Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Violet and her twin brother Luke have been left to fend for themselves in their dilapidated home formerly owned by their deceased grandmother.  Their artist parents live abroad squandering the family money.  In their quiet little town of Citizen Kane, Violet only has two companions, her brother and their neighbor Sunshine, until River West arrives and rents out their guest house.  River first appears to be a dream come true.  He cares for Violet in a way that she has not been cared for in a long time.  The only problem is that strange things begin happening in Citizen Kane shortly after River's arrival.  A group of children are found running around the local cemetery, claiming to be chasing after the devil. A child goes missing. Strange and unexplained deaths occur.  Each time one of these mysterious events occur, Violet begins to suspect that something is very wrong with River.  But how could he be causing these horrible things if he is with her when they occur?  Is River the guy she has always hoped for or is he something completely different from what he appears to be? 

My Thoughts: 
This new novel by April Genevieve Tucholke will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the first half of the book, I hoped that River would be the good guy in the story.  As the story progresses that possibility seems less and less likely.  I could not figure out how River could possibly be attached to the mysterious events that were happening in Citizen Kane.  The suspense really increases when River's true self is revealed. Fans of Lucy Christopher's Stolen, will definitely enjoy this exciting novel that leaves you unsure of who the bad guy really is.