Mystery Cults

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically reenacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings.

In the early Roman Empire, as Christianity struggled to gain a foothold and survive in the polytheistic pool of Roman theology, its greatest rivals weren't the Caesars or the Roman aristocracy but rather the faith and devotion of the common Roman legionary. The faith of these men was centered on the god Mithras, who, they believed, led them to victory upon the field of battle and had done so for nearly four centuries.

Big messages come from the smallest things. And sometimes the smallest things are the most dangerous. When Gabby McAllister receives a mysterious package in the mail she does not think much of it. A box. Some coins. Nothing that looks like a threat. Then she touches them. The visions hit immediately — dark, urgent, and terrifying. These coins are connected to a murder. A murder that has not happened yet. As the visions grow darker and more intense Gabby realizes with a chill she cannot shake that she is not stumbling onto this case. She was guided to it. Someone sent her those coins ...

A distraught mother seeks her kidnapped child. A young boy languishes in jail, facing a trial that could change his life forever. The 3M Detective Agency has been nearly dismantled by sudden death and an unrelenting campaign by an out-of-control district attorney. How will Natalie McMasters and the fam fight against overwhelming odds to keep from being destroyed for good? Cult! is a story that spans the U.S.A., as Nattie infiltrates a soul-sucking cult trying to take over Los Angeles to hunt for her newly discovered sister and her missing newborn son, while a couple of ancient Tai Chi ...

Historians Cameron Thorne and Amanda Spencer-Gunn discover a fourteenth-century journal which confirms a long-rumored historical heresy: The medieval Church outlawed the Knights Templar because the warrior monks were secretly worshiping the ancient Goddess. The journal also sucks Cam and Amanda into the orbit of a ruthless cabal of modern-day pagans intent on pushing America into the loving arms of the Goddess—whether America wants succor there or not.

Torchlight. Drumbeat. A crowded hall breathes in unison as a priest lifts an object only initiates can see. Outside, empires rise and fall. Inside, someone believes death just lost. Mystery Religions of the Ancient World takes you inside the three most intoxicating cults of the classical Mediterranean. Walk the Sacred Way to Eleusis. Swear oaths in a Mithraic cave beneath a Roman granary. Sail at dawn with the priests of Isis as they launch a ceremonial ship and promise safe passage in this life and the next. This is history with a pulse, told with the urgency of a thriller and the rigor of...

Africa may have given rise to the first human beings, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world’s first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world.

In 1632, an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil. After a sensational and celebrated trial, the convent's charismatic priest Urban Grandier - accused of spiritually and sexually seducing the nuns in his charge - was convicted of being in league with Satan. Then he was burned at the stake for witchcraft. A remarkable true story of religious and sexual obsession, The Devils of Loudun is considered by many to be Brave New World author Aldous Huxley's nonfiction masterpiece.

Demons, jinn, possession, sinister artifacts, and gruesome archaeological discoveries haunt this new book by Dr. Heather Lynn. Evil Archaeology investigates the archaeological record for artifacts and evidence of evil entities, revealing how demons from the ancient world may be dwelling among us. It also looks at the history and lore behind real relics believed to be haunted and includes historical accounts of demonic possession that go as far back as King Solomon invoking demons to help him build his famed temple.

There is a reason the name Isis endured long after empires collapsed. She was not a distant myth. She was the goddess people turned to when life broke—when illness struck, when loved ones died, when the future felt uncertain. Her worship spread across continents because it worked. It answered questions that never go away. This book takes you inside that world. Step into the myths that shaped one of history’s most powerful divine figures Understand the rituals that brought ancient magic into everyday life Decode the symbols that carried meaning from Egypt to Rome Discover how ordinary ...

Some inherit wealth. Callie Mercer inherited a cage. When Edith Mercer dies, she leaves behind an isolated cabin deep in the mountains, a locked chest of journals, and a family legacy that her niece Callie never wanted. Returning to the remote, off-the-grid property to settle the estate, Callie expects a quick sale and a permanent escape. Instead, she finds a land steeped in isolation and a growing, suffocating dread. There is no cell service. The silence of the ancient trees feels like a physical weight. And something massive is moving in the timberline, scratching at the heavy wooden ...

