Religious Crime

For thirty years, John Bishop was a pastor. Along the way, he learned that everyone does stupid things. We lie to our families. We lie to ourselves. We take long lunch breaks and sneak cigarettes when we said we’d quit. Sometimes, we take a sabbatical from our nice, comfortable life as a pastor and start running drugs for the Sinaloa Cartel, then get caught and spend five years in federal prison.

Father Joseph Brennan was an icon in the small North Dakota town of New London between 1953 and 1973. As the head of the town’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish and its associated boarding school, he amassed supporters with his show of dedication to the school. By recruiting elite coaches, Brennan built a high school sports empire that won state championships and strengthened a sense of pride among the town’s one thousand residents. But alongside the success story, another much darker tale was being written and ruthlessly suppressed. Sexual assault, theft, drug distribution, and ...

When he first met the man who called himself David Koresh, David Thibodeau was drumming for a rock band that was going nowhere fast. Intrigued and frustrated with a stalled music career, Thibodeau gradually became a follower and moved to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He remained there until April 19, 1993, when the compound was stormed and burnt to the ground after a 51-day standoff. In this book, Thibodeau explores why so many people came to believe that Koresh was divinely inspired.

No other event in the last fifty years is shrouded in myth like the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Today, we remember this moment for the 76 people, including 20 children, who died in the fire; for its inspiration of the Oklahoma City bombing; and for the wave of anti-government militarism that followed. What we understand far less is what motivated the Davidians’ enigmatic leader, David Koresh.

Through vivid storytelling, this historical account reveals the disturbing influences and grim motives that possessed Alessandro Serenelli, St. Maria Goretti’s murderer. Yet it is much more than a chilling tale; this true narrative is a testament of transformation and redemption — God’s mercy shining forth through the most seemingly hopeless of situations. Just as great literature and spiritual writing have the power to transform the soul and spur it on to heroic deeds, the force of immoral prose can corrupt and even drive the soul to unspeakable deeds.

In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.

The shocking and subversive memoir of a 12-year-NXIVM-member-turned-whistleblower, and her inspiring true story of abuse, escape, and redemption. "Master, would you brand me? It would be an honor." Scarred follows actress Sarah Edmondson's account of her recruitment into the NXIVM cult, founded by Keith Raniere. It narrates in detail the 12 years she spent within the organization, during which she enrolled over 2,000 members, chronicling her breaking point and her harrowing fight to get out, help others, and heal.

Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a cult run by Keith Raniere and many enablers. Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman uncovers how dozens of women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities instead were blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world.

If you want to catch a serial killer, you need to think like one. “An extremely gripping and fast-paced crime thriller . . . will draw you in from the very start [and] blindside you with disturbing twists and turns.” —The Eclectic Review Greg Adams, a criminal psychologist at Scotland Yard, specialises in bringing serial killers to justice. He is at the top of his game, having just put away his sixth serial killer when his wife, Kate, is brutally murdered by another predator known as the Dreamer. A year later, unable to bring the killer to justice, Greg has quit his job and is ready ...

For the first time in thirty years, more than a dozen former ATF agents who participated in the initial February 28, 1993, raid speak on the record about the poor decisions of their commanders that led to this deadly confrontation. Revelations in this book include why the FBI chose to end the siege with the use of CS gas; how both ATF and FBI officials tried and failed to cover up their agencies’ mistakes; where David Koresh plagiarized his infamous prophecies; and direct links between the Branch Davidian tragedy and the modern militia movement in America.

In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer of two teenagers who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. In the months before Sonnier’s death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know a man who was as terrified as he had once been terrifying. She also came to know the families of the victims and the men whose job it was to execute - men who often harbored doubts about the rightness of what they were doing.

Teenager Lucas Leonard made shocking admissions in front of the altar - he'd practiced witchcraft, conspired to murder his parents, and committed unspeakable crimes. The confessions earned him a brutal beating by a gang of angry church members, including his parents and sister. Lucas was brought to the hospital dead, awakening the sleepy community of Chadwicks, New York, to the horror that had been lurking next door. Nine members of Lucas' church would eventually find themselves facing murder-related charges. But how did they get to that point? And what made Lucas confess?

In September 2010, at the beginning of the academic year at Sarah Lawrence College, a sophomore named Talia Ray asked her roommates if her father could stay with them for a while. No one objected. Her father, Larry Ray, was just released from prison, having spent three years behind bars after a conviction during a bitter custody dispute.

A female detective, the overlooked Fuller brother, and their small town romance amid a dangerous case. Will their love survive or will the criminal ruin their chance at happily-ever-after? Dahlia Reid is one of the best detectives Brush Creek and the surrounding towns has ever had. She's given up on the idea of marriage—and pleasing her mother—and has dedicated herself fully to her job. Which is great, since one of the most perplexing cases of her career has come to town. Kyler Fuller thinks he's finally ready to move past the woman who ghosted him years ago. He's cut his hair, and he's...

Explore the hidden and often shocking history of cults in the United States in Cults in America: A Deep Dive into the Dark History of U.S. Cults and Their Lasting Impact. From 19th-century utopian experiments to the devastating events at Jonestown and Waco, this comprehensive guide reveals how cults have shaped American society, politics, and culture across the centuries. Discover the psychological tactics that cults use to control followers, the warning signs of recruitment, and the rise of digital-age movements like QAnon and NXIVM. This compelling and informative book balances historical...

In this poignant and disturbing memoir of lost innocence, coercion, survival, and healing, Dianne Lake chronicles her years with Charles Manson, revealing for the first time how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the 20th century's most notorious criminals and life as one of his "girls". While much has been written about Charles Manson, this riveting account from an actual Family member is a chilling portrait that recreates in vivid detail one of the most horrifying chapters in modern American history.

Sí, Señor es la historia de cómo Dios tomó el control de la vida de Fermín IV. Parte de una memoria y parte de una historia de redención, este libro es una crónica de la vida de Fermín: desde ser un famoso rapero que hablaba sobre drogas y alcohol hasta ser el pastor de una de las iglesias más grandes de la ciudad de México que ahora habla sobre el amor y la redención de Dios.

Summary Brothers Troy and Tre Evans have been on a collision course since a tragedy separated and forced them into foster care. When they reunite as grown men, tensions and jealousies rise as Troy faces the challenges of a preacher’s life, while Tre gets pulled deeper into the pimp street life. When one woman is forced to choose between them, the brothers draw a line in the sand. Their competition for power, love, and money sets the stage for sibling rivalry, treachery, and unimaginable heartbreak. When reconciliation seems likely, a shocking family scandal could either draw the brothers ...

In one evening, Terry Caffey lost everything. His wife, Penny, and his sons, Matthew and Tyler, were brutally murdered; his home was burned to the ground, and his 16-year-old daughter, Erin, was in jail, charged with thiree counts of capital murder.

At the core of this book is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers and their fanatical brethren with a clear-eyed look at Mormonism's violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the most successful homegrown faith in the United States, and finds a distinctly American brand of religious extremism.