The Devil Knows

Silhouetted against a lively backdrop of war, rebellion, politics and slavery, The Devil Knows travels to the wilderness of northern Canada, Austen-mannered London, and the uncertainties of change in a surreal Jamaica. A witches' cauldron of saints and sinners populate this fast-moving historical novel. In September 1837, gently reared Susan and her father, the Reverend Thomas Anderson, arrive at a remote Ontario lumber camp on his pastoral circuit. Confronted with intrigue, thievery, murder, and romance, Susan is captivated by her new environment and the camp's idealistic superintendent, John McIver. But camp rules dictate, "No guns, no whisky, no Indians, no women!" Then Susan's ill-fated father falls victim to the hazards of backwoods life. The quiet presence of the First Nations' people - their legends, folklore, and wisdom - is explored in the perplexing transitional upheavals of the era. Historically accurate, The Devil Knows offers an entertaining and mischievous escape to the world that was ... once upon a time. Born in London, England, Janet Holt-Johnstone worked as a journalist, marketer and occasional fiction writer in many countries. The Devil Knows is her first published novel. A second tale, now underway and set in 1537, tells the story of Janet Douglas, an ancestor, "burned at the stake as a witch, although she was innocent." Publisher's website: http://sbprabooks.com/JanetHoltJohnstone