The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Though overshadowed by the film, many people don’t realise what a great work of religious horror William Peter Blatty’s source material is.

The story works well on two fronts. Firstly following Father Damien Karras, he investigates the supposed demonic possession of a young girl, and secondly, the murder investigation by Detective Kinderman, of film Director Burke Jennings.

Karras, having lost his faith in God, wants to prove young Regan is possessed as this will prove the existence of the devil and therefore God also. His and Kinderman’s investigations bring them together with the old school detective’s other investigation into the desecration of a church. The writing is ‘loose’ with lots of philosophical asides, but these are always relevant and give a creepy sort of depth to the proceedings.