Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints

by Sam Brower, Jon Krakauer (Foreword)

From the private investigator who cracked open the case that led to the arrest of Warren Jeffs, the maniacal prophet of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), comes the page-turning, horrifying story of how a rogue sect used sex, money, and power disguised under a favßade of religion to further criminal activities and a madman's vision.

Despite considerable press coverage and a lengthy trial, the full story has remained largely untold. Only one man can reveal the whole, astounding truth: Sam Brower, the private investigator who devoted years of his life to breaking open the secret practices of the FLDS and bringing Warren Jeffs and his inner circle to justice. In Prophet's Prey, Brower implicates Jeffs in his own words, bringing to light the contents of Jeffs's personal priesthood journal, discovered in a hidden underground vault, and revealing to readers the shocking inside world of FLDS members, whose trust he earned and who showed him the staggering truth of their lives.

Prophet's Prey offers the gripping, behind-the-scenes account of a bizarre world from the only man who knows the full story.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Religion, Cults, Crime, History, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Brower is known as the man who cracked open the secretive world of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). His work led to the arrest and conviction of prophet Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years in a Texas prison for child sexual assault.

Brower details the investigation in his new book, Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: There’s some bad words below, that bugs some people, so consider yourself warned.

Sam Brower, a private investigator and Mormon who lives an hour away from Short Creek, started his professional experience with FLDS when a little guy, Ross Chatwin, was excommunicated from FLDS and was required to leave Short Creek, and leave his wife and his children. (His crime: wanting another wife, choosing one on his own with his wife’s input, and being very low in the pecking order.) He didn’t want to leave, and Brower succeeds at keeping him and his family in their house. (Another man, who was very high on the pecking order, was excommunicated because he asked Warren Jeffs to pass him a box of nails. Other people were excommunicated for no other reason than whim.)

Warren Jeffs is a crazy batshit evil motherfucker. Literally, as it turns out. He married some of his father’s wives after he died and had sex with some of the pretty younger ones before he died… This non-fiction which sometimes reads like a novel, is about the immorality in Warren Jeffs and the FLDS “Church.” That 12 year old daughters are given by their fathers to Jeffs in exchange for other young girls, that rape and abuse are part of the air they breathe, that what Jeffs says goes, even from a Texas prison cell. That the states of Utah, Arizona, Texas and others are complicit in allowing the malevolence of the FLDS to continue and flourish makes me wonder who is really pulling their strings. After the treasure trove of documents that the Feds recovered in the YFZ raid, why weren’t more charges forthcoming? Why were underage children returned to their abusers?

With the FLDS, the Feds are facing one of the largest organized-crime syndicates in the history of this country. Since ten to fifteen thousand members support a religion that participates in child abuse, interstate and international sex trafficking, and other crimes in support of their religious dogma. It is a much bigger gang than Dan Corleone ever had in The Godfather movies. I have often pondered how the public would react if the same sort of ritualistic crimes that I have investigated within the FLDS had instead centered on a congregation of Satan worshippers. The only difference is that Satan worshippers know without a doubt that they are going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if they get caught raping a virgin. If the FLDS crimes had been put in proper perspective, outraged citizens and lawmakers would have demanded action long ago.

The problem is bigger than Utah, bigger than Arizona, and even bigger than Texas, which was blindsided by the enormity of bringing the FLDS to justice. The federal government must remain in this fight, for we cannot tolerate such blatant, massive abuse in this country, and no other entity has the resources to take on thousands of unapologetic fanatics.(300-301)

[Jenalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make that 4 stars for content and 3 1/2 for writing (because of the repetition). When I moved to Utah 31 years ago I was puzzled by the pioneer-clothed people I encountered. They regularly frequented the same fabric stores as I did. I saw middle-aged women with young daughters picking out fabric for wedding dresses. After asking around I learned they were polygamists and Fundamentalists, a break-off group of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also learned that the huge white complex at the mouth of Little Cottonwood canyon was one of their sanctuaries. With no information about their beliefs and activities I decided that for me, if a man wants to have more than one wife, and will take care of his wives and children, if the women were consenting, then they should be left alone to practice their religion. After all, I am a descendant of pioneer Mormons. HOWEVER, thanks to Sam Brower, the P.I. that helped put Fundamentalist prophet Warren Jeffs behind bars, the truth has come out about the Fundamentalists. They are a secret combination living right under our very noses in Utah, across the U.S. and Canada. Their illegal activites include the "sexual exploitation of women and children", incest, child abuse, rape, murder, kidnapping, and on and on. They also drain our Welfare tax dollars that should be used for the truly needy. It is absolute craziness. This book is a disturbing read but informational for anyone following the FLDS story in the news.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a practicing member of the LDS church, I have always found myself see-sawing between repulsion and horrified fascination when I read about the twisted atrocities that the FLDS have made of polygamy and LDS church doctrine. As I've read some of the news accounts over the years, I've wondered "How could they possibly read the same scriptures I do, and NOT see how impossibly screwed up their practices are??"

So I really appreciated how Sam Brower, a private investigator and also a practicing LDS, went into the history of the FLDS movement, and how they've become what they are today. (I've avoided the Krakauer book precisely because he's NOT LDS, and, while he's a good writer, I wasn't sure he'd really be able to differentiate the LDS and FLDS. I think I'll look it up now.) There were points in the book where I was actually able to understand how children, born into such an environment of sexual abuse, and educated so poorly, were able to grow into adults who follow their putative leader so slavishly.

Warren Jeffs and his father, Rulon, were both monsters, (well, I KNEW that already...) but I hadn't realized how bad they were. I'm grateful there are men like Sam Brower, who are willing to try to penetrate such an insular, repressive, abusive community like the FLDS, and it's frustrating that he's fighting such an uphill battle. I'd thought Jeffs was locked away for life; I hadn't realized that he's out again, and with almost all the money and power over his congregation that he had before. What was the point of putting him on the FBI's most wanted list, if they're just going to turn around and let him go???

I was impressed by Brower's statement, toward the end of the book, that he has never yet met any FLDS woman who was NOT sexually abused in some way. I think that line right there speaks volumes about the kind of culture that's grown up around this belief system. It's frustrating that law inforcement and politicians aren't willing to take the time, and money, (and often, bad publicity from reporters who often don't really understand what law enforcement is up against) to really combat this problem.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I meant to read this in around four sittings since there's 40 chapters and a lot of information to absorb, but I ended up finishing it in just two.

This is my third FLDS book so far, and I'm planning on reading just about all of them. I might jump into Krakauer's book next, since he was featured in this one and I've been meaning to do it. Or I might go and read an LDS book in between, we'll see.

So, the books I've read before were individual stories, while Prophet's Prey ties them all together and provides even more evidence of how twisted Warren Jeffs really is. This is something I really enjoyed (the former, not Jeffs being creepy).

The only reason why it's not five stars is the jumping around the timeline in some chapters and occasional repetitiveness.

As an example, in one chapter the author said one thing, and then a few pages later said the same thing, just with more info. It wasn't too big of a bother, and it helps to remember things better I suppose, but yeah it's not entirely perfect so four stars.

[Jim Leckband · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became aware the FDLS when driving back from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. At this time (early 2000's) my wife was enamored with cheese curds. So when a billboard on the desolate highway proclaimed that fresh cheese curds were available up ahead there was no doubt we were stopping. We exited the highway and proceeded to end up in the twilight zone. The dairy store was manned by young girls/women in dresses from the pioneer days. When it was found out that curds were not available - the girls could not go get it, they had to be accompanied by a male at all times. Weird we thought.

And then we saw the humongous houses in Colorado City - like McMansions but on steroids. Again, very odd. It wasn't until I read Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith that I finally got the answers for what we saw. But it wasn't until reading this book that I realized how evil the place was/is. The Jeffs and their goons are an Organized Crime family. But Tony Soprano doesn't hide his crimes under the guise of God's revelation like Warren Jeffs.

Warren Jeffs knew exactly what he was and is doing. He knows that God has nothing to do with what he wants - but unfortunately his brainwashed followers don't, especially the women. It is devastating to read the rapes, kidnapping, thefts and other felonies that were (and maybe still are) a fact of "life" in the FDLS. Because of religion's outsized role in America, this criminal organization is still allowed to exist!

