99 Souls

Thomas Malafarina's first novel is set in 1965 in his native Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. A young boy is savagely disemboweled in the presence of his friends at an abandoned coal mine by an unidentified creature. During the investigation, which follows, a Philadelphia television reporter learns from an eccentric old codger a terrible legend about the disastrous history of the mine - a tale about a mine disaster many years ago in which three coal miners were trapped a mile below the surface. Out of desparation, one of the miners sold his soul to Satan in order to get revenge for the disaster. In return, Satan transformed this man into an immortal soul-feeding demon that must remain trapped in the mine until he gathers ninety-nine souls. How do you kill what can't be killed? How do you stop the unstoppable? Welcome to a place where terror reigns, where unspeakable horror and demonic savagery is the norm; where lost souls writhe and struggle for a freedom that may never come. Welcome to Coogan's mine; the home of Devil Dan.