Hunting Angels In a chilling narrative inspired by true events. Hunting Angels follows a struggling author whose life takes a horrifying turn when he is drawn into a web of darkness and deceit. When called upon by the police to use his expertise in occult symbolism to help solve a grotesque double murder, he unwittingly uncovers the terrifying presence of an insidious satanic cult. At its helm is the enigmatic and alluring Fabienne Wilder, a figure whose beauty belies her connection to the demon Baphomet. As the author delves deeper into the investigation, he realises he is not just a ...

Tribulation is a twisted mystery about an end-of-days religious cult manipulating space and traveling across planes of existence on electricity and radio signals. Cult members willingly accept seven brutal years of torture, known as their “tribulation,” to atone for their earthly sins and come out on the other side saved (or thoroughly brainwashed?). The hero of this thriller, Stacy Carlson, must uncover the mystery of the Tribulation cult after her husband Greg is kidnapped by its leader, Brother Elijah (Josh Charles), through a bizarre AM radio broadcast.

When Riley Matthews (niece of Daniel Matthews from the book Without Warning in the Elite Guardians series) heads to North Carolina to rescue her best friend from the Swiss Saints cult, she quickly runs into trouble. Steve Patterson, home from Afghanistan and ready to adjust to civilian life, wants that life to include Riley Matthews. But first, he has to find her, help her rescue her friend--and convince her that he's a changed man. Only Riley's not so sure she believes him. Truthfully, her heart wants to say all is forgiven, but her head won't let her forget the pain he caused her when he ...

“My husband was so excited about this book that I also read it.” – Linda Olinger, Amazon Reviewer “Eeek! I loved this book so much!” – Amanda Felton, Book Blogger “I binged and splurged the entire series.” – J.L. Lux, Author “I read all ten books in this series in one go.” – Matt S., Amazon reader BRONZE MEDAL AWARD WINNER! - 2022 Epic Fantasy - Readers' Favorite Murders, magic, and secrets. A knighted outcast and a tantalizing witch. The conflicted son of a witch was knighted by the king. Knighted to repay a debt to his father. His name is Calec. He alone holds ...

I thought I had a perfect life with a loving husband until… He joined a cult. I wake in the middle of a nightmare, alone in a room I don’t recognize. Far from my perfect life. And I realize my husband is not only my enemy, he’s also the worst villain in my life. He’s the reason I’m here. He brought me to this place because I refuse to follow the rules. His rules. He demands I have a son as our first child, and when the doctor announces we’re expecting a daughter, my husband accuses me of going against God’s vision for us. He thinks The Farm will put me on my path to God. And I...

Lay provost Eldon Fochs is a happily married father of four. Based on his disturbing dreams, he may also be a sex criminal. His therapist isn’t sure, and his church is determined to protect its reputation. Written from the perspectives of Fochs, his analyst Dr. Alexander Feshtig, and the letters exchanged between Feshtig and his superiors in the church, Father of Lies is Brian Evenson’s fable of power, paranoia, and the dangers of blind obedience. It offers a terrifying vision of how far institutions will go to protect themselves from the innocents who may be their victims.

My name is Mac Brennan, and that's the only thing I can remember about myself. Not why I woke up in a dumpster. Not why my right arm is as black as pitch and covered in glowing red tattoos, and certainly not why a vicious death cult is after me. Actually, that last part isn't true. I know why the death cult is after me. It's because I saved that damned girl from them. I didn't know who she was at the time, but I'd have done it anyway. I just don't like it when girls get beat up; call me old fashioned.

A bestselling dystopian novel that tackles surveillance, privacy and the frightening intrusions of technology in our lives—a “compulsively readable parable for the 21st century” (Vanity Fair). When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company...

A New York Times Bestseller 2026 Audie Award Nominee “This suspenseful YA thriller is yet another testament to Jackson’s talent.”—ELLE New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, following a freshman girl whose...