by Clive Barker
First published 2002
Joseph Whitehead sits trapped in his fortress mansion, waiting for a debt to come due. Decades ago, amid the bombed ruins of World War II, he accepted a wager with a supernatural opponent. The stakes were higher than money or property. Whitehead won that impossible game and built his fortune on the victory. Now the dark champion has returned to collect what was promised. The millionaire's carefully constructed defenses cannot keep out this resurrected enemy. Terror seeps through every wall of his refuge. No amount of wealth can buy safety from this ancient adversary. The game that made Whitehead rich will destroy everyone around him. His servants, his allies, even innocent bystanders become pawns in a contest that transcends death itself. The rules were set long ago in the rubble of war. The final moves must be played, no matter the cost to human souls.
Genres: horror, supernatural, thriller, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, supernatural-game
Setting: World War II, Fortress Mansion
Period: Decades Ago, World War II
433 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence