There Is No Devil

There Is No Devil (2022) is a dark-romance novel by Sophie Lark. It is the second book in the Sinners Duet, concluding the story that began in There Are No Saints. The novel follows aspiring artist Mara Eldritch and enigmatic sculptor Cole Blackwell as their volatile relationship intensifies. Together, they must navigate their shared traumas while plotting to take down their mutual rival, the depraved serial killer Alastor Shaw. The book explores themes of Vengeance as a Dark and Alternative Form of Justice, Redefining Love Through Control and Submission, and Art as an Expression of Identity and Experience. Lark is a USA Today best-selling author known for her interconnected series of romance novels, including the Brutal Birthright series. As a characteristic work of dark romance, There Is No Devil utilizes genre conventions such as a morally ambiguous antihero and a relationship built on extreme power imbalances and obsession, elements that have contributed to its popularity on social-media platforms like TikTok.

This guide refers to the 2023 Bloom Books edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, death by suicide, graphic violence, sexual violence, self-harm, child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, gender discrimination, addiction, substance use, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

Mara Eldritch wakes in the clifftop mansion called Sea Cliff, which belongs to the enigmatic and murderous sculptor Cole Blackwell. She dresses in a wrap laid out for her by Cole and has the breakfast he has chosen for her. They discuss how they will live together, and Cole tells Mara that he is watching her everywhere in “his” house: She can have no secrets from him. He tells her that she doesn’t need her old clothes and belongings, as he will choose everything for her from now on. Throughout the day, Cole asserts his dominance through physical, emotional, and financial acts of control, such as shaving Mara in the shower and tasting her blood from a small cut that he makes on her thigh. He takes her on an extravagant shopping spree, during which he torments and arouses her with a remote-controlled vibrator in public. Cole acknowledges that his obsessional behavior stems from Mara’s unique, “gritty” nature and that his actions are designed to “bind” her to him.

Mara adopts a new routine, creating art in a studio provided by Cole. The threats of their pasts linger, however. Sonia, Cole’s assistant, implies that Cole was responsible for the convenient death of Sonia’s abusive ex-husband. Mara’s attempt to repay old debts to her former roommates, Frank and Joanna, is met with coldness from Joanna. Joanna blames Mara for the murder of their friend Erin Wahlstrom by Alastor Shaw, a rival artist and serial killer known as the “Beast of the Bay.”

The confrontation forces Mara to press Cole about his own history, and she agrees to share her past traumas if he answers one question: Who was the first person he killed? Instead of answering directly, Cole decides to show Mara his past. He first forces her to confront her fear of driving, a trauma stemming from being raised by a mother with an alcohol addiction who used to drive under the influence. At Sea Cliff, Cole leads her to his late father’s destroyed office and recounts his family history, which includes a cruel father, a mother who died by suicide, and an abusive uncle, Ruben. Cole confesses that he murdered Ruben by luring him into a pit during a hunting trip; he reveals it was the first of 14 murders he has committed. He explains that Shaw kidnapped Mara to provoke him and prove their shared violent nature. In exchange for his story, Cole asks Mara to tell him about her abusive stepfather, Randall Pratt.

In a flashback to when she was 13, Mara recounts a day of severe abuse. Her mother, Tori Eldritch, and stepfather, Randall, tormented her verbally and physically. As a final act of cruelty, they burned her most cherished possession, a teddy bear named Buttons. Afterward, Tori informed Mara that the bear was not from her estranged father as she had always claimed, destroying Mara’s last connection to him.

Enraged by Mara’s story, Cole takes her to a gallery party hosted by Betsy Voss. There, they are confronted by Shaw, who has a new, impressive art installation and openly taunts them about Erin’s murder and his own success. Back at Sea Cliff, the couple’s humiliation and fury erupt into violent sex. Cole chokes Mara to the point of unconsciousness, forcing her to confront her role as a victim. The act breaks her resolve, and she screams that she wants revenge against all who have wronged her.

Officer Hawks, a persistent detective, reveals his suspicion that Cole is involved in the recent murders and the disappearance of art critic Carl Danvers. Cole admits to Mara that he killed Danvers and hid his remains inside one of his own sculptures. Soon after, Cole wins a major public sculpture bid, beating Shaw. He then reveals the full truth of his mother’s suicide, which he believes was prompted by her fear that he was a “monster” like his father and uncle. Mara rejects this, blaming his mother for abandoning him.

When Shaw commits another murder, Officer Hawks focuses his surveillance entirely on Cole. Mara tells Cole that they must kill Shaw. Cole agrees but insists that he must first “prepare” her for the reality of killing. After drugging Mara to ensure that she stays at home, Cole lures Randall to a secluded cabin where he tortures and murders him. Cole shows Mara a video of the murder to “desensitize” her to violence. He gives her the flash drive with the video, trusting that she will not turn him in, and Mara destroys the evidence.

Cole explains that his rivalry with Shaw began in art school. A professor, Oswald, stole one of Cole’s designs and tried to sabotage his career. Cole murdered Oswald. In response, Shaw committed his first murder, killing a fellow student as a “gift” for Cole. Cole’s rejection of this act cemented their enmity. Cole tells Mara that she is Shaw’s ultimate target, and they finalize their plan to kill him.

On Christmas Eve, at an artists’ Christmas party in the Castro district, Cole and Mara stage a loud, public fight, which ends with Mara storming out. As planned, Shaw follows her. As Cole attempts to leave, he is ambushed and arrested by Officer Hawks. Cole fights Hawks, crashes the police cruiser to escape, and sprints toward Corona Heights Park to intercept Shaw. Mara leads Shaw to Cole’s newly built labyrinth sculpture, but Cole is not at their meeting point. Shaw corners Mara, but Cole arrives just in time and tackles him. During a brutal fight, Cole realizes that he is losing and deliberately puts himself in a vulnerable position, giving Mara a clear opening to kill Shaw. As police sirens approach, Mara and Cole have sex in the snow beside Shaw’s body before Mara flees on Cole’s instruction.

Three months later, the case is closed. Hawks is credited with stopping the Beast of the Bay, and Cole receives a sentence of community service. To secure Cole’s freedom, Mara had planted evidence in Shaw’s apartment to frame him for the murders of Carl Danvers and Professor Oswald. In a final act of revenge, Mara confronts her mother, Tori. She poisons Tori and falsely offers an antidote if she reveals the name of Mara’s father. Tori confesses that she never knew his name. Mara then reveals that there is no antidote and leaves her mother to die from what will appear to be a drug-induced heart attack. Feeling liberated, Mara holds a triumphant new art show and surprises Cole with plane tickets to Venice, Italy. In Venice, during Carnevale, Cole reflects on how his love for Mara has changed him. When a drunk man insults him, Mara playfully pretends to “kill” him with a costume feather, demonstrating her acceptance of their shared darkness.