The Accidental Heretic

INSPIRED BY A 1756 SPANISH INQUISITION TRIAL.

Antonio arrives in Spain on a mission to recover a family debt. But he's naïve to the politics of the country, and to what might happen if he offends the wrong people. No surprise, then, that he fails in his mission and loses everything.

Out of options, the self-named Lord of Lost Causes enlists. He's popular, clever and soon wins the respect of his comrades. When his commanding officer asks him to help uncover a thief, he devises an elegant ruse. Too elegant. The thief is dealt with leniently, but disaster follows for Antonio when he's reported to the Spanish Inquisition and falls into the hands of a powerful adversary.

Set against the backdrop of 18th-century Europe, when Enlightenment ideals based on reason and equality were sweeping the continent, the story is a tale of human endurance, love, and a fight to save a man from becoming another victim of a regime that fears progress more than injustice.

Quotes from The Accidental Heretic:

'A trick to uncover a thief. Not magic. Never magic.'

'So, if I plead innocent, and am found guilty, so is my lawyer?'

'Better to convict an innocent man than risk acquitting a guilty one.'

'A scarafaggio. The creature has no fear of me, and it can only be because I am dying.'

'... a punishment to him, and a terror and example to others.'