The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

 Based on the kind of books I typically read, when the blurb on the back cover mentions a "demon," I'm used to it being a real Demon, not a personal demon, a bad memory, or even a haunting experience. An actual unholy creature from a demonic dimension! So I was understandably a little confused for most of this book. Was there a Mongolian demon after these boys or wasn't there? Is this a fantasy tale or realistic fiction? I really wasn't sure until the very last chapter, which I suppose isn't bad in and of itself. The book definitely kept me guessing, which is also appropriate since the narrator herself isn't always sure what to think either.
The brothers' relentless belief in their own explanation of events reminded me uncomfortably of Afternoon of the Elves, a book I hated. In its favor, this book had a much more upbeat ending appropriate for a children's book and the author's note at the end is a fascinating peek into the origin of the story.