Brower happened to be a private detective in a nearby city when what seemed a minor matter turned into bigger and bigger things until he just couldn't ignore the scope of what had been done by Jeffs and his goons. He writes in a very compelling way of his, Utah's and Arizona's and the US's investigations and is very outspoken on how politics reluctance to police religions hampered justice. While it is natural for a writer to become the hero of his story, in this story it doesn't seem out of place.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all the books I've read about polygamy, this is definitely my favorite. It is written by an LDS cowboy who makes his living doing private investigating and a little bounty hunting on the side. I was expecting some red neck language, but he is surprisingly eloquent, and an excellent writer. I liked his perspective because it had a much wider scope than "Escape" or "Stolen Innocence." Sam Brower tells many different individual stories, and then outlines the legal battles against Warren Jeffs and the other abusers within his sect. Brower's focus is the child abuse that is rampant within the FLDS, and he was integral in collecting the information that sent many FLDS rapists to jail. Honestly, he's a bad ass, and I'm glad he went after Jeffs. Anyone a little less brave, stubborn or passionate about saving children would have given up.

I must admit there were a few times when Brower repeats himself. But the moments are brief, and I didn't think they detracted much from the book. I think it deserves a solid five stars.

[Cupcakes & Machetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any religion that tells you that you should be raping (stop saying ‘having sex with’, that’s just sugar coating rape) little girls, should make you turn tail and run for the hills. However, what a perfect haven for predators. Anyone tries to stop your rape of children, just start hollering about your freedom of religion and how you’re just misunderstood and people will back off. No one wants to offend someone’s religion, especially the United States government. No, they prefer to just pretend it’s not happening. Put it’s collective head in the sand to avoid the screams and suffering of children. Even though this book was published ten years ago, these communities are still very much active.

If you want/need a solid understanding of the FLDS and it’s history, I will always recommend Jon Krauker’s Under the Banner of Heaven. For a short summary, this cult (the most accurate term) is a group that broke away from mainstream Mormonism years ago when the church outlawed polygamy. Not a lot of women are not necessarily down for plural marriage, so the easiest way to deal with little ‘issue’ is to marry little girls who can’t say no. To make that even easier, you start brainwashing them from birth and demonize anyone who doesn’t live the same lifestyle. If the outside world is too scary, they’ll stay right where the predators can get them.

Also, there is a lot of incest.

On top of all the despicable things they do, the patriarchy of the cult functions much like the mob. They will find you, and they will silence you at all costs. They will stop at nothing to keep their steady supply of victims out of the hands of safety.

Now that I’ve set that little background for you, this is the story from the perspective of one of the investigators who helped bring down the leader of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs. The worst of the predators. It took ridiculously long, as you can see by the title. Nothing in government moves fast but building a solid case takes time too. Of course, as you’ll find out throughout this book, there are plenty of people who will stand in the way and try to slow things down even more. That is what is always fascinating about these big, true crime cases, how often things get bungled before justice can finally be served.

Sam Brower dishes out the details in this deep dive into Warren Jeffs and the FLDS. From brainwashing, rape, incest, power struggles, and hideouts, to big money, political clot and swayed journalism. This covers the full scope of a true crime story that continues to this day. It’s not really justice when the leader still leads his puppets from prison and children continue to be abused and families torn apart. Although sometimes redundant, this was a horrifying read that will pull you into a world that should no longer exist in this age and that you will have a hard time coming to terms with.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up a few miles from a polygamist community. They seemed like hard working, good but strange people. Things got weirder when their new prophet, Warren Jeffs took over. I was working at a gas station when a regular customer and polygamist came in for his morning coffee and snack. He was visibly upset and told me how the church took his house. That’s not all. They also took his wives and children and assigned them to another man. This book, by a private investigator from just over the next hill from my hometown, gives light on how this is possible in the 21st century. The author played a huge role in getting Jeffs on the FBI’s most wanted list and eventually in a Texas prison (seriously, why’d he go there when Utah had been so worried about the optics of his case that he probably would have got off?) Along with hard data documenting child abuse, rape and pedophilia, obstruction of justice, money laundering, etc there are soft facts, based only on verbal testimony involving more rape (not just girls) and Blood Atonement in which sinners are so far gone that Jesus’ blood can no longer save them and their own blood must be spilled for their own salvation. Aside from being very disturbing, the book reads like part memoir and part detective story. The author is obviously not a pro writer, but did a fine job. There is also a troubling documentary you can watch based on this book in which you can hear audio of Jeffs raping a 12 year old girl on his temple alter and later admitting to being a false prophet while in prison. Icky stuff here, but an important study of brainwashing and sadistic acts on an otherwise good group of people.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend reading this book if you want to be armed with wild facts about Warren Jeffs that you can sprinkle into conversations whenever things are slow.

