When Alexander B. Lowell, lead singer of the cult band The Great, is hit with a bullet to the heart, he knows it’s over. All the pain, the disappointments, and the anguish of what he called life. His band members gathered around him, cocooning him in as much positive energy as possible. But his wound was surely fatal. Or was it? Fully recovering with little physical indication of the severity of his wound, Alec finds himself questioning his lack of faith and even the meaning of faith at all. His confusion heightens when his ex-girlfriend shows up at his sick bed with news that he is a father. Maybe this was his reality check. Alec is forced to reevaluate his life decisions in order to ensure the safety of his newfound family.

Perfect Prophet by Diane M. Johnson is a complex battle between the forces of God and Satan that open the door to possibilities in faith that are more reality than fiction to some readers. While Alec finds it easy to blame his messed up perspective of life on the fanatical existence of his own childhood, he is confronted with many absurd possibilities. The theme of the story is hauntingly genuine in its cult aesthetics. The story forces the reader to question his own beliefs. Research into the occult is evident and Johnson strings details together rather convincingly. There are enough surprises in character development to create a need to continue reading to the end. I like the open ended sub themes that follow through until the end.

Perfect Prophet by Diane M. Johnson is dark and gripping, a tale with strong spiritual and physical conflicts. Alexander B. Lowell, also known as Alec or Alexander the Great as he was called by the hippest punters of his fledgling fandom, is shot on stage by a satanic fan, while he is playing the guitar in an underground club. An atheist, he starts believing in God, thanks to his miraculous recovery. But a trip back home opens his eyes to a reality he never imagined, even faintly, about his father. His hypocrite of a father has very dark and deadly secrets and a powerful link to a local satanic cult in which he plays a vital role. When Alec’s life is in even graver danger and the safety of those he loves is in jeopardy, he finds help in unexpected places, but can he survive what is heading his way?

Diane M. Johnson’s writing is beautiful and the characters are awesome. The characters are well explored, including Alec’s father, the prophet Brent Lowell, Alec, Lucas and a cast of other characters. The reader is pulled into a powerful conflict, the fight between good and evil, and themes like family, murder, crime, faith, and hope are written into the story in a brilliant manner. I enjoyed the prose and the author’s gift for descriptive narrative, scenes that are focused and insightful. Character development is top notch and the strong plot points make the story a gripping one. Perfect Prophet melds elements of thriller, horror, and the supernatural into one fascinating tale that is as edgy as it is dark. You can’t put it down.