Title: Cult
Author: Warren Adler
Publisher: Stonehouse Press
Review Date: 05/02
Genre: Fiction
A Review by Diane Thomas
The latest offering by
Warren Adler, author of War Of The Roses and Random Hearts,
is about a loving husband's desperate attempt to rescue his young wife from
the clutches of a religious cult. At least that is the underlying story.
Cult deals, in depth, with the beliefs and misconceptions that many
of us have toward those who have surcommed to "brainwashing" and have
become "willing" participants in the death and destruction of themselves
and others.
After the tragic events of September 11, we have all questioned why
anyone would want to kill thousands of innocent people and surrender their
own life as well. What kind of religion would make someone hate so strongly
and behave so irrationally? In Cult, Warren Adler provides some
insight into the psychology of terrorism and cults and the methods used to
procure and keep their members.
The story begins as Barney Harrigan prevails upon a former lover, Naomi
Forman, to use her political connections as a human rights activist to
help him free his wife from a religious cult called the "Glories". Naomi
is a firm believer in free choice and does not believe that Barney's wife
was kidnapped against her will, but because of Barney's obvious anguish
and her own guilt feelings over their breakup years earlier she reluctantly
agrees.
When it becomes apparent there will be no help from Naomi's Washington
contacts the couple travel to Oregon where, against Naomi's better
judgement, they team up with a pair of deprogrammers - Pat O'Hara, (aka
Zacharias) who had been under the Glories' control for six years and
Roy Smith, who had freed O'Hara several years earlier - An elaborate plan
to kidnap and deprogram Barney's wife is put into effect with surprising
and deadly consequences.
Cult is a fast paced, page turning thriller with many twists and
turns. As a life long reader of mysteries and thrillers I was totally
thrown more than once! This is a highly emotionally charged book that stays
with you long after you have finished reading.
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