Is this sixth story the end of the Six Stories series??? I would hope not but I have to say that this is a fitting end to a series that I enjoyed SO MUCH.

Six Stories has never shied away from difficult “cases” – a girl who murdered her family, a pop star accused of assaulting minors, a baby stolen from the car. But in Demon, Wesolowski tackles what may be the most difficult case I’ve seen in this series: child-on-child murder. And he throws in witches and the possibility of demonic possession as well.

This book was SO GOOD! I finished it just before a dinner and was rambling about the series so much that my friends were asking me to calm down.

I think one thing I really liked is that this series really played with the supernatural aspect. I had thought that the Six Stories series had dismissed that part pretty much more or less entirely, so I enjoyed the ambiguity of the events that occured. A plague of flies could be a coincidence but it also sounds a bit like a curse.

But more than that, I thought Demon was a very compassionate look at how we can view the same events so differently. The “letters” between the chapters slowly revealed a different perspective of things from what the interviewees were telling Scott and explained why the two children were acting up in the lead-up to the event. But I think my favourite chapter/interview was from the one with the lady who participated in the rehabilitation of the boys; she made a good case of how proper intervention can reduce reoffenses, especially given the troubled backstory of the boys involved.

The story also took a different turn towards the end. I’m quite used to a sudden revelation at the last interview that changes our perspective on the case, but while there was a surprise, I felt that the revelation changed my perspective of the book. This isn’t a mystery but more of a meditation on human nature and life in a small town generally. I mean, yes, I got a bit more info but I finished this book feeling like mystery/thriller might not be the best genre for it. It seems to go a bit beyond that in how it treats its subjects compassionately.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s right up there with Changeling, and although the two books are very similar, the ending feels quite different. Even though Scott King is mostly an interviewer in this series, I have to say that when I put Changeling and Demon next to each other, it feels like he’s undergone some character growth, or perhaps put some of his demons to rest, over the course of these books. It’s a very fitting end for the series.

Although I still hope for more stories. Perhaps another six more?

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