A deeply philosophical mystery filled with suspense and horror, Legion is William Peter Blatty’s sequel to The Exorcist.
When a deaf-mute boy is found horribly murdered in a mock crucifixion, Lieutenant Kinderman sees it not only as a crime but as a larger mystery: whether or not a merciful God can exist if He allows such monstrous evil. His investigation leads him to a cast of unusual suspects: An elderly woman who witnessed the crime, a neurologist grieving the loss of his wife, a psychiatrist with a macabre sense of humor, and a mysterious mental patient locked in silent isolation.
As the detective follows a bewildering trail that links these individuals, he confronts a new enigma at every turn. Why does each victim suffer the same dreadful mutilations? Why are two of the victims priests? Is there a connection between these crimes and another series of murders that took place twelve years ago? To discover the answers and solve the case, Lieutenant Kinderman will have to grapple with the ultimate mystery of faith.
Legion was first published in 1983—twelve years after the enormous success of The Exorcist. Critics called the novel “infinitely more suspenseful than The Exorcist” (Los Angeles Times), “mesmerizing and horrifying” (USA Today), and “heart-skipping horror” (Cosmopolitan).
In 1990, William Peter Blatty adapted Legion into The Exorcist III, both writing the screenplay and directing the motion picture.
