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In May 2006, Jeffs was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for alleged
crimes in Arizona and Utah and was arrested in August 2006. This book will explore
the social impact of plural marriage, the dangers of religious extremism, and the
intersection where faith meets criminal behavior. Twenty years ago the author was
nominated for a national award, an Edgar, for documenting the rise and fall of the
neo-Nazi group known as The Order. Two decades later the subject of violently fanatical
theology has become a a worldwide issue.
When Men Become Gods
examines Jeffs' story, how it fits into this larger phenomenon, and offers a different
approach to fighting terrorism.
Kirkus Reviews
Veteran journalist Singular (Unholy Messenger: The Life and
Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer, 2006, etc.) delves into the dark life
and spectacular flameout of notorious Mormon preacher Warren Jeffs
The charismatic head of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, Jeffs was a
polygamist of the highest order, taking countless wives and all but ordering his
flock to do the same. For nearly a decade, he ruled over thousands of followers,
coercing countless young girls into forced marriages with older men. Convicted of
rape as an accomplice in 2007, he went on the lam soon thereafter. Here the book
evolves from a behind-the-scenes exposé of an influential cult into a gripping true-crime
thriller, loaded with federal agents, car chases and courtroom dramas. Singular
is a canny writer, and his prose is muscular and straightforward, never detracting
from the power of the story. He also demonstrates an impressive ability to get inside
his subjects’ heads—dialogues or inner monologues never seem forced or false. Readers
interested in learning how one man can bastardize spiritual doctrines for his personal
gain—or those intrigued by the rise and fall of a patently evil person—will be fascinated
by Singular’s examination of religious corruption. But be prepared to take a shower
after finishing the book, because Jeffs will make anybody with a semblance of morality
feel dirty.
A harrowing, well-written account of a frightening cult. (Agent: Mel Berger/William
Morris Agency)
Stephen Singular's "Unholy Messenger: The Life & Crimes of the BTK Serial
Killer," published in hardcover in 2006, has been released in paperback by Pocket
Books/Simon & Schuster. The softcover contains startling new information about BTK,
developed after Singular appeared on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" in April 2006.
The revelations concern the killer's sexuality and other potential murders.
In 2006 Singular appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 discussing the BTK
case and his book, Unholy Messenger. He was a guest on
CNN's Paula Zahn's show and ESPN's Cold Pizza, where he talked about
Catch This! which he wrote with Terrell Owens. He did multiple interviews
on Fox TV, Court TV, MSNBC and various national radio shows in connection to the
JonBenet Ramsey case and his book, Presumed Guilty.
Stephen Singular's
Unholy Messenger, is available
now in bookstores and on Amazon.com.
Unholy Messenger by Stephen Singular, about the
serial killer known by his chosen name BTK-bind, torture, kill-is the first, and
only book about BTK to examine the connections between religious fundamentalism
and violence, and the roles they play in this strange saga.
Dennis Rader, BTK-is exceptional among serial killers. He was inspired by
IN COLD BLOOD. He was a student of serial killer literature
who eluded the police for decades by using their assumptions that these criminals
fit certain patterns or categories. He was a model citizen with a picture perfect
family, a job upholding law and order, and President of the Congregation of Christ
Lutheran Church.
Like Dennis Rader, Stephen Singular is a Kansas native, who grew up with the
Midwestern values influenced by his Protestant religion, and was also deeply affected
by IN COLD BLOOD. A New York Times bestselling author,
Singular has been monitoring the BTK story for more than thirty years and is the
only author who has been given complete access to the church where Rader was an
active member for three decades. With exclusive behind-the-scenes accounts of the
BTK investigation provided by one of the Wichita detectives who arrested Rader,
Singular's access and insights inform Unholy Messenger
with an authority not available elsewhere.
Here are what the critics are saying about Unholy Messenger:
"Veteran true crime author Singular, who advanced a controversial theory of the
Jon-Benet Ramsey murder in Presumed Guilty, has crafted a gripping and chilling
tale in this thorough examination of Dennis Rader, the infamous BTK killer, who
terrorized Wichita, Kans., for decades. By making use of Rader's extensive confessions,
as well as the recollections of his pastor and one of the primary detectives, the
author recreates, in macabre detail, the killing spree that claimed 10 lives. Rader's
sadism is hard to stomach, especially his modus operandi of murdering people in
front of their relatives. The pastor's take on the crimes-that his parishioner (who
was president of the congregation) was demonically possessed-may offend some, but
Singular puts this theory in context by taking pains to present the theological
struggle Rader's crimes presented. Some of the details-for example, of the dialogue
between killer and victim just before the murders-appear to be derived solely from
Rader's admissions. Overall, Singular has written a solid account that will both
fascinate and horrify."
Publishers Weekly