Dueling Shoulder Angels

The Devil You Know, Book 2

By: Ben Schenkman

Narrated by: Ben Schenkman, Katya Gruhala

When there's a devil on one shoulder, isn't there supposed to be an angel on the other?

Nick managed not to die, saved the day, and settled in for a comfortable career at Devil Co. That means it’s the perfect time for God to have other plans for him–and guess who shows up to try and poach Nick for their organization? Why have one complicated job working for a personified deity, when you can have two?

Caught between worlds, and moonlighting for the “good guys,” Nick learns his deal with Lucifer might not be what it seems. Uncovering a scheme to take advantage of the Devil himself rocks Nick to his core, and makes him question everything. The line between good and evil gets blurrier by the day, and Nick doesn’t know which shoulder angel to trust.

His partner Amy, a witch growing into powers of her own, warns him of the danger he faces, but can’t stop Nick from running headlong into it. Can Nick save himself, or will Amy need to make an ally of a former foe to save him from a fate worse than decaf?

©2024, 2025 Ben Schenkman and Caffeinated Terrier Press (P)2025 Ben Schenkman and Caffeinated Terrier Press

Fantastic Adventure Through Spiritual Thought and Intrigue

Thoroughly enjoyed this vision of how the houses of God and the Devil might function as semi competing corporate entities. just as good as the first in the series. Definitely recommend.

a fun fantasy

While the author does a great job of bringing the listener up to speed, I recommend listening to this series in the order of its release. This is a light, funny fantasy series where heaven and hell are run like a corporation with offices downtown.

The narrative is split between Nick and his girlfriend Amy, a witch. She is the sounding board for Nick as he tries to meet the Devil’s demand and listens to what the salesman for the man upstairs offers. He also seeks counsel from a priest.

Nick faces genuine conflict, especially when he questions the deal Lu (Lucifer, aka the devil) wants him to close on. The story offered a blend of cozy moments, action and, to my surprise, a renewed friendship with Rob. Nick is a genuinely good guy, and even as an agent of Lucifer, he still has a strong moral code. The relationship between him and Amy is one of respect. It was nice to see adults behaving like adults.

The author does a wonderful job exploring heaven and hell with some familiar tropes, but he also puts his own touches on it. We’ve got themes of redemption, change and respect. God (Leslie) is gender-fluid (they/them) and I loved it. Everything isn’t black and white when looking at the pros and cons of heaven and hell. While the story offers a light, fast-paced fantasy with some comedic moments, it also touches on thought-provoking ideas.

Both the author and Katya Gruhala did a great job of capturing the tone, voices and personalities of the characters. I highly recommend listening.

If you are looking for light, funny, fantasy, you’ll want to grab Dueling Shoulder Angels and the Devil You Know series.

Great Story Read Masterfully

I find the comparison of religious hierarchy to inefficient business structures vastly amusing. The characters of the book are very believable and I enjoyed the narration. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy, or lives in New Haven CT.

Great 2nd Book

I love the characters, there story, the great narration and I can't wait to read the next.

Exciting!

Really fun to read, I couldn’t stop listening! I enjoyed it a lot. Cant wait for the next one to come out on audio!