Speak of the Devil begins with a shocking and disorienting scene: the discovery of a man's grotesque severed head on display in a hotel room. Even with this macabre opening, the beginning chapters of this novel go slowly and it takes time to be completely drawn into the story. The lives of seven very different women, who on the surface level should have nothing in common with each other, are all tied tightly together by the existence and actions of one man.

Jamie Spellman was never wanted by his mother or his aunt. Does that explain his malevolence and twisted personality? The ages-old debate of nature v. nurture will be in your mind as you read this novel and follow the investigation of his murder by detective Nova Stokoe as she digs into the lives of the seven key women in his history. Jamie is a despicable character and as a reader you will feel no sympathy for him, but Nova, on the other hand, is a very likeable character, competent but also very human in her empathy and humour.

As the stories of the seven women unfolded, I was completely hooked. The slowness of the earlier chapters progresses with steady revelations on the backgrounds of the characters and their connections to each other and to Jamie. The conclusion and exposure of the murderer, while not unexpected at that stage, feels abrupt. I wanted there to be more. This was a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Rose Wilding. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing a copy.