Years ago a famous ad campaign that queried "Is it live or is it Memorex?" (Recorded on tape) That stayed on my mind throughout this novel, which in large part faces the question of "Is it Fake, or is it Real?" and the concomitant question, in essence asked of all its characters: "Do you really believe?" Also there's the Theological Conundrums:
"Does Satan exist?" "Does God exist?" "Do I worship, or trust in secular humanity?" As.you read, you will witness the unraveling of conspiracies and ponder these questions for yourself.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Alec is the lead singer in a satanist band. One day on stage he is shot but he makes it and lives on. However, after the accident and his recovery, Alec changes a lot and tries to discover himself and make some amends regarding his family, his ex-girlfriend, father and sister. Through this rediscovering journey, Alec finds out many shocking things specifically about his father and his dark secrets.

I enjoyed reading this book, it is dark as I expected it to be and entertaining at the same time. The characters development I think could've been somehow more tuned. Two main things I have to criticize here though, one of them is the ending, it did not feel as satisfying as I was hoping it to be. I was expecting a stronger conclusion. The other thing is that I felt the drama and story were going over the top at many times. I usually prefer this kind of thrillers to be more subtle. The more subtle it gets the more chilling and horrifying it becomes. Perfect Prophet did not have this subtle plot. It had more action than necessary.

Overall this book was an entertaining read and I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.0. I grabbed an advanced copy of this book from the Read Now section on NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased review.

It's been a long time since I've come across a really satisfying Satanists versus the good guys story and that is just what Perfect Prophet delivers. I'm not going to get into the plot too much except to say I wasn't convinced this death metal band was going to interest me much. I was wrong.
Race With The Devil is mentioned in the book but I was already reminded of it before then. It also has shades of Salem's Lot and Let's Scare Jessica To Death. No there are no vampires but you just never know who you can trust and who is in league with the devil.

I am the Resurrection, and I am the Light

So says Jesus. And Ian Brown. But not Alec Lowell, lead guitarist in ‘The Great’ and the antagonistic protagonist of Diane M. Johnson’s second novel, an atheistic anarchist who finds himself thrust into the centre of the ultimate Light vs Dark battle.

This story plays out as a supernatural mystery, fantastical elements of black magic and miracles running alongside the classic ‘Whodunnit’ (or rather, Whoissit) of the true persona of The Man, Ashland’s satanic cult leader. The reader is taken on a journey of theological debate and personal struggle as Alec survives a bullet that should surely have killed him, returns home to his family and begins to uncover the secrets of his devoutly religious father.

I found the language and style of writing a little heavy going at times, and this novel took several evenings of perseverance to complete. The subject matter, as any type of theology, requires more than comfy slippers and a mug of hot chocolate to fully devour and appreciate, and I felt the great time leaps between Alec’s major life incidents confusing at times. The idea of an entire town being composed of Satanists, and not knowing who (including law enforcement) to trust came across very intensely, and had me ‘edge of my seat’-ing as if I were watching a Final Girl trying to survive the night in a classic horror film.

Overall, I really enjoyed Perfect Prophet, if I could suspend my disbelief at the darkest of dark magicks taking place in a small town in Wisconsin, of all places. And The Great singer Cleo’s propensity to call everyone ‘hon.’ If you’re after something with a little more meat than your standard mystery thriller, I would recommend giving this a try. But keep a clear head and an open mind as you go!

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.