Eva Pasco

Goodreads: 5-Stars

February 1, 2025

Dancing with the Devil

Seventeen-year-old Mark Eisen, far from fitting in with the affluent and elite crowd at his new school in Chicago, lands an extremely profitable summer job as a courier acquiring expensive items for Mr. Natias who conducts his transactions in the basement of a club on Charon Lane. Having previously developed deep feelings for Rebecca, who is wholesome, upstanding, and can defend herself admirably, Mark’s in like Flynn.

Until, doing what it takes to acquire seven items to fulfill his contract with Mr. Natias, he begins to lose his “soul,” gravitating toward material goods to rival a few of his shallow peers. On the brink of yielding to temptation, he loses Rebecca for a time.

Another one of J.S. Frankel’s novels which delves into the human condition and exonerates its flawed, underrated, everyday heroes, ‘Charon Lane’ excels on a soul level. As for the element of adventure, the reader channels Mark’s determination and apprehension to fulfill his contract. When he finally figures out who Mr. Natias really is, all hell breaks loose in the name of kindness and decency.

A highly recommended read!