[Alisha Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a few books about polygamy and I've always felt that it's reprehensible the way these cults treat their women and children, demeaning them, abusing them, by taking the word of the Bible and skewing those ideas to excuse their perverseness. It's just one subject that pisses me off to no end. So, I liked that Sam Brower didn't shy away from the cruelty that the FLDS inflicts on its members and didn't sugarcoat it. It is what it is. That being said, I found the Prophet's Prey, while an okay insight to the FLDS, just isn't as well-written and informative as Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven.

I found that the writing in Prophet's Prey was a bit clunky. It tended to shift around around a lot and while this is common in most non-fiction books, other authors tend to alternate it between chapters. However, Brower shifted around a lot within the actual chapters. When he wasn't shifting around within the chapters, he was repeating what was said in the previous chapters. It was particularly annoying when he kept plugging in other authors' works. One, maybe two times, I can deal with it. But he mentioned that Jon Krakauer was the author of Under the Banner of Heaven and that Carolyn Jessop wrote Escape about her time in the FLDS, 3 or 4 times. It was grating.

I also found that Prophet's Prey dragged a fair bit. It was much more noticeable since the book is relatively short. Again, it could have been because a fair lot of the book was repeated, but I thought that for a book that short, it should have been a breeze to get through, yet it wasn't. In fact, while I sort of liked Prophet's Prey while I was reading it, I would still put it down for days at a time and just not bother to pick it up for a while.

So, in the end, I found Prophet's Prey to be merely okay. Sam Brower's accomplishments with trying to bring Warren Jeffs to justice are awe-inspiring. However, the way that Prophet's Prey was written left a bit to be desired for me. I don't think it can hold a candle to Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven and I found that book to be more comprehensive when it came to talking about the history of the FLDS.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Goodreads rating system fails me for books like this. I didn't "like" this book at all, describing as it did a cult that's still operating with relative impunity while systematically abusing girls and women, and to a lesser degree, boys and men.

It was, however, a powerful book, a well-written book, and a book that delved further into the misdeeds of Warren Jeffs (and his father Rulon) than any others I've read. Books written by female survivors of the FLDS, while describing horrible abuses, still tend to pull punches, as these women were raised to believe in the lifestyle, and even with time and distance, still defend it to an extent. They describe it as though it's a good religion that's been led astray by bad men. Brower, however, feels no such loyalty to the FLDS tribe, and describes transgressions that the woman were either unaware of, or chose not to address.

I really need to go back and read the grandpappy of all FLDS exposés, Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven. Krakauer makes an appearance in this book, helping Brower skulk around the borders of the property of the Texas temple. I think I need a little break from cult books before I read it, though. There's only so much crazy my brain can absorb without a rest.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 .5 I found this book very disturbing, not just because of the subject matter, but because this happened here in America. How one man and a church could be so perverted and have so much power over people is astonishing. The fact that our government and authorities let it go on so long, when so many laws were broken. My heart goes out to all those young girls and boys that were caught up in this perversion. Thank good ness for Sam Brower and the other who took on this supposed church, definitely glad Warren Jeffs is in jail, but I seriously believe that every one of those parents should also be jailed.

[Jo Lee]

Purposely no rating.

