Beneath Devil's Bridge: A Novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 38,560 ratings

Price: 21.88

Last update: 01-02-2025


About this item

A true crime podcast yields new revelations about a shocking murder in a riveting novel of suspense by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

True crime podcaster Trinity Scott is chasing breakout success, and her brand-new serial may get her there. Her subject is Clayton Jay Pelley. More than two decades ago, the respected family man and guidance counselor confessed to the brutal murder of teenage student Leena Rai. But why he killed her has always been a mystery.

In a series of exclusive interviews from prison, Clayton discloses to Trinity the truth about what happened that night beneath Devil’s Bridge. It’s not what anyone in the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Falls expects. Clayton says he didn’t do it. Was he lying then? Or now?

As her listeners increase and ratings skyrocket, Trinity is missing a key player in the story: Rachel Walczak, the retired detective who exposed Pelley’s twisted urges and put him behind bars. She’s not interested in playing Clayton’s game - until Trinity digs deeper and the podcast’s reverb widens. Then Rachel begins to question everything she thinks she knows about the past.

With each of Clayton’s teasing reveals, one thing is clear: he’s not the only one in Twin Falls with a secret.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another fantastic read!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2024
    Loreth Anne White never fails to deliver a truly riveting story. This is another triumph. If you like everything spelled out, and all loose ends tied up in a bow - this is not for you. She takes you on a journey that holds a touch of darkness, and not every question posited is answered, but the "truth" is always revealed. Love the mystery, the character development, and the tone of her stories.
  • Brittney
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great ending
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
    The book started out very slow. There were a couple of times I debated about not completing it, but I'm stubborn. I'm glad I did finish it. Around the 60% mark, it really picks up steam quickly. Turned out to be a great story and I'm glad I read it. The way the characters were interwoven and the twists definitely kept you on the edge.
  • Showcasing Books
    5.0 out of 5 stars Complex deep storytelling. Brilliant.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2022
    My Review and Thoughts:

    Wowzer's. A big fat Wowzer's. Loreth Anne White can write a perfect tale. What an amazing storyteller. She is gifted in sending you on a trip of mystery, suspense, dread and what the hell is the truth style writing. She floored me with this book.

    This is a brilliantly weaved whodunnit murder mystery. I was totally incased in this story as it slowly unfolded in flashbacks to the past and to the present to fully detail the plot that is thick with suspense and mystery. Loved the atmosphere of a true crime style setting.

    The book contains everything to bring you into the fold of the unfolding narrative of the crime and all those involved. I loved the tension and how each chapter builds slowly on the characters and the unfolding murder mystery. A brilliant work of fiction that brings everything you the reader could want in a tight, tense and solid exploration of a wonderfully told tale.

    This book grabbed me from the very start and held me tightly to it's written form. Love how each chapter is a narrative of certain characters involved in the mystery. The story is told in present day and told in the past actions and of the mystery unfolding, creating a spiraling perfection to bring out the ultimate truth.

    This awesomely written book has so many twists and turns that it leaves you emotionally drained. I wanted to know what happened, I wanted to turn the page to find out who done it, I was giddy with anticipation.

    This book weaved around so many complex situations, amazing characters driven throughout the plot. I was thoroughly entertained beyond all expectations. This was a random read for me, I had no real knowledge of the book. I hadn't read any reviews on it. I was floored and amazed at the complete conclusion of this story. This is a thick mystery driven written in a way like a true crime novel but displayed with a thick undercurrent of hidden truths.

    I'm happy to say I am rating this book five out of five. I haven't read a five out of five book in quite a while, but I think this book deserves all the points. It kept me literally on the edge of my seat, and any book that does that deserves all the praise.

    Would I Return to It Again: I loved it and absolutely deserves a second read down the lane of time, but what this book majorly did was create a new wonderful author for me to read and consume and to be a total Fan Boy to Loreth Anne White.

    Would I Recommend: With out a single doubt. This book was awesome.

    My Rating: 5 out of 5

    Four Final Words: Complex deep storytelling. Brilliant.
  • Arthur L Collier II
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2024
    Great read! Keeps you guessing until the end. Loved it! Will be reading many more of her novels. Lews C.
  • Richard Wurz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2024
    Liked the humanity of the out
    come. Shows we all need compassion for folks around us and the truth is important.
  • Carol
    3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, a page-turner with a moral--but it feels forced, with too many gray areas, for me
    Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021
    A well-written, well-edited novel is hard to find in this brave new world of indie authors. Here is a woman who's sold two million copies of her books. She must know how to spin a good yarn.

    So I snagged a copy of Under Devil's Bridge, despite the title, despite the obvious "police procedural" elements that I normally avoid. For many reasons, I am allergic to this genre and all its tropes.

    The podcaster who brings a cold case out from the cold into the hot light of day: this is the one thing that set Loreth Anne White's latest apart from the rest of the crowd. I don't read someone just because s/he is an Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense, nor because of their 2 million books sold around the world or "Daphne du Maurier Award" - frankly, I thought du Maurier's "Rebecca" was over-rated and worthy of only three stars, even though the story was captivating (at first) and engaging (but ultimately contrived).

    The podcaster.

    She breaks the cold case wide open - she even gets the proverbial Someone Who Knows Something to come forward with details never before disclosed.

    All through the novel, we hear how the 14-year-old murder victim was bullied and ostracized by her classmates. Not just the mean girls, but the guys, too. We empathize, of course, and we wonder how teenagers can be so cruel.

    Without spoilers, I think it's safe to say that on the ill-fated night of the bonfire, some teenagers went all "Lord of the Flies" and ganged up on their victim to teach her a lesson. From there, she ended up dead, and I'll say no more than that, but if you find the ending a surprise, you're not as hard to impress as I am.

    This novel reminded me of Stacy Green's "The Girls in the Snow," another well-written and exhaustive police procedural in which high school teens are interviewed, and everyone either lies or withholds information or both. Their parents do, too. Nobody seems capable of telling the truth. I read novels like these and keep hearing a Beatles song playing in the background of my mind: Everbody's got something to hide, 'cept for me and my monkey.

    Not one person in this book was easy to like.

    Everyone is flawed, everyone is full of pain, everyone is afraid, and nobody is the classic hero of my childhood. You know. the good guy (or gal) dressed in white, opposing the villain, clearly clad in all black. It's great that we have the gray areas in focus today, but I find too much of the gray to be a disincentive for me to escape into some fictional world, expecting to be transported to a place where Black and White are more clearly defined than in real life, and good is rewarded, and evil is punished.

    Too much gray for me. Meh. The lessons on bullying and on teachers as sexual predators, this is worthwhile, and it earns this book a recommendation.
  • Sunshineone00
    5.0 out of 5 stars What happened to the bullies?
    Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
    This mystery keeps readers wondering where the next twist in the story will take them. It is a gripping story of growing lies and hidden secrets that do not disappoint readers throughout each moment of this thriller!
  • Kayla Lively
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2024
    This was a quick and great read. I finished it in two days. Very well written and keeps you guessing until the end.

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