This novel was written in hopes that its readership would include teenagers as well as grown-ups. Its title comes from the author’s feeling that the best musical expression of the mood of the book would be The Devil’s Trill Sonata by Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770). You may listen to it on you-tube at this site:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7rxl5KsPjs
This is Houchin’s first novel after publishing eight poetry collections beginning in 1997 and a short story collection. Some have received regional honors, and others have been published in Ireland. Houchin is retired from teaching high school language and literature across the river from Huntington, West Virginia, and continues to live on the Ohio River there. This novel is the story of a West Virginia teenager who is obsessed with seeking the supernatural. “Ron Houchin’s The Devil’s Trill is a thrilling and splendidly horrifying tale. But, beyond even that, it’s the story of a hardscrabble group of kids who face the impossible and, in doing so, discover a new kind of strength through friendship. It’s a real gift that Houchin has turned his poetic eye to the inner lives of these children and all they have to teach us about loyalty and courage. I had an absolute blast reading this book.” – Sheldon Lee Compton. “The Devil’s Trill finds teeth in its feverish pacing, poise in the richness of its prose. Ron Houchin has lent a poet’s eye to classic horror suspense, and the result is an unrelenting page-turner spectacularly rendered.” David Joy.
Charlotte, North Carolina: Mint Hill Books/Main Street Rag Publishing Company, 2017. 121 pages. Trade paperback