If you have any familiarity with the accounts of survivors of the FLDS you’ll be familiar with the name Sam Bower. Equally if you’ve read seen or heard of Under The Banner Of Heaven you know Jon Krakauer’s name. So I was somewhat surprised to realise that I had never read this title. It’s not for the faint of heart, every trigger warning applies, but it’s essential in really understanding how the cult operates, how the evil was uncovered and the dogged determination that went into bringing Warren Jeffs to justice (if a life sentence can ever be justice enough for such atrocity’s)

I’ve read a few reviews suggesting that Sam Bower should’ve used a ghostwriter but I actually disagree, he’s eloquent, his research and documentation of his work is impeccable yes you’ll have heard some of the content before, sometimes it’s repetitive but it’s never unclear, yet, it’s more than that, his heart and soul went into this investigation and that shines through in the writing.

If you tried to pass this off as a work of fiction you’d be told it was too much. I felt physically sick several times throughout the book, yet I appreciated that Sam is a straight talker and he hasn’t shied away from the facts. The truth is brutal. I also felt quite sad that when I came to the end of the book I knew that the evil wasn’t over. I’d love to know what’s become of Sam since.

Currently included with audible, and as always I’m open to recommendations of similar titles.

Thankfully I have something light up next.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like seeing the FLDS from the POV of an investigator who spent 7 years on various cases in its midst. But what i really wanted was some insight into what makes someone a crazy cult leader and why people follow along, even when exposed to other ideas.








From June 2011:
Look -- I started a polygamy shelf in goodreads.

[Derek Driggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pressingly grim reminder of what happens when a whole culture is allowed to develop in fear of the next life above all else, and when knowledge about the next life is exclusively granted to one person. The tragedy of the FLDS originated in its own abuses but it has continued to play out in the US court system, which has failed to save the thousands of children who face enduring systemic abuse in its communities. This book documents the whole debacle in exasperating detail. I am reminded that the people who strike me as truly spiritual in life demonstrate the least religiosity about heaven and hell and the most commitment to bettering the here and now.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a solid, workmanlike book from a solid, workmanlike man, which does exactly what it says on the tin. To wit, as I think I said in a review on a different book on the same subject : the answer to the question, "Is there a hell deep enough for Warren Jeffs?" is a resounding, absolutely not.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a compelling look into the investigation side of the crimes of Warren Jeffs, and told a side that I didn't get from other memoirs on the same topic. I think I'd recommend this one right alongside Escape and The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice. All are deeply disturbing, but shine a good amount of light onto the corrupt, criminal practices within the FLDS community.

I think the most disturbing part of reading this book was when I realized just how eerily the FLDS community parallels the society in The Handmaid's Tale. It's not a perfect fit, but it's close enough to be really, really creepy, and really, really disgusting.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The general public should be more aware of the abuses taking place even today by the leaders of the FLDS. It is abhorrent that a few self-centered individuals have mis-used religion for their own gain. They who were greedy for power, money, and influence stole the basic human rights of many, many of their followers. But the most shameful disclosure of this book, and several others that discuss Warren Jeffs, and the FLDS, is that those who were sworn to uphold the law, including governors, congressmen, social service administrators, judges, and law enforcement officials at high levels backed down, and the abuse continues due to their lack of conviction. This book is a must read for anyone who thinks that we should practice the foundational beliefs of this country in every state, and enforce the law, rather than letting these sick individuals hide under the banner of "religious freedom".

[Sara McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject matter of Prophet's Prey is very disturbing. Sam Brower gives us a look inside of a well-organized cult, run by a madman (a series of madmen), and based on a perverse religion in which polygamy, pedophilia and intense psychological abuse is commonplace. Only one man, the prophet, can access the will of God through direct revelations that he then selectively shares with the people as the "mouthpiece of God." They follow him absolutely. Brower quotes one man with the gruesome statement "I would cut my wives' throats if the prophet called upon me to do so."

Brower's knowledge of the cult is probably the most comprehensive of anyone in the world of the "gentile." As a private investigator, his narration is matter-of-fact. It is clear and he keeps his distance, in contrast to some of the first-person perspectives written by, mostly, women who have escaped from the group (e.g. Flora Jessop in "Church of Lies.") In a way, it's much better to read the story with the distance that Brower gives. I am not a naive or sheltered person, but reading stories from the escapees is so raw and horrific that I was actually having nightmares from it.

