THE DEMONOLOGISTS’ DAUGHTERS

by K. Scott Culpepper

Narrated by: Hayli Henderson

Production by: Scotland Publications

Review by Kristine Hall

Intriguing and Reflective

In this debut novel by K. Scott Culpepper, readers are taken between the “Satanic Panic” days of the 1990s and contemporary times as the now-scattered Hebert family is forced to reunite. The bones of the family’s buried secrets begin to appear after a death during an exorcism happens twenty-five years after the similar death of the Heberts’ eldest daughter. Further fraying the familial bonds, new questions are raised about the demon-hunting parents who are now charged with the murder – or is it murders?

In The Demonologists’ Daughters, author Culpepper offers a unique premise with multiple subplots to deliver not only mysteries but also horror, romance, and an exploration of the complexities of family relationships. There’s a lot going on, and there’s a wide cast of characters, but Culpepper dishes out bite-sized morsels for readers to easily digest. And wow, talk about cover-love! The cover of The Demonologists’ Daughters is so evocative and perfect for the story.

Demonologists Lucille and Denny Hebert have three living daughters – Diana, Delilah, and Dorcas. These sisters are particularly well-written by the author who gives each a distinct personality to make her pop from the pages. Their frustrations and actions are believable, and it is heartwarming to see these women come together again after living such separate lives for the years after their sister Dinah’s death. Additionally, some peripheral characters had enough punch that readers will clearly love or loathe them, a mark of great writing.

On the other hand, Lucille and Denny Hebert, the demon-slaying parents, are murky characters. There’s little to like in them, as their self-described helping of people is questionable. Through their words and actions, it’s clear that they are racists, they cherry-pick the Bible to support their version of Christianity, their exorcisms are a farce, and they capitalize on them by writing books and creating films that embellish and flat out contradict the truth. (Side note: it is a stretch for me to believe the motive behind why the film is being made; there are easier ways to accomplish what’s needed.) As if those scammer qualities aren’t endearing enough, they also choose their so-called God’s work over raising their daughters, and instead of supporting Dinah in her time of greatest need, the Heberts worried about their own reputations – and there was a deadly price to pay for that choice that they didn’t truly ever own. GRRRRR. There’s some character growth and maybe even redemption for Lucille and Denny Hebert, but it wasn’t enough to make them likable. The Demonologists’ Daughters forced me to ponder the meaning of forgiveness and how hard it is to offer sometimes. Again, this illustrates Culpepper’s skillful writing because readers will have to reflect and will have so many strong feelings about these two characters.

In addition to the required suspension of disbelief needed for an integral part of the plot to work, one of the aspects of The Demonologists’ Daughters that I struggled with is in character names. Deborah Hebert (who also has several nicknames starting with D) changed her name to Diane Chambers as a nod to the character from Cheers, and that’s acknowledged. But there’s also a Chrissy Heinz, which sounds a lot like Chrissie Hynde (of the Pretenders), and Chrissy also goes by Christine, but there’s also a possibly possessed doll called Christine – not to be confused with the Stephen King possessed car of the same name, but likely the inspiration for the name. See my point? It’s possible that listening to the story instead of reading it caused some of my confusion; perhaps there are distinctive spellings that would help a reader along? Authors, take note if you think there’s a chance you’ll create an audiobook from your work-in-progress.

About the narration: I listened to The Demonologists’ Daughters at 1.1x, barely faster than the recorded speed. Narrator Hayli Henderson gives a terrific performance and voices the numerous characters so that each sounds unique. Her pacing is perfect, she handles the Louisiana bayou accents well, and the narration truly complements the author’s writing. There are a few odd pronunciations, but some would only be caught by readers-of-a-certain-age, like me. Overall, the audiobook of The Demonologists’ Daughters is fabulously narrated and I’d seek out Henderson again.

The Demonologists’ Daughters is all about coming to terms with family, warts and all, and overcoming dysfunction to find peace and even love. But don’t dismiss this as a simple feel-good story. The Demonologists’ Daughters counters the cozies with bloody chills and thrills, twists and turns, suspense, and a sickening reveal that keeps readers turning the pages. It’s strong debut fiction making K. Scott Culpepper an author to watch.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.