The deliberate torching of a church creates outrage across Manchester. And when a charred corpse and satanic symbols are found in the smoking ruins, DI Jon Spicer and the city’s Major Incident Team are called in.
Soon DI Spicer finds himself drawn into the depths of a horrifying underworld he didn’t know existed. With fresh killings comes the realisation that those responsible are prepared to commit unspeakable acts of evil in homage to their God.
DI Spicer knows the atrocities must be halted, but even in his worst nightmares he could never imagine how close to home the investigation will take him. As the case threatens to engulf Manchester in fires of hatred, can Spicer and those he loves escape unharmed?
Religion is certainly a fascinating thing. Perhaps it’s the many forms it takes that interests me so much. In my backpacking days I visited a Catholic church in Mexico and inside it I was astonished to see shamans of the older, local religion, performing exorcisms on villagers. (The priest had to turn a blind eye to keep his congregation.)
There’s no doubt that in this country, as modern society makes people feel ever more disconnected from nature, interest in religions that pre-date Christianity is booming. Such pagan beliefs often seem to go hand-in-hand with tarot, healing crystals, meditation and all sorts of so-called New Age stuff.
Representatives of the church sometimes rail against this, citing the sinister influence of things like Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They fear that, if young minds accept the notion of magic, spells and witchcraft, they become exposed to forces of the occult – and through that the Devil.
Could they be right? There have been cases of teenagers – often into Death Metal music – dabbling with Satanism. Sometimes these people have become very disturbed. In rare cases they’ve even committed murder.
But is the danger from an external force – be it a demon or the Devil? Or should we really be more scared of what human nature is capable of? Because when you add religion to the mix, people are suddenly capable of the most terrifying things.