REVIEWED by Valerie and Jen B.
TITLE: When Death Frees the Devil
SERIES: Death and the Devil
AUTHOR: J.J. Hayward
PUBLISHER: L.J Hayward
LENGTH: 337 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2020
BLURB:
Ethan is finally free. He’s left the Cabal behind and embraced a civilian life with Jack, the man he loves. The only problem is that the Cabal isn’t willing to let him go. A call in the middle of the night and a threat to Jack’s family, and Ethan is back in the game. The only way out is to take on the organization that spent years warping his life.
Jack’s boyfriend has a way of vanishing on him, but this time Ethan’s disappearance is more frightening than ever. A trail of mysterious clues, a hit against his family, and the handprint of the Cabal on everything means the greatest test of love and determination Jack has ever endured.
Torn apart by forces greater than they are, Jack and Ethan must fight harrowing battles to get back to each other. The Cabal is the greatest foe either of them has had to face. Ethan is willing to throw away everything to bring an end to the Cabal’s evil. And Jack is willing to do the same to make sure Ethan comes out the other side alive.
When Death Frees the Devil is outrageously good – the pinnacle of a seven book series. If I could change the title, it would be The Devil and the Best.Finale.Ever.
In this final installment of the Death and the Devil series – three novels and four novellas – you’ll encounter a spy and a…crazy bastard (half right, Jack) and their exploits: Victoria ripping through the streets of Sydney; high speed motor bike chases; a helicopter crash; Ethan hanging off a thirty story balcony; Jack wearing make-up; broken bones, ruptured organs and cardiac arrest; more stolen vehicles than I can count; more dead bodies than I want to count; a smelly camel named Sheila; hot, steamy sex; and the exchange of those oh-so-special three little words.
In this epic thriller, Ethan is retired and settling into a normal(ish) life with Jack.
Never before had he believed this would ever be his. A real home, with someone he wanted to spend time with. Someone he could be himself with, who accepted that he wasn’t “normal” and still wanted to be near him, be with him…love him.
Then he disappears in the middle of the night after receiving a phone call threatening Jack’s family. Soon he’s once again “assassinating his way around the world.” It’s agonizing for Jack to find Ethan gone again until he understands why. Jack knows Ethan will never be his until he exacts his revenge. He can’t stop Ethan; his only option is to keep him safe. Fortunately, the Office is on board because they also have an interest in immobilizing the evil, secret organization known as the Cabal. Ethan’s goal is to avenge his “siblings” by hunting down and assassinating the leaders of the Cabal who experimented on and ruined the lives of the sugar babies, and whose wealth and power permit them to manipulate and exploit people, companies, and entire countries.
Like most of the previous books in the series, this is told in third person and jumps back and forth between the present day and three months prior, with the chapters focusing on either Jack or Ethan in turn. Jack and Ethan are apart for most of the first half of the book. It left me longing for either their quiet, loving times or their bad-guy fighting team. But it does make their reunion all the more impactful, and ultimately, the book is too enjoyable to allow for disappointment over them being apart.
The beginning of When Death Frees the Devil is exceedingly tense with few down times between chasing and evading Cabal bosses and Ethan’s siblings. The book should come with a high anxiety warning and some Xanax. It’s strange how no matter what happens in a romance novel, we know our heroes will be okay, yet we’re still freaking out. I had no doubt Ethan and Jack would get their HEA, but still I was on the edge of my seat, filled with dread, heart palpitating, sweating buckets and chewing my fingernails. Author L.J. Hayward is a skilled writer to be able to immerse us in those rooftop battles or car chase shoot-outs and make us feel that our heroes are in life-threatening danger. Then there’s the emotional pain she evokes. When Ethan’s heart hurts, my heart hurts.
And how is it we’re rooting for an assassin who has murdered his way through seven books? How can we not, is the better question. Ethan is so endearing. Is he really a bad guy or is he a good man who is the victim of horrific circumstances, exploited and stripped of his humanity? In When Death Frees the Devil, we – and Jack – finally get all the answers regarding Ethan’s childhood, the Cabal’s hold over him, and why he is fundamentally different from his brothers and sisters. For me, the worst anxiety arises not from the threat of physical violence but the mental manipulations used by psychopaths, of which there is no shortage in this series. The worst is The Doctor who appears in this book. The Doctor orchestrated the experiment on the thirteen children to turn them into ruthless killers in what amounts to an assassin factory.
