and dark conspiracies and druggings and drubbings and everything you could possibly want--including the three-pages-from-the-end climax. Everything possible goes wrong for our heros, which means a decent amount of suspense.

Wheatley seems to preach at you about Satanism, and this is forgiveable only because he's done his homework, so if nothing else you feel like you learned a lot about WWII and their beliefs in occult practices.

It's a cute read; the love story is kind of thin, and meddling Molly Fountain gets a bit ditzy at the end, but it's got an unpredictable plot, a suitably creepy bad guy, scary--without excessive grossness--rituals, and no sex at all. If you like Stephen King (what I call 'New Horror') you will not care for this book at all--it's not disgusting enough or weird enough. If you like a good adventure with a bit of occult--think Buchan's _Dancing Floor_--this is a solid and fun read.

2008-08-11 | 7kitties (Blue Point, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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A Tale of Satanic Sacrifice Thwarted.
_To the Devil a Daughter_, first published in 1953 and made available here by Wordsworth Editions Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural, is an occult suspense novel by British novelist Dennis Wheatley that features themes of black magic and Satanism. Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was a British novelist who is perhaps best known for his occult thriller novels. Wheatley was a defender of British royalty, the empire, and the class system and an opponent of Communism and his novels feature protagonists who adhere to that particular point of view. In some respects, this novel is a sequel to the novel _The Devil Rides Out_ (1934), although it contains a different cast of characters and occurs after the Second World War had been fought. The events surrounding the black magician Mocata as played out in _The Devil Rides Out_ are mentioned in this novel in passing. The novel makes reference to British spycraft following the Second World War and the continuing threat of Bolshevism and Soviet Communism. Wheatley's novels feature themes of black magic and Satanism which Wheatley was to write about after encountering figures such as Aleister Crowley and the Reverend Montague Summers. While the name of Crowley is mentioned in passing in this novel (noting some trouble Crowley encountered while in Paris), it is the Reverend Montague Summers who Wheatley met that provides the foundation for the central villain of this novel. Montague Summers appeared in the garb of a Restoration bishop and frequently wrote on themes of the occult and witchcraft from a Roman Catholic perspective. While Wheatley and Summers had a falling out over a rare book that Summers wanted Wheatley to purchase, Summers nevertheless provides the inspiration for the fictional Canon Copley-Syle. Concerning Wheatley, he was religious and held towards belief in Christianity though his belief was slightly unorthodox in that he believed in reincarnation. When asked about black magic, Wheatley would always reply "Don't meddle!", indicating his opinion that one should avoid tampering with such forces of darkness.

This novel begins with Molly Fountain, a writer of mysteries and spy thrillers and believed by some to be the beautiful spy Molly Polloffski, living in the French Rivierra where she encounters the young girl who goes by the name Christina (whose real name is Ellen Beddows). Christina has been sent to live there to hide from some men who want to get her by her father. In addition, Christina exhibits certain strange behaviors in that during the night-time she becomes someone other than herself and animals shy away from her. Molly's son John decides to take Christina out and learns of her strange behaviors while out gambling one night. While there they encounter the Canon Copley-Syle who Christina knew from her home in England. Christina is subsequently kidnapped by the Marquis de Grasse and his son Count Jules, smugglers who seek to send her back to England. Together with Colonel Verney (known as "C.B."), a friend of Molly, John seeks to re-capture Christina. In order to escape the grasp of the Marquis, John must give Christina a ring in order to pretend that they are engaged and in that manner helps prevent the demonic forces from overtaking her. Meanwhile, in England it turns out that Christina's father Mr. Beddows is a very wealthy man who has made a vile pact with the Canon to obtain his riches. C.B. visits the Canon and encounters his diabolical laboratory, featuring the dread humonculous, as it is revealed that Copley-Syle is a practitioner of Satanism. Ultimately it is revealed that he seeks Christina to sacrifice as a virgin on her twenty-first birthday. Together with C.B. and Beddows (who has been a life-long Satanist but recently has a change of heart), John must rescue Christina from a "cave of bats" where she is to be sacrificed by Canon Copley-Syle, the chief Satanist, and his band of Satanists.

