Title: Better the Devil
Author: Erik J. Brown
Publisher: Storytide
Publication date: January 20, 2026
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Summary
After getting arrested, a runaway teen notices that he has a resemblance to aged up Nate Beaumont, a kid who had gone missing 10 years ago. Desperate not to get sent back to his ultra-religious parents and to conversion camp, he claims he’s Nate. Hoping that he’ll be able to make a quick getaway once he’s away from the police station.
However, once Nate is back with the Beaumonts, he realizes that he might be able to have the family he never got. At least, until someone starts vandilizing things in the house and blaming him. All might not be right the with the Beaumonts. And there’s something suspicious about Nate’s initial disappearance.
Review: Better the Devil
Thanks to NetGalley and Storytide for an advanced copy of Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown to review! I’ve enjoyed Brown’s other books, so I was looking forward to seeing how he faired in a thriller. There’s an eerieness to the story from the beginning, making you want to keep reading to see what happened to the real Nate Beaumont.
While I didn’t find the ending 100% believable, I do think there’s a good element of tension in the story. Especially because all of the things that happen in the Beaumont’s house while Nate is trying to unfold what happened 10 years ago. Nate and Miles also had great chemistry together. It was nice for a teen who initially felt so scared of his identity to be able to be himself around someone.
Though I don’t know all of the mechanics around a missing kid reappearing, some of the procedural steps felt a little convenient for the plot line. However, by the end, I was on the edge of my seat, desperate to see how everything was going to unfold.
If you like thrillers along the lines of Karen McManus, this might be the perfect book for you!
4/5 stars