As far as his writing, his tone is very self-assured, which is distracting. He's almost cocky. As the story progresses I didn't notice it as much. Occasionally he reuses some of his more witty remarks, or repeats incidents from earlier without clarity about the time frame, so it can be a bit confusing to follow. Overall it's pleasant and readable.

I enjoyed the book. It ends without a completely satisfying conclusion. The sad truth of it, is that many of these offenders are still out there, and this stuff is still going on even though the Prophet featured in this book, Warren Jeffs, is now behind bars.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say that this is a page turner. I am so concerned for the FLDS members now. I see Jim Jones and Branch Davidians and Nazis all over again, only worse.

I was very impressed with the structure of this story. The explanations and history really helped me understand more how this mess happened and continues on. I give thanks to Sam Brower and other hard working activists who never give up on exposing injustice when they see it. I wish I could say that our government agencies had the guts to tackle this situation. It's a nasty one that won't go away by putting our heads in the sand.

I loved Sam's comment that FLDS were no more Mormons than Lutherans are Catholics. Although it only partially describes the immense difference. ...And the treatment of women as chattel to be bought and sold without money, and then handed around from man to man on the whim of a prophet's mouth... Disgusting. The disposal of boys, so more girls can be given to old men as wives.... is beyond belief. Just the overall evil in the system is unsettling.

Altogether this was a story of slow justice. Slow because no one in the judicial system understood the FLDS culture until Sam Brower and others flashed a large spotlight on it and exposed the deep depths of deceit endemic in every member willing to lie to protect their life style. Where is Christ's teachings in that? Who do the FLDS really believe in?

[Ben Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was a great book, but anything but enjoyable. It was rather horrifying. This recounting of the FLDS (Fundamental Latter Day Saints) religion and its leader Warren Jeffs was a shocking account of the absolutely despicable rules, environment, and life lived by its followers.

From the banishment of pre-teen/teenager boys (lost boys) by dropping them off at the highway and saying bye, to the handing over of pre-teen daughters to be wives and produce offspring at ages as young as 12. It was sickening.

Any man that resisted was banished/expelled, and his wife and kids handed to other “yes men” or taken by the FLDS leadership. The followers’ assets, money, and family all belonged to the church.

Evil, evil people. Who jockeyed for leadership and punished rivals (banishment and then take their wives and daughters as their own property to produce more babies.

You’d think “how can these folks live like this!?” But for many it’s was all they’d ever known. The wives seemed brainwashed and the husbands compliant or else banished. Anyone that objected was banished with nothing and no one to help them.

The book is a few years old, but it seemed the religion was continuing today. Scary stuff.

[Robert Kenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter, horrible writing. This book should have been a page-turner and it was nothing of the sort. You could have read any page of the book and wouldn't be able to tell one chapter from another, due to the author's rambling drone, hackneyed expressions, and frequent references to his high opinion of himself. If you were to cut out all the boasting and self-promotion, the book would have been half as long. It reads something like this: "I'm really clever and brave cause I did X. This other guy/girl was really stupid/awful because he/she did that. Et cetera, et cetera. Show, don't tell, sir. Rule 1 of basic writing.

[Mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting content— the author is an investigator whose work helped lead to the imprisonment of Warren Jeffs and the exposure of FLDS crimes. This book seriously needed a better editor or should have been actually written by someone else. The author is way too fond of adverbs and repetition, and he contradicts himself. He is clearly a competent investigator- just not a skilled writer. To anyone interested in nonfiction about religious cults, I highly recommend The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. Much better quality and an equally fascinating story.

[Kenyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story. This paired well with the new Netflix documentary Keep Sweet.
A god mix of explaining the events leading up to Warren Jeffs, the happenings in Short Creek and the YFZ ranch, and the legal maneuvers that were taken to bring him to justice. Warren Jeffs is a monster.

[Scottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The depths of depravity of religious fundamentalism knows no bounds!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I have read several books written by women who have escaped Warren Jeff's cult (Stolen Innocence, Escape, The Witness Wore Red). While I appreciated each of their individual stories, I liked that this book gave a fuller picture of what was happening and how each of these women's stories fit in. Sam Brower is a tough and unrelenting private investigator (the type that does bounty hunting on the side), and he also happens to be LDS. I think his training, religion, and personality all helped him in his work to expose the criminal activity inside this cult and bring Warren Jeffs to justice. His research into the history of the FLDS church, as well as his experiences investigating, helped capture the full story and made for an unputdownable (though disturbing) read. I'm grateful for courageous people like Brower and the others mentioned in the book, who stood up for these vulnerable women and children, and that the truth is no longer hidden. This book was published 10 years ago, which makes me curious about what has happened to his followers since his imprisonment.

