The Devil in Silver

Hardback Published on: 15/01/2026
Price: £12.99
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Anyone familiar with LaValle's previous work—especially the brilliant The Changeling (adapted into an equally brilliant AppleTV series)—will be right to expect great things from The Devil in Silver. Pepper, the victim of a misunderstanding, ends up in a cash-strapped mental institution in Queens, New York, which has more than a hint of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest about it. What follows is a literary horror that deals with issues of faith, race, class, madness, and our relationship with the unseen and the uncanny.

Top Ten Reads for January

Synopsis

The Devil in Silver is a terrifying and empathetic exploration of the horrors of institutional neglect, and the courage it takes to slay our demons – both real and imagined. Perfect for fans of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

***With a foil design behind the jacket, and an exclusive foreword by Stephen Graham Jones***

'LaValle’s imagination is matched only by his narrative daring.' Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie

'Victor LaValle has been out here changing the horror game on the literary side for a long time.' Tananarive Due, award-winning author of The Reformatory

New Hyde Hospital’s psychiatric ward has a new resident. It also has a very, very old one.

When an altercation with the police leads to Pepper being mistakenly admitted to a mental institution in Queens, NYC, he doesn’t expect to stay there long. It will be a matter of days, he believes, until the misunderstanding is ironed out and he is released.

But as those days stretch into weeks, blurring into a cycle of bad food, endless hallways, and an ever-increasing mixture of sedatives, Pepper realises that the system isn’t just broken – it’s forgotten him. He must fight through the chemical haze to hold on to his sanity, but he has worse problems. There are rumours that a devil stalks the wards after dark – a monstrous figure with the body of an old man and the head of a bison.

As more patients begin vanishing, and the overworked staff cover up their disappearances, Pepper must unite the other inmates and kill the monster that’s hunting them.
But what can destroy the devil?

***Readers love The Devil in Silver***

'I was hooked straight away.' FIVE-STARS

'An unsettling and troubling read, but one with tremendous heart and deeply memorable characters.' FIVE-STARS

'I was impressed with the quality of the writing. It’s intense, often frightening.' FIVE-STARS

'This was my first Victor LaValle book and it will certainly not be my last.' FIVE-STARS

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
  • ISBN: 9780857509956
  • Number of pages: 432
  • Dimensions: 223 x 146 x 38 mm
  • Weight: 536g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Devil in Silver
Not your usual horror
I'm in two minds about this book. I absolutely loved the premise, I am just a bit unsure on the execution. I found it reminded me of Girl Interrupted bu... READ MORE
Sammis Bookshelf
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Devil in Silver
An ok read
Pepper is arrested by police and left in New Hyde Hospital, psychiatric unit simply because the police cannot be bothered to do the paperwork. He becomes l... READ MORE
Rob
The Devil in Silver
Harrowing
My third book from this author and they’ve all been brilliant. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher. T... READ MORE
Jennifer Charlton
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Devil in Silver
Injustice and broken systems
I'm grateful to the publisher for access to an advance e-copy of The Devil in Silver to consider for review. The Devil in Silver is the story of Pepper,... READ MORE
Blue Book Balloon
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
The Devil in Silver
A brilliant Morbid masterclass of a novel of System failures.
Wow, what can I say about The Devil in Silver? It’s gut‑wrenching, morbid, beautifully impactful, and it shines a harsh light on the system failures within... READ MORE
Lucien  Phoenix
The Devil in Silver
no way!!
so after reading this Great Book today, I have discovered they have made it into a tv Series, this will be fantastic to see Peppers story unfold on screen.
Lucien  Phoenix