This novel is extremely enjoyable for all those who enjoy the novels of Dennis Wheatley. Throughout the novel, Wheatley offers an interplay of the forces of light and darkness played out through action scenes. Wheatley further reveals much occult knowledge in the doings of Copley-Syle. Further, this novel offers a warning to those who would dabble in Satanism against the forces of light.

2008-05-26 | zosimos (EVROPA.) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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The Devil is a Gentleman: The Life and Times of Dennis Wheatley (Biography/Dark Masters)

Description

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The Launching of Roger Brook

Description

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Customer Reviews

First of an epic series about revolutionary France
This is the first of a long series of novels that propels the reader into the heart, soul and terror of revolutionary France, Marie Antoinette, Marat, Robespierre, Napoleon, Catherine the Great of Russia, Nelson and many great historical characters of late 18th century and early 19th Century Europe. This is the best way in my opinion of learning history, by reading about it as a novel and a character that intertwines with the leading movers and shakers of the time.

Having run away from England to escape being commissioned in the Navy by his father Christopher, Roger runs away to France rather than face the harsh life of a Royal Navy Midshipman. He takes up life in France with little knowledge of French, but then works his way up the influential and political ladder. The launching of Roger Brook essentially establishes the character and starts off his life in France for the forthcoming novels that will leave you wanting to read them all.

Wheatley has a fascinating style of leading you down a path of suspense only to keep you hanging until you think all is lost, only to "reel you back in". Buy it, read it and learn from it and the other Roger Brook novels and you will learn probably more about the French revolution and the character of Napolean than any source of history book.

2004-11-23 (Charleston, SC USA) | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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The Shadow of Tyburn Tree : A Roger Brook Spy Adventure

Description

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To the Devil a Daughter (Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural)

Description

With An Introduction by Anthony Lejeune
Why did the solitary girl leave her rented house on the French Riviera only for short walks at night? Why was she so frightened? Why did animals shrink away from her? The girl herself didn't know, and was certainly not aware of the terrible appointment which had been made for her long ago and was now drawing close.
Molly Fountain, the tough-minded Englishwoman living next door, was determined to find the answer. She sent for a wartime secret service colleague to come and help. What they discovered was horrifying beyond anything they could have imagined.
Dennis Wheatley returned in this book to his black magic theme which he had made so much his own with his famous best seller The Devil Rides Out. In the cumulative shock of its revelations, the use of arcane knowledge, the mounting suspense and acceleration to a fearful climax, he out-does even that earlier achievement. This is, by any standards, a terrific story.

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Customer Reviews

a great book by a masterful writer.
Dennis Wheatley is one of my favourite authors, I have read every novel and now I am re reading them.
A great book

2009-04-03 | cashie (australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Cute, for a novel about satanism....
This book was written post-WWII. Two of the protagonists, then, are ex-British secret service (of some sort), and their enemies have changed from Nazis to anyone who subverts the return to Order--Communists especially. Communists in league with Satanists, doubly-especially.

For modern audiences, this reads a bit dully: mother and son don't so much talk *at* each other as throw hefty paragraphs of exposition at one another's heads. Sometimes the dialogue almost seems normal, but those are normally the 'charming and witty' phases of interaction--some friendly joking between mom and son or between mother and former coworker.

Plotwise, think satanism combined with spy thriller. There's kidnapping, and dark conspiracies and druggings and drubbings and everything you could possibly want--including the three-pages-from-the-end climax. Everything possible goes wrong for our heros, which means a decent amount of suspense.

Wheatley seems to preach at you about Satanism, and this is forgiveable only because he's done his homework, so if nothing else you feel like you learned a lot about WWII and their beliefs in occult practices.

