I remember seeing the cover forThe Devil Rides Outfor the first time.
It had the title in stark white print beneath a glowing eyed goat skull.
The words at the top read A BLACK MAGIC STORY and something about that struck me.
I had it in my tiny head that this line meant it was official.
That Black Magic itself had somehow sanctioned Dennis Wheatley to write its stories… and that stayed with me.
The books themselves didnt disappoint.
I started withThe Devil Rides Outand couldnt believe it had been written as far back as 1934.
I flew through the pages overjoyed by every twist of its plot.
It was simultaneously batshit-crazy and heart-stopping.
pit their wits against a Satanic cult in a perfect blend of adventure and the supernatural.
What really made it, however, was the straight face with which it was written.
What if these bonkers inter-dimensional summoning rituals ACTUALLY worked?
How weird that would be?
Toby is an airman who becomes paralysed from the waist down after a war injury.
If it’s possible for you to get past this,The Haunting of Toby Juggis a masterpiece.
I have frequently cited it as the scariest book Ive ever read and I stand by it.
The first time Toby hears the Devils rapping at his window is a masterclass in how to write suspense.
Admittedly, its reductive to dismiss it all as well, that was the era, right?
everyone thought like that!
because this hand-waves away some pretty unpleasant attitudes.
Theyre obviously not going to be the most enlightened bunch.
This feeling of playing with fire adds a theological torment to his work sometimes.
In his own repressed British way, the author is wrestling with similar demons to his protagonists.
Dennis Wheatleys re-issued novels are available now from Bloomsbury.
