The Exorcist

The Exorcist is a 1971 horror novel by American writer William Peter Blatty. The book details the demonic possession of eleven-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. Published by Harper & Row, the novel was the basis of a highly successful film adaptation released two years later, whose screenplay was also written and produced by Blatty, and part of The Exorcist franchise. The novel was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University. As a result, the novel takes place in Washington, D.C., near the campus of Georgetown University. In September 2011, the novel was reprinted by Harper Collins to celebrate its fortieth anniversary, with slight revisions made by Blatty as well as interior title artwork by Jeremy Caniglia. 1983 Simon Schuster hardcover, William Peter Blatty. One by one the bizarre murders frustrate and torment Lt. Kinderman, the homicide detective from The Exorcist. A boy, crucified; a priest, decapitated; another priest slain; a nurse, slaughtered all bear the Zodiac mark of the Gemini Killer. BUT ... the Gemini Killer has been dead for 12 years Lt. Kinderman stalks the brutal and elusive killer down the dark streets. Until, finally, in desperation he dares to cross the boundary that separates the living from the dead. - Goodreads There are noises in Regan's room, an odd smell, the displacement of furniture, and an icy chill. Easy explanations are offered, but then frightening changes start in the 11-year-old girl. Medical tests shed no light on her symptoms. Is it possible that a demonic force is present in her? The murder of a small boy, a deaf-mute, in a mock crucifixion puts detective William Kinderman on the trail of a series of brutal murders leading him to a deadly confrontation with the ultimate evil. When a detective investigates several murders, he uncovers a case of demonic possession.