Maria & the Devil — Graham Thomas

“Maria's house was small, cosy and isolated. A simple, two-storey wooden abode with a nice porch and a sturdy roof secluded neatly in a clearing surrounded by woodland. Directly in front of the porch, around fifty yards ahead there was a straight ridge with a severe brow. From her porch, if anyone were to approach the house, Maria would see them the moment they crested it and that was of great use to her. Indeed, anyone living in the wilds of Montana needed all the natural help they could get. The world was a dangerous place, but Maria had never once felt threatened in her little house. The woodland would protect her. Montana would protect her, The Devil would protect her, and of course, she would protect herself…” The Devil has ridden out. Montana's most feared outlaw has left his secret lover, Maria, alone in their secluded house deep in the wilds. If he had known that she was pregnant at the time, the Devil might have stayed. That was almost nine months ago and Maria is still awaiting her lover's return and the arrival of her child. As she spends her days preparing herself mentally and physically for the fact that very soon she will have to give birth, alone and unaided, Montana itself begins to infiltrate her mind and the overbearing solitude starts to encroach upon her grasp of reality. But while Maria waits for the Devil, a vengeful band of gunslingers are tracking him. Led by the relentless Rickman Chill, the gang have ventured deep into the dark wilds of Montana and they will stop at nothing to bring the Devil to justice. It is not long before the Chill gang happen upon a lone house in the woods where a pregnant woman seems to be the only inhabitant. Vengeance is a dangerous game, but as the Devil said to Maria before he left her: “There is nothing more dangerous than lovers.” Written and illustrated by Graham Thomas, ‘Maria & The Devil' deals with motherhood, solitude, revenge and self-preservation. It is a dark thriller with supernatural undercurrents that come into play when nature and environment clash with the fragility of the mind. “In Maria and the Devil, Graham Thomas manages to create a very strong story featuring many elements that come together greatly in the beginning as well as in the end. There was a very strong dark and sad tone but on occasion give way to a light-hearted moment. Maria is shown to be a very strong and all she goes though reflects well in her character. And with this edition to the current repertoire of Graham Thomas, he shows that he can write great stories, funny and witty as well as dark and gritty” �" Fantasy Book Review “This is properly dark and American �" there are horses, guns, lovers and revenge. The faded illustrations are a nice touch and help lend an air of loneliness and isolation to the mood, as well as painting a better picture of the inevitable shanty town. It's more psychological than the usual gunslingers story but it includes plenty of real cowboys with guilt and morose longing. You will not regret picking it up” ItchyOnline - London