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The Plot Against Heaven

Out NOW

Death doesn’t stand a chance against love.

Hell-bent on confronting God after the death of wife Kate, Paul gate-crashes heaven. With immigration problems and a wall, heaven turns out to be nowhere near as welcoming as expected. Both heaven and hell are modern, militarised, and the cold war that exists between them is about to heat up, with him in the middle of it. Caught on the wrong side of heaven, Paul faces an impossible choice if he’s to have any hope of seeing Kate again.

‘Mark Kirkbride’s The Plot Against Heaven is a slick and cunning tale that moves with the speed of a smart, classy thriller; brimming with invention, it conjures up a vision of the afterlife uniquely its own with a smooth economy that never slows its pace.’ 

Simon Bestwick, author of And Cannot Come Again: Tales of Childhood, Regret, and Innocence Lost

‘Mark Kirkbride has written a fast-paced story that can be read in one sitting which, as Poe would recommend, is ideal for steadily building emotion to a climax…. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader invested in Paul’s search for justice, entertained by his interaction with Satan, and caught up in the mysteries created by deception. This story is a fable/parable about our misconceptions regarding the nature of good and evil, particularly how human beings are so unaware of the pervasiveness of evil and so blind to its insidious harm. Could it be that an adventure tale is exactly the vehicle to further the deception? A chilling thought! Recommended.’

Nova Hadley for the Monster Librarian

‘Kirkbride doesn’t appear to take sides – the Devil, as always, gets the better lines and the more attractive characters, but there is a redemptive moment at the end, reminiscent of the strange scene at the end of Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey, where God gets a better look-in. It’s not a tract: the theological issues take second fiddle, in the end, to a touching love story – and a twist to die for.’

Isobel Blackthorn, The Toorak Times

‘Mark Kirkbride delivers a mighty punch in The Plot Against Heaven. This novella is mysterious and heartbreaking, yet packed with so much story in its scant 79 pages…. There is a huge twist that I did not see coming. It caught me right in the feels.’

My Bookish Bliss

‘Kirkbride’s bizarre love story falls somewhere between Kurt Vonnegut and Edgar Allan Poe…. futuristic and timeless’

Indies Today

‘If you’re looking for a fast, fun read, The Plot Against Heaven might just do the trick.’

Dead Head Reviews

‘Heaven is a corporate militarised bureaucracy shielding an oligarch who can never be seen, but whose influence is beyond measure…. We get the cosmology we deserve.’

Gary Budgen, Sein und Werden

‘I really enjoyed reading this crazy little book… and running through it all is a sweet love story that is so beautifully told that you really want the guy to get her back, or at least to get to see her one more time.’

The Dark Side from The Inside

‘Kirkbride’s representation of the two sects of the afterlife tear through any preconceived notions… his version of God is absolutely incredible; it makes perfect sense… It was one of my favourites moments of this novella.’

Writing Werewolf

‘This was unlike anything I read before. There were twists and turns in such a short story! I could not set this down. If you are looking for a quick read that aligns with the theme of 2020 I recommend checking this out.’

Ricky’s Radical Reads

Purchase links

Print: available again soon.

Ebook: Amazon