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Thought by some to be experts on demonology and exorcism, Ed and Lorraine Warren have many thousands of investigations to their credit. With several movies (such as The Conjuring) based on the Warrens’ experiences, this should be a fascinating book.

However.

It’s certainly true to say there are some chilling stories in The Demonologist, but how scary they are kind of depends on your point of view. What is truly scary is Gerald Brittle’s slapdash prose and his unbelievable lack of academic awareness. This book should be packed with accurate references stating the origin of the various accounts related, how they were recorded and who transcribed them.

Some of the interviews with Ed Warren are very interesting and are obviously transcribed from conversations with the author. However, many of the tales are related as if the author simply made them up—did he talk to the participants himself? Was he given access to written or taped accounts? Were they passed on second-hand by Ed Warren?

Sceptics such as Perry DeAngelis point the finger at the lack of evidence provided by the Warrens. Given the so-called thousands of photographs taken by Ed Warren during his investigations, those depicted in the book are pretty disappointing. The ones supposedly showing levitating objects, could be faked by a ten-year-old. It seems ridiculous that after fifty years of ghost-hunting, the Warrens don’t have any believable evidence.

To be fair, for those of a nervous disposition, this isn’t a book to read late at night, but if you’re looking for evidence of ghosts, demons and other anti-Christ-like monsters, look elsewhere.

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