It's a cute read; the love story is kind of thin, and meddling Molly Fountain gets a bit ditzy at the end, but it's got an unpredictable plot, a suitably creepy bad guy, scary--without excessive grossness--rituals, and no sex at all. If you like Stephen King (what I call 'New Horror') you will not care for this book at all--it's not disgusting enough or weird enough. If you like a good adventure with a bit of occult--think Buchan's _Dancing Floor_--this is a solid and fun read.

2008-08-11 | 7kitties (Blue Point, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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A Tale of Satanic Sacrifice Thwarted.
_To the Devil a Daughter_, first published in 1953 and made available here by Wordsworth Editions Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural, is an occult suspense novel by British novelist Dennis Wheatley that features themes of black magic and Satanism. Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was a British novelist who is perhaps best known for his occult thriller novels. Wheatley was a defender of British royalty, the empire, and the class system and an opponent of Communism and his novels feature protagonists who adhere to that particular point of view. In some respects, this novel is a sequel to the novel _The Devil Rides Out_ (1934), although it contains a different cast of characters and occurs after the Second World War had been fought. The events surrounding the black magician Mocata as played out in _The Devil Rides Out_ are mentioned in this novel in passing. The novel makes reference to British spycraft following the Second World War and the continuing threat of Bolshevism and Soviet Communism. Wheatley's novels feature themes of black magic and Satanism which Wheatley was to write about after encountering figures such as Aleister Crowley and the Reverend Montague Summers. While the name of Crowley is mentioned in passing in this novel (noting some trouble Crowley encountered while in Paris), it is the Reverend Montague Summers who Wheatley met that provides the foundation for the central villain of this novel. Montague Summers appeared in the garb of a Restoration bishop and frequently wrote on themes of the occult and witchcraft from a Roman Catholic perspective. While Wheatley and Summers had a falling out over a rare book that Summers wanted Wheatley to purchase, Summers nevertheless provides the inspiration for the fictional Canon Copley-Syle. Concerning Wheatley, he was religious and held towards belief in Christianity though his belief was slightly unorthodox in that he believed in reincarnation. When asked about black magic, Wheatley would always reply "Don't meddle!", indicating his opinion that one should avoid tampering with such forces of darkness.

This novel begins with Molly Fountain, a writer of mysteries and spy thrillers and believed by some to be the beautiful spy Molly Polloffski, living in the French Rivierra where she encounters the young girl who goes by the name Christina (whose real name is Ellen Beddows). Christina has been sent to live there to hide from some men who want to get her by her father. In addition, Christina exhibits certain strange behaviors in that during the night-time she becomes someone other than herself and animals shy away from her. Molly's son John decides to take Christina out and learns of her strange behaviors while out gambling one night. While there they encounter the Canon Copley-Syle who Christina knew from her home in England. Christina is subsequently kidnapped by the Marquis de Grasse and his son Count Jules, smugglers who seek to send her back to England. Together with Colonel Verney (known as "C.B."), a friend of Molly, John seeks to re-capture Christina. In order to escape the grasp of the Marquis, John must give Christina a ring in order to pretend that they are engaged and in that manner helps prevent the demonic forces from overtaking her. Meanwhile, in England it turns out that Christina's father Mr. Beddows is a very wealthy man who has made a vile pact with the Canon to obtain his riches. C.B. visits the Canon and encounters his diabolical laboratory, featuring the dread humonculous, as it is revealed that Copley-Syle is a practitioner of Satanism. Ultimately it is revealed that he seeks Christina to sacrifice as a virgin on her twenty-first birthday. Together with C.B. and Beddows (who has been a life-long Satanist but recently has a change of heart), John must rescue Christina from a "cave of bats" where she is to be sacrificed by Canon Copley-Syle, the chief Satanist, and his band of Satanists.

