The Devil’s Best Trick

The Devil’s Best Trick by Randall Sullivan is a gripping blend of true crime, religious history, and cultural exploration that investigates the nature of evil through the figure of the Devil. Tracing beliefs from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian deities to the Bible, European witch hunts, and modern literature, Sullivan examines how humanity has personified and grappled with evil over centuries. Drawing on thinkers like Plato, Aquinas, Milton, and Baudelaire, he combines historical analysis with first-hand reporting — from witnessing Mexico’s “Hour of the Witches” ritual to exploring real-life exorcisms, serial killers, and the 1980s “Satanic Panic.” Both profound and unsettling, the book reveals how the concept of the Devil continues to shape our understanding of morality, fear, and human darkness.