The Devil Made Me Do It: Our Favorite Books that Tackle Exorcism

Freelance exorcist Felix Castor is just trying to pay his bills when he takes on a seemingly simple case involving some ghosts haunting a London museum. But the quick and straightforward exorcism he was expecting quickly turns into something deadly. Suddenly it seems like every ghost and demon in London is out to get him. Fortunately, Felix is used to dealing with the dead. Dealing with the living is another story. The Devil You Know is the first book in Mike Carey's popular Felix Castor series, which blends supernatural horror, urban fantasy, and dark humor.

The third installment in Mike Carey's Felix Castor series, Dead Men's Boots finds Felix Castor dealing with one too many problems. He's helping a friend to prevent some lawyers from stealing her husband's corpse. He's investigating a gruesome murder that looks suspiciously like the work of a long-dead serial killer. And he's in the midst of a drawn out legal battle over the body of his friend Rafi, who just happens to be possessed. Felix is starting to wonder if all these things might actually be related. So, with assistance from an uneasy zombie and a succubus, he attempts to discover the truth before all his problems converge and he ends up dead.

My Best Friend's Exorcism contains as many nostalgic 80s references as it does creepy supernatural horror. A dark and complicated exploration of female friendship, it centers two best friends, Gretchen and Abby. Things start to get weird when they get to high school. Gretchen starts acting differently. Odd coincidences and unexplainable events begin occurring all around her. Abby reluctantly concludes that there's only one possible reason for all this strange behavior: Gretchen is possessed by a demon. Willing to do anything to save her best friend, Abby sets out to do whatever it takes to get Gretchen back.

Exorcists for hire are a common theme in urban fantasy, though Lilith Saintcrow's take on the trope isn't as dark as Mike Carey's in the Felix Castor books. Night Shift is about Jill Kismet, a woman who hunts and kills demons--sometimes expelling them from other people's bodies. As one of the best demon hunters in Santa Luz, Jill has a lot on her plate. She's dealing with rogue Weres and the aftermath of a string of brutal murders, not to mention the fact that her mentor was recently murdered by a demon, leaving her on her own and ready for revenge. 

A goodhearted attempt to help a friend turns into a nightmare in this gothic-inspired horror novel. Sorrow's Point follows ex-priest Jimmy Holiday, who shows up at the manor house of his old friend to help him take care of his sick daughter, Lucy. The house, Blackmoor, has a dark history of magic. The longer he stays there, the harder it is for Jimmy to determine if Lucy is sick or possessed. When he begins to show signs of possession himself, he turns to exorcism to learn the truth.

The Exorcist, first published in 1971, is probably one of the most well-known exorcism books of all time. It's the terrifying story of Regan MacNeil, an eleven-year-old girl possessed by a demon, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise that demon. The 1973 film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.