Five Novels Portraying Toxic Religion

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At its best, religion can help and encourage. At its worst, it can be used to manipulate, control and abuse. Such is the case in my upcoming thriller In a Quiet Town. The story centers around Tatum whose husband Shane is the lead pastor of the only church in their small town. On the outside, they appear to be the perfect couple, but things are not as idyllic as they seem. Years earlier, Shane all but disowned their adult daughter Adrienne, destroying the relationship between she and Tatum. Now, Tatum is determined to reconnect with her daughter. She sneaks out every Wednesday evening to meet up with her, until one night Adrienne disappears. As Tatum desperately searches for her daughter – despite no one in town believing her that anything sinister has happened – we see how toxic this church and this town really is.

Here are five other novels exploring toxic religion.

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

This chilling novel follows Shay as she searches for answers in the death of her former college roommate Laurel. After hearing about Laurel’s death on a true-crime podcast hosted by her high school friend Jamie, she flies from Dallas, where she lives with her husband, to New York to solve the mystery. It’s clear from the start that old demons are waiting for her there. As the story unfolds, we learn about Don, a man who manipulated, controlled, and abused Shay and her friends back when they were in college. Delving deeper into the investigation means going undercover into a cult that is more dangerous and sinister than she could have imagined. While this story is about a cult rather than a traditional religion or church, I felt it fit this list as it explores similar themes such as the patriarchy, gender roles, the expectations men put on women and the need to conform to fit in. 

Lay Your Body Down by Amy Suiter Clarke

Del Walker returns to her hometown after her former boyfriend Lars is killed. Returning means facing her religious trauma surrounding the mega-church that seemingly runs the town. Told in three alternating timelines and points of view – Del in the present and past, and blog posts written by Lars’ wife Eve — the reader is given glimpses into the patriarchal nature of Pastor Rick and his church. As someone who was raised in church, I thought the depiction of putting forth a “joyful” outward appearance while struggling on the inside was so relatable and well done. This story is haunting and will stick with you long after the last page has been turned. 

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

Natalie hasn’t heard from her sister Kit for more than six months, not since she left to go to a “self-improvement” retreat in Wisewood. Now Natalie has received a strange, threatening email and she’s headed to Wisewood to find her sister. When she arrives, it’s clear Wisewood is more sinister than she could have imagined. I loved this premise and this story. It’s told from three alternating perspectives – Kit, Natalie and a mysterious third person. The novel explores how cults can identify, prey upon, manipulate and control vulnerable people.

The Mothers by Britt Bennett

Nadia is seventeen years old, lives in San Diego and attends a church called the Upper Room. After Nadia’s mother commits suicide, she strikes up a relationship with a boy named Luke who is her pastor’s son and a hometown football hero. “The Mothers” are a group of elderly women who attend the church. While this story is about Nadia’s life from her teenage years and beyond, much of it is told from the perspective of “the mothers.” The Upper Room serves as an additional character in the book and many of the choices made – good and bad – stem from the church. The hypocrisy in some of those choices is spotlighted, as are the ways they affect the trajectory of Nadia’s life. This is a gritty coming-of-age tale, I won’t soon forget. 

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Margot Davies returns to her hometown to care for her Uncle Luke who is suffering from dementia, right around the time a young girl goes missing. This new case brings up haunting similarities to the murder of Margot’s childhood neighbor January. Margot becomes obsessed with solving January’s cold case. While this story isn’t largely about religious toxicity, the theme does run subtly in the background in this small town. Judgments, misogyny, and unfair assumptions are rampant throughout this story and many of them have hindered the investigation into January’s death. The eerie similarities to a real-life true crime case make this a fun mysterious read. 

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