An ARKANE Thriller by J.F. Penn

Gates of Hell

For millennia, they have held the gates of Hell shut against the darkness. But now they're gone… and the gates are swinging wide.

A letter from Morgan's dead father names her the last of the Remnant, guardian of a Key that must never be used.

From the towers of the Sagrada Familia through the old Jewish quarters of Spain to the salt caves of the Dead Sea, Morgan and Jake follow her father's trail while a man who calls himself Adam Kadmon gathers sacrifices for a night when the veil grows thin, at a castle built not to keep invaders out, but to keep something in.

Those who seek the Gates of Hell must not find the Key.

Gates of Hell book cover
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Reader reviews
“JF Penn writes like she has the hordes of Hades after her. Fast-paced, smart, and so much fun.”Simon Toyne, international bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy
“Intrigue, mystery, the occult… a HELL of a read.”Scott Mariani, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Ben Hope series
“Penn's ARKANE series enthralled me from the start, each book delivering a great mix of character, history, religion, mystery and thrills. GATES OF HELL is no exception, drawing the reader into a new level of excitement. I was with Dr.”I love reading, Amazon review
The real mysteries

The research behind the book

Barcelona

The Sagrada Familia magic square

Subirachs carved a 4x4 square whose rows sum to 33. It is the first cipher of the trail.

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Kabbalah

The Sefer Yetzirah and the golem

The Book of Formation really contains the making of life from letters.

Safed

The blue city of Kabbalists

Isaac Luria's hilltop town, its graves painted blue. Leon Sierra's spiritual home, and Jo has walked it.

The Dead Sea

Diving the salt pillars

Dead Sea diving is real and dangerous: full face masks, brutal weights, and legends of Sodom below.

Bohemia

Houska Castle

A real castle with inward-facing defences, built over a bottomless well. Jo found the Gates a few hours from Sedlec.

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History

The expulsion of 1492

Spain's Jewish communities carried the keys of their lost houses through five centuries of exile.