Seventeenth Century Stratford. Ned the beggar is found on the streets and forced to spend a day in the stocks. When the constable returns to release him he finds that Ned is dead. Murdered. That same day Reverend Samuel Long finds his church has been ransacked and the crucifix inverted – surely this desecration is the work of the devil?

Guy Kent is sent by the Lord Lieutenant to investigate the murder. At the same time the witchfinder is summoned to root out the cadre of devil worshippers and purge the town of evil influences.

As Kent looks deeper into the murder of an apparently harmless old beggar it becomes clear that this is not a simple case. Will he be able to identify the true culprits before it is too late?

An Unholy Way to Die is essentially a murder mystery or whodunnit set at the turn of the seventeenth century with Guy Kent is investigating the apparently pointless murder of a harmless old beggar. But, as in all good mystery stores, things are not what they seem.

The author has painted a rich tapestry of life in this era. The characters are vivid and vital. Beggars and whores, all are convincing and give the story a vitality that is missing in some novels. At 143 pages this is not the longest novel in the world however the story is paced perfectly from beginning to end with no slack moments.

In Guy Kent the author has created the basis for a series of novels. If they are all as enjoyable as this one I look forward to reading them in the future.