To me, there is nothing scarier than the idea of being possessed. A killer can brutally murder you. A monster can eat you. A vampire can suck you dry. But these are all external violations. To take over your body and psyche and entrap you within yourself, I can’t think of anything worse.
For this reason, I usually shy away from possession and demon stories. However, The Demon Secret by Dan Gindlesperger caught my attention because it went beyond simply extracting a demon from an innocent person and moving on. It instead dives deep into an entire theory about how and why demons take control the way they do, what it would take to truly stop them from possessing anyone further, and who would go to great lengths to stop this information from getting out. Below is my review of The Demon Secret followed by an interview with Gindlesperger about his book.
The Demon Secret plot summary
The Demon Secret follows Father Luke as he is tasked by the church with removing a demon from a young, possessed boy. Upon examining the child, he goes against orders and performs his first exorcism solo. His efforts are successful, but it leaves him drained and with residual side effects.
After learning about the events that have taken place, the church sends Father Luke to a remote cabin. There, he meets a group of priests who, aside from their love of karaoke, have valuable wisdom to share about the experiences that have caused their banishment from the church.
As Father Luke continues to perform his exorcisms, he begins to uncover information that the church does not want to be released. And that makes him the target of a manhunt to stop him from learning and exposing anything further.
The story
The Demon Secret starts out as a hardcore religious horror novel with unsettling descriptions of possessed children and a demon named Dagon who torments Father Luke wherever he goes thereafter. He seeks comfort in the group of banished priests who not only offer him tips and advice but also genuine friendship.
From there, the story pivots to an action thriller with multiple gunfights, chases, and hideouts as Father Luke seeks out a hidden book that may find the answers he has been looking for.
The whiplash change in the story is mirrored in the storytelling and telling. The narration changes from stuffy and straightforward exposition to silly and energetic humor and back again in a kind of narrative throat-clearing which never seems to find a completely stable balance. Either direction could have worked for the story, but I would have liked a definitive choice to have been made.
I also missed the fact that, once the story’s focus changes from helping possessed children to tracking down this book and uncovering buried secrets along the way, it never returns to its horror roots. Instead, it becomes an adrenaline-filled action story led by unlikely characters.
The characters
Father Luke is a standard, likable hero. The demon, Dagon, loves to torture him with taunts about a one-night stand he had as a young man, but it is only because he is now a priest that this accusation holds any weight. Other than that, he’s a do-gooder with strong moral principles and loyalty to those principles and the people he tries to help.
This counters with his newfound crew of outcast priests who have their vices. They love to weasel fast food and alcohol from Father Luke in exchange for remedies to his night terrors and information about a secret book that may hold the answers he is seeking. Their closeness is exemplified in how much hugging the crew does. Father Luke can’t get enough hugs from the group, proving that basic support alone is sometimes all that is required to form a close bond.
Gindlesperger is able to craft very distinct and human characters, injecting distinct interests, actions, and voices. It would have been easy to make the hero priests the same pious men with no way to distinguish themselves from each other aside from their names, but he is able to bring out their humanity and flaws without losing that goodness that runs through them.
My recommendation
Ultimately, The Demon Secret is a well written, fast paced horror-thriller that frames classic tropes from a unique perspective. As I alluded to before, the first third of the book was the strongest to me in my opinion, and I wished there was more to the supernatural elements and a bit more horror.
Aside from the jerky tonal shifts, I also would have liked there to have been more showing and less telling. I appreciated the dialogue-heavy scenes, but I didn’t like how a lot of that dialogue was used to explain what was going on to the reader in a very inorganic way. That’s not easy to do when crafting a supernatural story, but there are glimmers of strength in the writing that tells me that Gindlesperger is capable of pulling it off.
My rating
An interview with Dan Gindlesperger
What is your writing background? How did it shape the process of writing The Demon Secret?
I have two self-published books in a crime series that was a story I had in my head for years. Once I started writing to self-publish, I have never looked back.
I write the last paragraph before I write anything else to give me a point to focus on no matter how the story evolves in my head. Then, I do a very simple outlines of the timeline. From there, I start writing and let the characters in my head tell me the story.
Did you plot out your book in advance, or did you write as you went?
Both.
I noticed several nods to Stephen King books throughout your story. Who are your favorite horror writers, and how did they influence your book?
Clive Barker is the true King. I love his writing and try to be like him without imitating.
You told me that you added humor to the story to make the characters, both good and evil, appear more human. What are your thoughts on the link between comedy and horror?
They go together. I know people in stressful times use humor to relieve tension and bring people back down to earth.
Do you have a favorite character in The Demon Secret?
Dang that is hard. I love them all for different reasons. I would say the trio from the beginning. They are really different but together create one thought.
Where do demons and possession rank in stories or ideas that personally scare you?
The Exorcist is the scariest book I have ever read. I grew up in a Catholic household. So, it was very real.
What advice do you have for those who are thinking about, or are in the process of, writing a horror novel? What was the most fun for you, and what was the most challenging?
Just do it. Don’t wait. Do not worry if it is perfect and share your art with the world. Picasso painted 13,500 paintings, and about 12 are considered masterpieces. It needs to be about your art. The fun part is writing about fun times, like the Monopoly game in the book. The challenging part is knowing you have a character you love, but they need to die to move things forward.
What do you want readers to take away from your novel?
The world as we know it is complex. The best you can do is continue to live and enjoy the good times.
The novel ends with a new journey set in motion. What can you tease about the next installment of this story without giving away any spoilers?
The story is born again, but the goal remains the same. To understand how to save the world from demons.
One thing I will share with your readers is, in the book, there is a man important to the story who is in the second book named Cornfed. When I build a story, I look at people I know for ideas. Well, Cornfed is a real person, and if you find the right tattoo shop on Las Vegas Boulevard in Vegas, ask for Cornfed. He is a great artist and friend.
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I am a fan of classic horror, which is hard to find in the fantasy & paranormal heavy genres these days. The only religion based horror I can recall are The Exorcist or The Omen, which I liked.
That’s very true. Classic horror is a bit hard to find these days. Thanks for reading!
I love Clive Barker’s writing! Dan’s book looks intriguing, and I’ve put it on my TBR list.
Thanks for reading! Hope you like it!