Without a Prayer

Starred review from July 29, 2019
The Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, N.Y., seemed a little odd, but the upstate town and then the entire country were shocked by the 2015 beating death of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard by the congregation, including his own parents. In her excellent debut, journalist Ashline details what led to the murder, the church’s fanatical founder, his strange death, and the succession of his daughter, who inflicted bizarre emotional and verbal abuse on her congregation. One method of control was through threatening action for any sexual misconduct, which spiraled into allegations of child abuse against Leonard and his 17-year-old brother, Chris. When locked in the church and confronted by the pastor, the pastor’s family, and the boys’ parents, they were beaten and whipped until they “confessed” to their sins. Even then, the abuse went on for hours, until Lucas was left for dead. Ashline then follows the trials of nine members of the cult and details the mounds of evidence against them. Most were defiant, though after one defendant received a lengthy prison sentence, the rest agreed to pleas for shorter jail time. In the end, only Lucas’s father seems to realize the how and why of the tragedy and accepts his own guilt in a jailhouse letter written to the author. Meticulously researched, this is a gripping account, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Agent: Lane Heymont, Tobias Literary Agency/Seymour Agency Partners.

July 26, 2019

In October 2015, 19-year-old Lucas Leonard was brutally beaten to death by members of his church. Even more horrifying is that his parents took part in the tragedy. Journalist Ashline's debut details the claustrophobic lives led by members of the Word of Life Christian Church, Chadwicks, NY--and how things turned deadly. The church was originally started by Jerry Irwin, and it wasn't long before troubling beliefs soon took hold in the small group. After Jerry's death, Tiffanie Irwin took over as pastor, aided by her family and other loyalist parishioners. She claimed to receive detailed messages from God concerning members' lives. Services often lasted eight hours, and members were expected to devote significant amounts of time to personal devotions, scripture reading, and prayer, many remaining at the church well past midnight several nights a week. Basing her work on extensive interviews with former churchgoers, as well as police, prosecutors, and public documents, Ashline skillfully unfolds the events in a compassionate, thoughtful voice. VERDICT Readers interested in true crime and cults will be enthralled by this expertly rendered tale of extremism.--Chad E. Statler, Westlake Porter P.L., Westlake, OH

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.