The Devil’s Playbook
On sale
8th May 2025
Price: £14.99
Genre
‘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 Supérieur . . . 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‘A finely balanced mixture of sophisticated horror elements, historical references and fast-paced action scenes.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’ Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger
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 Supérieur . . . 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‘A finely balanced mixture of sophisticated horror elements, historical references and fast-paced action scenes.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’ Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
A complex thriller about the bloody history of the card game
A finely balanced mixture of sophisticated horror elements, historical references and fast-paced action scenes .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
A perfect mix of scary, evil and subtle horror
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
A fast-paced thriller, entangled with all the rules of the art, with immense tension, action and chases all over the world
Nerve-racking tension and skilful twists and turns captivated me to the last page
The plot about the retired player Tadeus Boch . . . is peppered with macabre details and offers both exciting and enjoyable reading
Heitz goes on paths beyond high fantasy, and he does it really well