This novel is extremely enjoyable for all those who enjoy the novels of Dennis Wheatley. Throughout the novel, Wheatley offers an interplay of the forces of light and darkness played out through action scenes. Wheatley further reveals much occult knowledge in the doings of Copley-Syle. Further, this novel offers a warning to those who would dabble in Satanism against the forces of light.

2008-05-26 | zosimos (EVROPA.) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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The Devil Rides Out

Description

With an Introduction by Antony Lejeune
The Devil Rides Out is the most famous work of a master storyteller, a classic of weird fiction which has been described as 'the best thing of its kind since Dracula' a genuinely frightening tale of devil-worship and sorcery in modern Britain.
A group of old friends discover that one of them has been lured into a coven of Satanists. They determine to rescue him - and a beautiful girl employed as a medium. The head of the coven proves to be no charlatan but an Adept of the Dark Arts, able to infiltrate dreams and conjure up fearsome entities. De Richleau fights back with his own knowledge of occultism and ancient lore. A duel ensues between White and Black Magic, Good and Evil used as weapons.
Whenever, subsequentley, Dennis Wheatley was asked what he really believed about the supernatural, he would just reply 'Don't meddle!' Few readers will need that warning repeated.

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Customer Reviews

the devil may care
denis wheatley...
dear lovers of occult fiction,
... is quite a good story teller in this genre, however, he also writes at a time when certain prejudices were deem acceptable. Thus in his books you sometimes find his heroic characters making comments about the inferiority of certain races and using derogatory names for other peoples and cultures, such as "wogs" and "fuzzy-wuzzies", etc. The basic inference is that the white race, and particularly the English, are somehow superior to everyone else. If you can get past these bits of political incorrectness, and just plain ignorance and rudeness, then we expect you will find that he's quite a good writer and his stories are otherwise topnotch.
kyela,
the silver elves

2009-09-03 | silver elves (honolulu, hi.) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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good thriller
Written in 1934. Described by many as " the best thing of its kind since Dracula".

The black magic man was the nickname in Britain for Dennis Wheatley since almost all his novels were in the field of devil worship and sorcery..

This is a tale of group of friends who will be dragged into terrifying fight against satanist cult who will need one of them to find the Talisman of Set, a powerful satanic object (representing the phallus of murdered God Osiris !) that will bring destruction to the world if it is possessed by evil hands.

Through the book you will face all kinds of horror figures starting with the goat of Mendes, the red book of Appin, the Sabbat devil ceremony, and many old evil tales.

The book is engaging thriller and full of suspense but I thought the end was abrupt with pretty much predicted "happy ending".

2009-07-19 (fresno,CA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Stands the test of time.





I heard of Dennis Wheatley's books from a friend. I recalled seeing the Hammer film years ago but didn't make the connection until reading the book.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that while written in 1934 the novel was fresh and the pacing frantic: car chases, plane chases, and well written supernatural suspense.

Doing a little research, I found that through acquaintances, Wheatley actually met Aleister Crowley whom he incorporated as his evil Satanic mastermind, Mocata in the novel.
It is probably the best fictional portrayal of this true-life historical occult character ever done. Although some complain about the long dialogue passages in which our hero the Duke de Richleau goes into detail about the esoteric and occult practices, it is a technique honed by H.P. Lovecraft. It gently lulls the reader into suspension of disbelief and headlong into the world of the supernatural by binding fact with fiction.

I rented the DVD and watched the film in a different light. Christopher Lee, who plays the Duke, says in the commentary that this was hands down his favorite Hammer film. He goes on to say that he only wishes it could be redone with modern CGI special effects and an A-list budget. Plus at the time, Lee felt he was too young to be cast as the Duke, whereas now he would be of the proper age for the role. Here's hoping someone will do a remake.

If you want to be pleasantly surprised by a classic page-turner and terrified this story is for you.








