The Devil's Playbook

Markus Heitz, Sophia Nayakshin

$24.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Arcade Books
13 May 2025

Fantasy; Fantasy

'A perfect mix of scares, evil and subtle horror' Thrilling Stories

Retired gambler Tadeus Boch has just come into possession of a mysterious playing card, apparently from a very rare eighteenth-century deck. He immediately becomes obsessed with tracking down the entire set of cards, rumoured to be the one pack in the world for the legendary game Superieur . . . and said to be created by the Devil himself.

But Boch is not the only person searching for the missing cards. And the more he learns about the game, the more dangerous the chase becomes.

It's not long before Boch realises he's playing for the highest stakes he's ever wagered: nothing less than his own life.

'A finely balanced mixture of sophisticated horror elements, historical references and fast-paced action scenes. Markus Heitz whips his readers through a stirring adventure until the spectacular showdown' Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger

By: Markus Heitz
Translated by: Sophia Nayakshin
Imprint: Arcade Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 48mm
Weight: 480g
ISBN: 9781529424966
ISBN 10: 1529424968
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 13 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Markus Heitz trained to be a teacher after studying history and German literature, then going on to an MA in History. He spent several years as a journalist, writing in his free time, before the runaway success of The Dwarves allowed him to give up the day job. His debut epic fantasy novel, Schatten uber Ulldart (Shadows over Ulldart) was the first of many of his books to win the Deutscher Phantastik Preis (Germany's premier literary award for fantasy) in 2003. Since then he has frequently topped the bestseller charts, and his Number One-bestselling Dwarves and Aelfar series have earned him a place among Germany's most successful fantasy authors. He loves playing with fantasy, thriller and mystery tropes to keep the reader always interested. He currently lives in Saarland, in Germany.

Reviews for The Devil's Playbook

A complex thriller about the bloody history of the card game * PLAYBOY on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * A finely balanced mixture of sophisticated horror elements, historical references and fast-paced action scenes . . . until the spectacular showdown [...] Markus Heitz whips his readers through a disturbing adventure * KÖLNER STADT-ANZEIGER on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * A perfect mix of scary, evil and subtle horror * THRILLING BOOKS on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * Gripping, eerie, mysterious and fantastic. The plot is consistently exciting, there are thriller elements as well as well-placed horror elements - it is impossible to put the book down * NICOLE'S BOOK WORLD on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * A fast-paced thriller, entangled with all the rules of the art, with immense tension, action and chases all over the world * WORLD TRAVELLER on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * Nerve-racking tension and skilful twists and turns captivated me to the last page * LINES BOOK BLOG on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * The plot about the retired player Tadeus Boch . . . is peppered with macabre details and offers both exciting and enjoyable reading * SONIC SEDUCER on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK * Heitz goes on paths beyond high fantasy, and he does it really well * C WEBB on THE DEVIL'S PLAYBOOK *