Badlands
by Peter Bowen
When a mysterious cult moves in on the outskirts of Toussaint, it’s up to Du Pré to investigate whether the members are merely eccentric—or murderous The Eides have owned cattle in Montana since 1882, but a few days after they pull up stakes and sell their property, their homestead goes up in flames. When Gabriel Du Pré arrives on scene, nothing is left but the ashes. A serene young man appears, insisting that the fires were set purposefully and firmly asking Du Pré to leave. He is a representative from the Host of Yahweh, the millennial cult that has purchased the sprawling ranch on the edge of the Badlands, and arson is just the beginning of their suspicious behavior.At first the people of Toussaint try to ignore the secretive cult. But when Du Pré gets a tip from an FBI contact that seven Host of Yahweh defectors were recently shot to death, he takes another look at the glassy-eyed conclave. Behind their peaceful smiles, great evil lurks.