A cocktail of Sci-fi, Thriller and Paranormal genres, The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright is a fascinating murder mystery. The story is set in the year 2410. By this year, humans have habited Mars and Europa as well. The peaceful life of Europa is shattered when a killer goes on a murderous streak. Each gruesome murder is a scene from hell, with the victim’s organs splashed in the stream of their own blood. Detective Johnson and Detective Thomas seek the help of a psychological profiler, Noah Peterson, who had proved instrumental in throwing several criminals behind the bars. Solving these murders, however, will not prove to be an easy feat as the crime scenes do not have any DNA other than that of the victims. As bodies begin piling up, the race to catch the killer, who leaves no human trace, ensures many several nights and quick thinking. At this crucial time, Noah has his own demons to face. His health conditions — migraine and epilepsy — have deteriorated overnight. But, the seizures are the least of his worries; he is having serious memory gaps that seem to coincide with the time of the murder. Moreover, his appearance at every sight of the murder makes him a suspect too.
Inside the submersion pod was Leah, sprawled out on the floor, with a ghastly incision from her pelvis to the top of her neck. Her hand was touching the end of a samurai sword, whose blade was thrust a few centimeters into her. The result was horrific, and the pod was swimming with blood and organs that had popped out in the barbaric act.
– An excerpt from The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright
The beauty of The Daemon’s Wish lies in its setting and mystery. Chris Wright, the author, has put his heart, soul, and sweat into the book. He has considered aspects about Europa, Jupiter’s moon, and figured out a way to allow the audience to imagine the lifestyle of humans on Europa. With the year being 2410, it is natural to introduce advanced technology. So, the readers find the characters using holographic notepads, hovering cars, rain shields, Ionocopter, hyper train, etc. Yet, the bit about Europans taking trips to and from Earth permitted the inclusion of Earthly things in the story. This fusion of old with the new created an immersive read. In short, the scene-setting has a transporting quality to it that takes its readers on one hell of a ride.
They’re a demonic-like creature; the name I think means ‘Heavenly Evil Spirit.’ They’re able to provoke a person’s darkest desires and make them commit evil and wicked acts. His eyes, as they looked out from somewhere deep and distant instantly made me think of that.
– An excerpt from The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright
Each murder’s gory details are so horrid that the goosebumps are sure to protrude from the skin. As the detectives and Noah fight their nausea on witnessing the crime scenes, the readers fight for the same. Instead of narrating just the aftermath of a murder, Chris Wright introduced his readers to the victims moments before and during their murder. This is the sign of a clever narration; it allows the audience to feel emotionally connected to the victims, and thus, to the plot. Noah’s unpredictable and suspicious movements added further suspense to an already bewitching mystery. In addition to these fine elements, the appearance of strange notes forewarning the characters about mishaps in the future elevated the intrigue to yet another level.
We do know that they like the victim to feel like there’s hope, even if that hope is what eventually kills them. That’s really sick and twisted in my eyes, but that’s unfortunately what we’re dealing with here.
– An excerpt from The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright
The characters of The Daemon’s Wish are diverse in their behavior and psychology. While Detective Thomas appeared an impulsive and egoistic person, Detective Johnson showed real potential with her rational thinking and intelligent arguments. In Noah, we found a tormented genius; whereas, in Tess, we could see a caring and vulnerable woman who wanted to take care of her boyfriend, Noah. Then, there was the killer, a violent man who also loved playing psychological games with his victims. By crafting a plot designed to capture the readers, Chris Wright has birthed a truly gripping page-turner. The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright is a sci-fi/thriller treat for the readers who like a paranormal and psychological twist to their murder mysteries.
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