Faustian: A Brefniverse Supernatural Noir Thriller (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798241735867)

An obsessed detective must protect a fragile pop starlet and other notable targets of an eccentric stalker who seeks to cancel deals with the devil they've unknowingly made.

At a ceremony honoring excellence in all walks of life, an audience of A-listers and elites watch violinist Shinsuke Nomura perform the famous "Devil's Trill" Sonata. Among the crowd are President Crowe, football star Derek Brody, and Nomura's girlfriend, pop princess Vanessa "Awedacity" Munroe. As Nomura finishes, he drops dead into the orchestra pit.

Detective Nick Faustino is on the case, leaving his partner, Jake Devlin-an undercover cop-to fend for himself among the Scarchilli Crime Family, led by mob boss Carmine Scarchilli.

Nick has become obsessed with a string of celebrity deaths dominating the tabloids. Though ruled accidents or suicides, he suspects they aren't what they seem. Nomura is the latest star to die at the height of his rise, and Nick's fixation draws the ire of Lt. Huggins, who insists he abandon it and focus on nailing Scarchilli.

Nick deduces each victim had a connection to a mysterious businessman named Magnus Bloom. They'd also encountered Tobias Whitlock, an eccentric stalker, but Nick has little concrete evidence that will lead anywhere. After watching Tobias heckle bestselling author Horace Ellerby at a signing, Nick urges the troubled novelist to file a report so he can take action.

Attempting to question Vanessa, Nick instead thwarts an attack from a masked intruder backstage at her rehearsal. The assailant flees on a bike, causing a pileup that sends rock star Evan Astonbury and podcast queen Roxy Regan to the trauma ward as well.

A domino chain of calamity follows. Horace suffers a home invasion. Derek takes a concussion at practice. Race car driver Dario Moncada survives a brutal collision at the track. All end up at the same ER. Arriving with an increasingly fragile Vanessa, Nick notices the eerie synchronicity and spots Tobias lurking the hallways-then wastes no time hauling him in.

Tobias claims he only wants to help the group remember what they've done. He says they sold their souls and entered a trance-like state that makes them forget-and only life-or-death situations can wake them up.

Huggins intervenes, cuts Tobias loose, and puts Nick back on the Scarchilli case. But Nick can't walk away, falling for Vanessa and becoming her de facto bodyguard, convinced the conniving Tobias will strike again.

As faces from their past resurface and repressed memories of a satanic ceremony haunt their dreams, the group assembles at Scarchilli's nightclub where Devlin hopes to entice the mobster into a shady crypto scheme. When Tobias shows up and blows his cover, a wild shootout forces each of them to face imminent death once more. Fleeting memories rise amidst the gunfire, pushing them to confront their Faustian pacts-and aligning them with Tobias' plan.

Whisked away to an old church on the edge of town, they take part in a séance to locate the actual contracts they signed with Satan. Only by stealing the contracts back, and performing an occult ceremony, can the deals be broken and their souls be saved.

They must put their faith in Tobias, work together as an unlikely crew, and plan a most unusual heist. Using their wits, charisma, and celebrity cachet, they must gain access to Magnus Bloom's exclusive art gallery-and the hidden room where the framed agreements are stored.

Nick must risk everything to save Vanessa and unite the merry band of A-listers. With a GOAT quarterback, a rock god, and a pop princess, they're off to confront the man behind the curtain. Along the way, they'll learn fame is a double-edged sword and there's no shortcut to salvation.

FAUSTIAN...

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