Better the Devil: get ready for queer mayhem in the gritty psychological thriller from the bestselling author of All That's Left in the World - Softcover

Brown, Erik J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 144497355X ISBN 13: 9781444973556

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books, 2026

Synopsis

Get ready for queer mayhem in this gritty psychological thriller filled with stolen identity, true crime and first love, from the bestselling author of All That's Left in the World. For fans of One of Us Is Lying, The Reappearance of Rachel Price and They Both Die at the End.

Desperate to escape a family who will never accept him, a queer runaway in police custody borrows the identity of a boy who vanished years ago: Nate Beaumont. But when Nate's family come to take him home, he's trapped in a web of lies.

Then he meets Miles - the cute, clever and true-crime obsessed boy next door - who knows more than it seems. Unexpectedly, Miles agrees to help, in exchange for uncovering the truth about what happened years ago to his childhood best friend. As their investigation turns dangerous, their feelings turn real.

Time is running out.
They don't know who to trust.
And someone is watching who wants to keep this case cold.

Will they find the missing boy . . . or will they find each other?

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"Brimming with darkness and suspense, each page of Better the Devil ramps up on a slow, creeping dread until the explosive, incredibly tense climax. A smart, sinister book that also explores themes of self-acceptance and identity - I flew through it"
- Ravena Guron, author of This Book Kills

"Twisty, thrilling, unputdownable - Better the Devil will grip you, break your heart, and make you constantly look over your shoulder."
- David Fenne, author of Overemotional

About this title

About the Author

Erik J. Brown wrote this book. Despite his inability to write a compelling author bio, Erik was selected as a 2021 Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow. When not writing genre-blending books for young adults, he enjoys traveling and embarking on the relentless quest of appeasing his Shiba Inu. He lives in Philadelphia with his husband. Find him online: erikjbrown.com, TikTok @erikjbrown and Instagram @erikjb.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 144497355X
• ISBN 13: 9781444973556
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400