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Dark Covenant
In life, this woman must have been very strong. She wanted something very badly -and the Devil gave it to her. But the force of will was so great, the prize so dearly bought, that this document of her life has survived. In the nineteenth century a sinister publication transformed a disfigured prostitute into a beautiful and wealthy socialite. Her estate and her legacy continued long after her death. Now in the form of a glossy magazine it is performing miracles for a lawyer down on his luck. Its crossword holds the template to his dreams, and, if he can decipher it, the key to his soul.
376 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 30, 2015
The cleverly constructed tale of a haunted crossword that has a shattering effect on the life of Lewis the lonely lawyer. An original modern take on the age-old theme of selling your soul, this story crept into my consciousness like the lingering aftermath of a disturbing dream. Creepy but compulsive.
April 24, 2008
A truly creepy, ingenious little read. You don't know whats going on until the author wants you to, and when you think you know the character, he has to face yet a new challenge that challenges your own assumptions.
August 10, 2017
Solicitor Lewis Coin works for a failing law firm in Cardiff, hates his boss and is heavily in debt. He is planning to pack it all in and move to Spain, but the weekend before he intends to hand in his notice he hires a prostitute for the first time, which turns out to be a pivotal moment in his life. The following morning she leaves a magazine in his flat, having first filled in Lewis' name as the answer to one of the clues in the crossword (1 across - Who do you bring?).
His financial situation begins to improve immediately, as he starts to receive share tips that seem to be linked to the crossword clues, and he gets a potentially huge new contract for his firm, with the new client insisting that Lewis should be their only contact. But the pictures in the magazine keep changing, subtly at first and then more obviously, and the magazine itself is starting to smell really bad. Lewis starts to wonder if things are too good to be true, and realises that he needs to track down the woman who left him the magazine.
His financial situation begins to improve immediately, as he starts to receive share tips that seem to be linked to the crossword clues, and he gets a potentially huge new contract for his firm, with the new client insisting that Lewis should be their only contact. But the pictures in the magazine keep changing, subtly at first and then more obviously, and the magazine itself is starting to smell really bad. Lewis starts to wonder if things are too good to be true, and realises that he needs to track down the woman who left him the magazine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2014
Picked this up at the library, to go with my book group choice. Enjoyed it a lot - the puzzle theme is intriguing and the author doesn't shy away from a strong ending. Strangely I would have preferred a longer version with more explanation of the back story, this felt like a "short" Stephen King - which is a big compliment from me.
April 23, 2008
I love this book, I have read it I don't know how many times now as well as having 3 signed first editions. It is a supernatural crime thriller, set in my home country, Wales, and it is a must read..
September 30, 2013
A thoroughly enjoyable and yet confusing read. It's well written with realistic characters in an original take of an age old tale.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews