Fresh from prison, gambling addict Marty Strauss finds himself thrust into a world far more dangerous than he ever imagined as bodyguard to the enigmatic billionaire Joseph Whitehead. What begins as a routine assignment quickly spirals into a terrifying supernatural ordeal, rooted in a sinister Faustian pact Whitehead made decades earlier during World War II with the enigmatic Mamoulian. This demonic entity now relentlessly pursues Whitehead, raising the dead and manipulating reality to claim his overdue soul. As Whitehead's world crumbles, with his wife, former bodyguard, and beloved, heroin-addicted daughter Carys becoming victims of Mamoulian's machinations, Marty, though initially reluctant, realizes he can't stand idly by. He must confront the ancient evil and rescue Carys from the clutches of a bargain that threatens to damn them all, plunging into a chilling game where the stakes are eternal souls and the rules are written in blood.
Critical Reception
"Clive Barker's debut novel solidified his reputation as a master of 'splatterpunk' and philosophical horror, leaving an indelible mark on the genre with its visceral prose and profound exploration of desire and damnation."