A devil with fire, brimstone, and fine print. The only weapon against ancient evil? Close reading.
Mephisto collects souls. He wears a courier’s uniform, rings the bell, and hands over the parcel you have wanted your whole life. Then he asks you to sign for it.
A Cuban American copyeditor in the last days of copyeditors. A novelist in Germany who sells well and still can't make rent. A cosplay bar hostess in Japan who reads Faulkner between customers. Mephisto owns a contract for all three, and for the first time his marks can compare notes. Each has dodged a creditor before. None of them intends to pay this one.
From San Francisco to Baden-Baden to a Tokyo love hotel, the path to salvation follows translation, diaspora, and human connection. Three lives across continents, woven by a Faustian bargain, and a climax that pays off.
For fans of Ryka Aoki's "Light from Uncommon Stars," V.E. Schwab's "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue," and other Faustian bargains.
Author's Note:
This is literary fiction in a magical realist mode. A devil's bargain is the frame for a novel about language and friendship. This is not horror or a paranormal romance. Recognizing the Faust material and the comp lit antecedents deepens the book but isn't required to follow it.
