Oliver Stark’s American Devil owes a lot to current American crime fiction. The setting, the hard-bitten detectives, and the duo of psychologist and detective will be familiar to all fans of the genre, but Stark holds his own in a debut that focuses on characterization and has a villain certainly creepy enough to keep the pages turning.

Stark focuses on the internal twists and turns of his characters and adds little quirks and original ideas to the stock personas that Tom Harper and Denise Levine represent. Harper, on leave for striking a fellow officer, has been asked back into the department for a specific reason: he has a knack for these kinds of cases, the pattern-killers, and the city is terrified (and the police force under pressure), and so he has returned – at least for the duration of the hunt for the killer. Levine is an expert, a psychologist whose research into childhood neglect and the emotions of criminals allow her to create profiles and deliver insight into the patterns that the killer is creating; but she is also one of the psychologists employed by the police department to treat their own, and it is Harper himself, struggling with anger and the crimes, who draws her into the investigation.

Stark’s writing is efficient and evocative of the crime writers he holds in such high esteem. Although this feels like a debut novel, Stark’s confidence and careful attention to the internal lives of his characters add another layer to the hunt for this killer and give Harper and Levine the feel of a solid team. He has an especially sure touch with Denise’s character – her struggles with her own ambitions and determination to figure out how to get the information she needs and the career she wants, are well portrayed and fascinating. She serves as a strong counterpoint to Harper’s more angry and occasionally erratic drive, and the fact that she can hold her own helps to balance the book and adds interest to the plot.

This book is definitely the first in a series. Although the villain is well-drawn, the focus is on the growing partnership between Harper and Levine and on the particular roles they play in solving the crimes. While Harper has an instinctive understanding of this particular type of killer, Stark makes Levine’s psychologist a necessary part of the team, and it is clear that her insights and courage help Harper in his quest for the killer.

American Devil is a quick read that should appeal to readers of crime fiction, especially readers who like their serial killers just that little bit extra creepy. Stark keeps the action moving and clearly appreciates the atmosphere he gains by setting his novel in fast-paced and occasionally rough and tumble New York City, and though the novel has some hiccoughs, it is a solid, and scary, book to pick up for a quick jaunt into crime, killers, and beginning partnerships.

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