Stolen from her mother at the age of seven, Lisa's been raised in her father's religious community and taught to obey men without question. Even after her father is expelled, she follows him nearly unerringly as they end up on the streets. And when she is finally rescued and returned to her mother, she must perform one final act of loyalty for the man. But having tasted a world of freedom in which she can make her own choices, is she still obligated to obey her father's last order?
A suspenseful thriller that follows a well-worn path. But while it uses familiar tropes, Thompson avoids spending inordinate time on them. Yes, the reclusive messianic cult that Lisa and her parents are involved in has lots of abuse, hypocrisy, and shaky theology, but we spend little time on it (and the focus is mostly on how incompatible her Dad is with the faith). Lisa has plenty of symptoms of PTSD, but we skim over the events that caused them. In place of gratuitous scenes of physical jeopardy, there a strong drive to race to the end. The plot's notable feature is its focus on its goal. Strong characters and some unusual supporting rules (like Lisa's homeschooled boyfriend) also give this novel some originality amidst the familiar.
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