Path of Simon: Book One of the Infernal Jest by Thomas Marlowe

Does power ever bow to the human constructs of good and evil or it simply obeys the hand that wields it? Afraid for his niece, gravedigger Tim Stockton goes against everything he believes in to help his brother-in-law settle a debt with the mob by stealing jewelry from a deceased rap star’s grave. But in that coffin Tim finds more than he bargained for. Trapped inside a ruby, an ancient power awakens from its slumber and possesses the gravedigger, leading him straight to the dungeon of the Order of Simon. There, plagued by the constant jabbering of his demonic captor and its cries of innocence echoing off the moldy walls, Tim must decide whether he will undertake the Path of Simon for the salvation of his soul and the future of the world as demonic legions from the pits of Hell seek to stake a claim for the entity within the gravedigger. With the aid of the inquisitors of the Order and unexpected allies from the worlds beyond, will Tim find strength to contain the power within and silence the rising doubts in his quest? Or will he falter and bring doom upon the humankind?

Adult • Fantasy • Humor and Satire