Soul Trader is a tragically funny, noir comedy. Think Brief Encounter meets Dangerous Liaisons; Cyrano de Bergerac versus Darth Vader and you'll get the idea. Divorced and unemployed, Owen Leadbeater is embittered and envious of others' success. One desperate night, drunk and full of self-pity, Owen appeals to a higher power to help him. Unfortunately for Owen, his call is answered by the darker side - envy, though one of the seven deadly sins isn't a problem for them - just sign on the dotted line and you can have anything you desire. Problem is, the devil's contract is as dodgy an instrument as anything a bent banker could dream up and Owen, trusting soul that he is, doesn't think to read the small print . . . But a contract is a contract and the devil, in the form of Sebastian Tantalus, is not to be messed with, as Owen soon discovers to his cost. The price for a lifetime of glittering success mounts as Owen is forced to commit one deadly sin after another, but just how far is he prepared to go, before the cost becomes too high for him to bear? Extras include: two short stories by Chris Niblock and the first three chapters of his debut novel; Back Dated