Reminding myself that nothing fictional can ever be dreamed that can be more outrageous than what happens in real life. In her debut novel, Carole Brown surely pushes readers’ tolerances in this book. Expect to be incensed and on the defense of people who want to escape cults or who can be sucked into that sort of spiritual mire. (You can find more releases from Carole Brown at her Amazon page in the link)
Caralynn Haman’s story is one of the spiritually and physically damaging religious cult life. Be prepared for graphic violence, physical and emotional abuse, lurid scenes and profanity.
As an attractive, spirited, challenging woman, Cara is the perfect foil for a religious cult where women are supposed to be nothing and are aggressively kept in ‘submission’. An interesting and not incorrect touch are the female characters who provide the foil when they show the power that women exert while keeping their sisters in obedience and submission.
Cara’s situation and character has led her to be rather amoral…after the death of her daughter at the hands of one of the cult leaders, she bides her time and lets disaster take its course to achieve vengeance. In some cases, Cara gives ‘fate’ a little push!
Her youthful love, Daune, raised in the cult with Cara, returns from college where he has seen the light and hopes to bring change to the cult believers. Because this cult is largely a business arrangement and not spiritually guided in any way, the suspense and plot thickens when his hopes are resisted. And when Cara’s submission is one of the goals to be achieved at any cost. Daune’s witness reaches Cara and several of the others about the truth in Christ overcoming the ‘gospel according to their destructive leader’ before the final scene where the real bad guy gets justice.
As this type of story goes, the writing is decent if not profound. If the read seems to be a little over the top at times, be kind and forgive the plot. These cults are not imaginary. The merit in the writing is to reveal the abuse; nothing works to slow the progress like tattling.