‘A Pact with the Devil’ by Anna Legat

My Review (4 stars out of 5)

1491, Cracow, Kingdom of Poland. University students Nicolaus Copernicus and his brother Andreas find themselves enmeshed in a devilish mystery when alchemist Doctor Faustus is found hanging over a crucible of boiling tar with a pentagon carved into his chest. A man is arrested on suspicion of murder and consorting with the Devil, but Nicolaus thinks the killer is of the human kind and sets out to uncover the truth. But then another man is murdered…

This is an interesting and unusual book, and the second one I’ve read by this author. The author’s descriptions of people and places are fascinating, and she paints a vivid picture of the Cracow and its inhabitants at that time. The book did get off to a slightly slow start but from the scene where they discover the body of Faustus, things pick up pace and we are thrust into a tale of mystery, deceit and murder. Having said that, the author’s tendency to include some truly odd dialogue tags lets the book down a little. Though truth be told, only very picky readers like me are likely to object to such things.

An exciting and entertaining read.

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