The Devil's Penny by Bernard Carlton (Fiction) Set initially in a Welsh mining valley just after the turn of the century, the story tells of a young man forced into a succession of unusual events by a strange influence. The principal character, Charles, is drawn into a macabre contract with the devil when he steals a coin from his place of work; a contract he discovers he is powerless to sever. The coin reshapes his life and dominates his every move giving him courage, cunning and un-natural ability but in return seeks the very souls of the folk around him. The result is misery and dismay out of which emerges romance and humour when all seems lost. A gripping adventure story of the madness of war in all its forms pitching courage against futility and honest simplicity against deceit through which shines the irrepressible power of love.