A baby is dead, her body abandoned in a roadside ditch. Her mother is the prime suspect ? then she turns up dead too. When the child's father goes missing, police detective Ned Barber digs in to discover who really killed the girl, and why. His investigation leads to con man Jo Cerveaux, who pastors a church called the Disciples Ranch. The church is a cult that espouses white Christian nationalism as detailed in an obscured manifesto called Refuge and Resurgence. Jo's followers call it "The Book of Jo."
The Book of Jo is historical fiction about the radical underside of the "New Conservatism" that swept Ronald Reagan into the presidency in 1980. Readers will see traits of Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Timothy McVeigh in Jo Cerveaux. He is a dangerous criminal hiding in plain sight.
The Book of Jo shows evil lurking on the fringe of a small rural community; dread permeates its pages. Jo and the Disciples Ranch ensnare unwitting victims. Racist appliance salesman Chet Welles realizes too late that he fallen in league with the Disciples and must redeem himself. Barnett Stone, a closeted gay member of the Disciples, runs for his life ? one step ahead of Disciples about to discover his secret. Clothing store manager Clayton Daniels disappears. Is he another of the church's victims?
Through it all, Ned Barber, his police colleagues, and local friends follow clues that point to Jo and the Disciples Ranch. This is small-town crime with all the tropes readers of the genre expect: murder, missing people, treachery, deceit, and conspiracy.
Not only is The Book of Jo solid crime fiction, it is a period-piece from America's recent past. Ned Barber and his detective partner, Bobby Jewell, are army veterans who served in two theaters of the Cold War ? West Germany and Vietnam. No-nonsense businesswoman Kate Bradford is the epitome of the women's rights movement. Police officer Pam Dilling ? known as Dillinger for her expert marksmanship ? proves women can thrive in a traditional male occupation.
Readers who crave than just another detective drama will like The Book of Jo. It is a morally complex tale that doesn't just entertain, it nudges readers to think about the world a little differently. The subtext of the story is as relevant today as it was four decades ago.
Fans of Tony Hillerman, Anne Hillerman, David Baldacci, and Attica Locke will enjoy The Book of Jo.