On a more positive note, Hayward is masterful at world-building. Her evocative imagery transports us to one locale after another, whether it’s a luxurious hotel lobby or the slums of Mumbai. We can easily conjure up our own mental images and the emotions they elicit.
The valet staff flowed around the patrons like award winning ballroom dancers, never in anyone’s way and always exactly where they were needed.
The chemistry between Ethan and Jack is subtle, but off the charts. As I said in my Best of 2019 List, I would read a cookbook starring them, or an economics textbook narrated by them. It’s all about the “chest grenade” as Jack says. Well, Hayward delivers the grenade that sets off those feelings and the nearly perfect When Death Frees the Devil joins the best of the best on my Kindle.
“Don’t leave me again,” Jack said hoarsely. “I can’t lose anyone else. Promise me, Ethan. Promise you won’t go away again.”
It was easy. So incredibly easy to say, “I promise, Jack. I’ll never leave you again,” because this right here was worth more than the Cabal, more than any vengeance Ethan could exact on them for himself or his siblings.
Jack was right. The Cabal had forced him to become a killer, but Jack had shown him how he was so much more than that, and that was what mattered the most – that Jack believed in him.
After a couple of minutes, Jack stopped shaking. He lifted his head and looked at Ethan for a long while, then said, “I love you.”
This is a true series finale in that it wraps up all but one loose end which I won’t spoil. Jack is reunited with his sister and niece after a thirteen-year estrangement; he spends time with his father; we find out if there are any villains among those working for the Office; he and Ethan sort out their work options; and they set up their future together in one heck of an ending. The coda (epilogue) will leave you with a big smile and a melting heart. The final page will slay you. Don’t be surprised by a substantial book hangover that Tylenol just can’t cure. I’m going to miss Ethan and Jack. Their love developed as a slow burn over seven books. Now they are true life partners, in love and in their hair-raising adventures.
I’ll leave you with some potentially good news: in Hayward’s newsletter, she calls When Death Frees the Devil “the final (for now) Death and the Devil book.”
Happy Dance!
Here it is! The finale of the Death and the Devil series. Honestly, I have gobbled up each book in this series, and this one was no exception. At a time when I had been struggling to find focus and time to read, this did the job spectacularly. The good news – I read it in two days. The bad news – I read it in two days. I really did try to slow myself and savor things knowing it was the end, but alas, it wasn’t to be.
Jack and Ethan have finally found peace from their pasts and are figuring out how to live together and enjoy their relationship. But, just as soon as things seem to be going good, and just as soon as we thought we had gotten away from the Cabal, we learn that is not the case, like a bucket of cold water thrown over our heads. Of course, Ethan pulls one of his vanishing acts on Jack, but this time, he leaves clues for Jack.
What I love about this series is learning all about Ethan’s past, and there was a lot to still be revealed here. I loved how we are shown the history behind the names and how that correlates to Ethan’s childhood and life with the Cabal and his “siblings,” some of who are still in play. While we learned most of what we needed to understand the sugar babies, a few more details are given here as well. This all makes for a very interesting read, and that’s just the surface of what is going on in this story.
Ethan is trying to take care of things on one end, hoping his clues are enough for Jack to follow. Meanwhile, Jack is caught between Ethan doing another runner and then taking care of things so he is able to go after Ethan himself. Through it all, we see how much of a difference Jack has made in Ethan’s life. He really has shown Ethan a different side of himself, showed him that he could be someone other than what he was forced to become, and the love they have is ever present. They really are two halves of a whole, and I have been rooting for them to work out from day one.
Ms. Hayward has really put us through the ringer with twists and turns that kept us guessing at many things throughout this story. Needless to say, this was the perfect ending to an emotional and exciting suspenseful rollercoaster ride that I have never regretted picking up. The time jumping takes a little more concentration to keep up with, but the chapter headings are really helpful. Often, if I just continued reading, things ironed out on their own and questions were answered. There is a hint that this might possibly not be quite the finale it purports to be (yay!), but rest assured that things are all wrapped up and you will be happy with the results. Highly recommend!