SOLDIERS OF BABYLON

A timely thriller set in the world of far-right religious fanaticism.

In this installment of the Peter O’Keefe series, the private detective finds himself on a perilous mission to infiltrate an extremist group called The New Ark. (“They call the period we’re in now the ‘Tribulation,’ prelude to the Apocalypse and the Final Armageddon Battle, which are imminent—if not tomorrow then the day after tomorrow.”) It all starts when media mogul Richard Maxwell and his family become threatened by the group. The New Ark, bound by an ideology that upholds the “few real and true Christians” as the chosen people for the inevitable End Times, target Richard for being part of a vast conspiracy that they believe controls the media. Initially hired to provide personal protection for Richard, Peter quickly finds his assignment expanded to a full-blown undercover mission in which the detective and his partner, Sara Slade, pose as a married couple who humbly want to join The New Ark movement. Once accepted into the fold, Peter endeavors to find out all he can about the group’s broader plans, while Sara’s computer skills bring her into regular contact with David, aka The Prophet, The New Ark’s enigmatic and magnetic leader. The two uncover a plot to foment a violent revolution and must race against the clock to stop it without being discovered as traitors. Though the story takes place in 1989, it wouldn’t take much to place this smartly assembled procedural believably in the present. The narrative moves along at a steadily increasing pace, capturing in equal measure the deluded ravings of a self-appointed savior, the rising tensions inside the compound, and the web of law enforcement operatives navigating a complex matrix to prevent a deadly outcome. Out of his element, Peter shows uncertainty that contrasts with Sara’s confidence, creating a compelling dynamic between the capable allies as they become more deeply bonded by a situation that could cost them their lives.

A fascinating, fast-moving crime story that explores the dangerous power of hate.