To the Devil—A Daughter by Dennis Wheatley
"To the Devil—A Daughter" is an occult thriller that weaves together themes of sacrificial rituals, familial betrayal, and the struggle between good and evil. The story centers on Christina Mordant, also known as Ellen Beddows, who has been pledged to Satan by her father in exchange for personal gain. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, a sinister plot unfolds involving Canon Augustus Copley-Syle and a coven, who plan to sacrifice Christina to achieve their dark ambitions.
The narrative follows Molly Fountain, a war widow and author, who becomes entangled in Christina's plight after noticing her peculiar behavior. With the help of her son, John, and a former intelligence officer named C. B. Verney, they work to thwart the forces attempting to abduct Christina for the sacrificial ritual. The plot thickens with the involvement of various antagonists, including the Marquis de Grasse and his son, who also seek to exploit Christina's fate.
As the characters navigate a treacherous landscape of magic and deception, they confront moral dilemmas and personal sacrifices in their quest to save Christina. Ultimately, the story culminates in a dramatic showdown that tests the bonds of love and friendship while exploring the broader implications of power and the human spirit's resilience against darkness.
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To the Devil—A Daughter
First published: 1953
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—occult
Time of work: 1948
Locale: England and France
The Plot
To the Devil—A Daughter is an action-packed occult thriller by the author who almost single-handedly invented and perfected the form. In the novel, Christina Mordant (actually Ellen Beddows) has been dedicated to Satan by her father, Henry Beddows, in return for wealth and worldly advancement. She is ultimately to be sacrificed by Canon Augustus Copley-Syle and his coven upon her approaching twenty-first birthday. Christina’s father, balking as the fatal day approaches, has hidden his daughter on the Riviera in a villa next to that of Molly Fountain, a war widow and writer of popular spy thrillers. Molly becomes interested in the strange conduct of her lonely, attractive neighbor and intrudes upon her, finally worming out the part of Christina’s story that Christina knows.
Molly’s son, John, arrives and decides to help. He grows steadily more interested in Christina, who is innocent by day and possessed during the night. Marquis de Grasse and his son Count Jules attempt to lure away Christina. Molly, sensing Satanism, summons her old friend and former employer in the Intelligence Office, C. B. Verney, for assistance. Together, they uncover a plot to abduct Christina so that she can be brought back to England for sacrifice by the canon, who wishes to transfer her soul to a hideous homunculus he has created. If the experiment succeeds, he plans to sell an army of such beings to the Communists. Much of the novel’s action consists of attempts by the wicked parties to capture Christina, thwarting those attempts, and efforts to free her after she is successfully snatched.
John and C. B. go to England in search of Canon Copley-Syle. C. B. uses his knowledge of Satanism to fool the evil canon, but he is eventually discovered and is nearly destroyed. John saves him at the last moment, and together they attempt to capture the canon, who escapes by airplane to France, where Christina is being held by the de Grasses.
Turning their attention to Christina’s father, who is hiding out in his house in fear of magical attack, John and C. B. learn the full story and finally get him to agree to renounce his pact with Satan if they can find the document in the house of the canon. After encountering a chilling series of magical dangers, they find the pact under the altar and return it to Beddows, who destroys it and renounces Satan.
They return to Molly in France, where they attempt to stop Christina’s sacrifice and the transference of her soul to the canon’s creature. C. B. and John are again captured. True love lends its own magic to Christina, and her ring (given to her by John) shatters the glass case containing the canon’s monster, which fastens its fangs in the canon’s throat. The heroes escape, aided by a bomb tossed in by Molly that destroys the Cave of Bats and all the devil worshipers within. John and Christina pledge their love, as do Molly and C. B.