Book Review - The Prophet

The Prophet by Ethan Cross (The Story Plant) - Why do we love serial killers?  We have TV shows that are dedicated to tracking them down or even making them the hero.  None of us would ever want to meet one in person but we are fascinated by what kind of person would do such things.

Ethan Cross brings us not one but two fascinating.killers.  Francis Ackerman is the product of a childhood of bizarre experiments by an insane father.  The Anarchist is the result of a mad man who believes that he is a prophet and that a young boy is the AntiChrist.  As a grown up the Anarchist is confronted with deep spiritual conflicts as he tries to find a way towards a very different life.  Caught in the middle is Agent Marcus Williams of the Shepherd Organization a special unit of the Department of Justice tasked with tracking serial killers down.  The story weaves between these three drawing in families, partners, other federal and local agencies and innocents that will be destroyed along the way.

The Prophet is the second novel in a series focused on the Shepherd Organization and Marcus Williams (the first is "The Shepherd").  It's a fast paced, intense, psychological thriller that takes you not only into the twisted corners of the bad guys but of the good guys as well.  This is the kind of book that won't let you put it down.  It demands your return to carry you deeper into the darkness surrounding the characters.

I had a couple small problems with the book.  The female agent characters are treated with little respect by the author.  They are both driven by their emotions into poor decisions both professionally and personally.  One agent goes to question a witness and at the end of the interview accepts a lunch date invitation for the next day.  The other goes from considering shooting Marcus to tearing off their clothes in a hotel room in the span of just a few days.  Can't imagine that female federal agents of any kind will appreciate the vision of them shown here.

The other has to do with the Shepherd Organization.  It's a government sponsored unit with the authority to hunt down citizens and kill them.  No trial, no evidence.  If they decide that you need to be eliminated they will use the power of the government to do just that.  The explanation is that well it's only BAD people like serial killers that they hunt.  The reality is that a group like this in another country would be called a "death squad".  It's an unfortunate choice to carry forward an otherwise great story.

Read this book.  Sure you'll sleep with the light on and baseball bat at your side but you won't regret reading "The Prophet".  It hits bookstores on October 16.

Rating - **** Recommended Read