When Devils Sing
By (Author) Xan Kaur
Pan Macmillan
First Ink
16th September 2025
5th June 2025
United Kingdom
Young Adult
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Thrillers / suspense
813.6
Paperback
400
Width 131mm, Height 197mm, Spine 24mm
272g
When Devils Sing is a rural, atmospheric YA horror is perfect for fans of Stephen King. In a small town in the American South four unlikely allies investigate a local teen's disappearance - but what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister than they could've ever imagined . . . When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion. Especially during the Cicada Festival, which takes place every thirteen years when a cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams. Desperate to find out if Dawson is still alive, Neera joins forces with three other local teens: Isaiah, clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover just how deep the rot in Carrion goes . . .
Xan Kaur is a photographer and author based out of Atlanta. Born in the "Land of Waterfalls" and raised in rural Georgia, she's moved more times than the years she's been alive. After a childhood spread across dozens of small towns, Xan developed a keen eye for observation of the human experience from a young age. Having grown up in a non-traditional British-Punjabi household, she became familiar with Pink Floyd before bhangra, grits before aloo gobi. She aims for her writing to reflect these unique, often-overlooked diasporic experiences, with an emphasis on one's relationship to the physical world around them. With a passion for environmentalism, a decade of veganism, and a fierce reverence for nature, Xan finds herself drawn to experiences that connect her with the earth. When not writing, you can find her behind her camera, hiking up a mountain, or swimming in the nearest ocean.