The Devil Rides Out

2008-08-16 (Texas) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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A Classic Tale of Black Magic.
_The Devil Rides Out_, first published in 1934 and made available here by Wordsworth Editions Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural, is an occult suspense novel by British novelist Dennis Wheatley that features themes of black magic and Satanism. Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was a British novelist who is perhaps best known for his occult thriller novels. Wheatley was a fierce defender of British royalty, the empire, and the class system and an opponent of Communism, and his novels feature characters who adhere to that particular point of view. This novel features one of Wheatley's central characters the Duke de Richleau, a French royalist living in exile in England, who had previously appeared in _The Forbidden Territory_ (a tale concerning the Soviet Union in which the characters were pursued by the OGPU), including the American Rex Van Ryn, the English Jew Simon Aron, Richard Eaton, and Princess Marie Lou, along with her daughter Fleur. Wheatley's novels feature themes of black magic and Wheatley was to write about this field after encountering such individuals as Aleister Crowley, the Reverend Montague Summers, and Rollo Ahmed. Wheatley was religious and held towards belief in Christianity; although, certain of his beliefs were unorthodox in that he believed in reincarnation (as expressed for example by Joan Grant in her novel _Winged Pharaoh_). When asked about black magic Wheatley would always reply "Don't meddle!", indicating his opinion on the subject and his note at the beginning of this novel notes the dangers of dabbling in the occult.

The novel begins with the Duke de Richleau and Rex Van meeting again and then wondering what has kept their friend Simon from meeting with them. Together they decide to pay a visit to Simon's house, where they find him to have a series of bizarre guests and to have purchased an observatory. Simon's guests include Tanith, a woman whom Rex has seen around the world on numerous occasions, the old crone Madame d'Urfe, and Mocata, the black magician who will play a major part in this novel, along with several other mysterious individuals. At this point, the Duke and Rex conclude that Simon has been dabbling in black magic and decide to rescue him along with Tanith from the evils of the black magic cult they are involved in. In the meantime, the Duke explains the "esoteric doctrine" underlying the world's religious systems to Rex and they encounter a demon in the observatory. The Duke and Rex manage to get Simon out of the house by knocking him out and thus the satanic coven will not have thirteen, the magical number needed to perform the ritual. They realize that in order to stop the satanic cult they will have to rescue Simon and Tanith before the night of Saint Walpurga's Eve. Rex manages to find Tanith after meeting up with Madame d'Urfe and takes her with him to Cardinal's Folly where Richard and Marie Lou reside. However, first he learns that Tanith is doomed to die within the year. In the meantime however, Tanith manages to escape and travels to the Sabbat. Together with the Duke, Rex kidnaps Simon and Tanith and take them back to Cardinal's Folly. There they must fight off Mocata, who proves to be a skilled hypnotist and uses his powers against Marie Lou. Eventually they must create a magic circle where they can fend off the forces of darkness and prevent Mocata and his minions from retrieving the Talisman of Set and unleashing a terror upon the world worse than the First World War. The angel of death appears and must carry off one of them, and initially it appears that Tanith will be that person as she is found dead. However, things are not as they seem and the group must travel to Paris and Greece to fight Mocata and his evils there, after learning from Tanith's spirit that Mocata has kidnapped Fleur and intends to use her in his diabolical ceremonies. There is also an appearance made by the dread Goat of Mendes, who appears after Mocata's satanic rites have summoned him.

This novel is a highly enjoyable read and is recommended to all those who would take an interest in the novels of Dennis Wheatley. The atmosphere is extremely mysterious and the interplay of black and white magic is found throughout. The novel offers an important warning to those who would dabble in the occult and black magic which nevertheless remains a fascinating and enjoyable book to read.

2008-04-30 | zosimos (EVROPA.) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

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Fun Read
After seeing the film I really wanted to read the book. I enjoyed it; it was a fun read and original. Recommended for a detective type of novel involving the occult.

2008-01-03 | Straight Cash Homey (Jersey City, NJ United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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