The Butcher of Souls (Paperback or Softback)

Ben French was an idler, a slacker, a lazy good for nothing all his days on earth. When his life ended and he was assigned to a job in the nether world, he wasn't too worried; he'd always found a way to avoid expending any effort and he'd do it now, too. He quickly found, though, that he couldn't avoid his duties. He was stuck for all eternity in the miserable, soul-crushing role of usher, pitchforking the remains of other lost souls into the blast furnace of forever, into the gaping maw of oblivion. The demands were unceasing and he badly needed a way out.

Fortunately, he discovered an escape clause. Ben could rid himself of his obligations and make his days more comfortable if he somehow found a replacement. The Butcher of Souls chronicles Ben's search not only for a replacement but also for a return to his former existence, one of comfort and ease, of modest indulgences and everlasting peace.

Sterling E. Rowe is a former attorney who lives north of Boston. He has previously published a memoir, two collections of essays and several novels. When not tending to his large and growing family, his summers in recent years have been spent pursuing his two other great interests: teaching golf to children and excavating the ruins of a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall in northern England.