[Allison]

This story is so important but the writing style just was not for me💔 dnf about 50% through

[Michelle Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read almost every nonfiction work that I can find related to polygamy, fundamentalist Mormonism, underage marriage, and the FLDS in America. So, when I heard that this book was coming out

I read a few reviews of this book before reading, Prophet's Prey, the one review that really gave me pause was one that stated that Brower's book was just a rehash of basically other books that had already been written.

I thought of this statement often, as I read. That did not really seem to be true,in my opinion. I did notice when he mentioned other people and thier cases in his novel. However, I cannot see how he could have excluded mentioning these people, such as, Elissa Wall, or Brent Jeffs. These people are integral parts of what happened to Warren Jeffs, the leader of this sect. How could we have a good understanding of what happened to Mr. Jeffs and his community, if crucial information was excluded?

I learned a number of things that I had not heard before while reading this book.

I also found it helpful that Mr. Brower mentioned that the majority of FLDS do not live in the large opulent homes that we see when the FLDS are covered by the press. He has one picture of dirt roads with poorly constructed houses in the background. He mentioned that a large majority of the FLDS live in poverty. However, I do feel that it would have been more helpful if he had discussed this aspect of the FLDS lifestyle. It would have given the reader more insight and a better understanding of what these people really deal with on a daily basis.

I never really understood why the children at the YFZ ranch were returned so quickly to thier parents, other than that the mainstream media seemed to use their powers of persuasion to ensure that these children were returned to thier parents, even though it seemed that thier was no doubt that underaged girls were being impregnated by someone. By the end of the book I felt frustrated and overwhelmed, I don't believe that these children are better off now than they were before. I question whether Jeffs will remain in prison. Our "system of justice" is so broken that as long as one has enough money or willing lawyers one can appeal until one gets the outcome that they desire. I don't expect it be much different for Jeffs. For example, as Mr. Brower notes in his book, Jeffs is now once again in control of over $100 million once again even though it is well documented that this money is used in the furtherance of all types of crimes. Even the most aggregious such as the trafficking of underage girls for the soul purpose of "marrying" them to aged pedophiles.

I feel that my personal review may be descending into a rant about issues that are central to why this group of offshoot Mormons are flourishing in what is becoming a more and more lawless America.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the most disturbing stories I have ever encountered. The epitome of sick, twisted and evil. Want a book that leaves a feeling of dread and disgust deep in your gut? Prophet’s Prey is the way to go.

This is a book by private investigator Sam Brower, a man instrumental in bringing down Warren Jeffs - that sick psychopath leading up something laughably called the Fundamental Church of Latter Day Saints. But this is not a story of religion. This is a story of an evil cult where pedophilia, incest, rape, brainwashing and mind control are its primary tenants. This is a story that did not begin with Warren Jeffs but one where he embodied and amplified those disgusting principles and began a reign of horror on his mindless followers.

But there is more. There is the failure of the governments of Utah and Arizona and Texas in stopping these monsters. Too afraid of assaulting the idea of ‘religious freedom’ these officials – including, appallingly, the Texas Child Protective Services – turned, in many cases, a blind eye to atrocities being perpetrated on little underage girls. The author points out – rightly in my opinion – that if these horrors were done by self-professed Satan worshippers, the whole of the American government would have come down on them. But this was just some crazy offshoot of Mormonism holed up in the American Southwest. Lest they be accused of attacking a small ‘quirky’ Christian religion, they turned away from the rape of little girls. Plus also it would have cost too much money to take care of. Disgusting.

Brower is a PI, not an author. He isn’t a strong writer and his narrative suffers. But one needn’t be Truman Capote to understand what he is saying. Jeffs and many of his upper echelon are now thankfully in prison for their crimes. But the FLDS church remains. And while the evils of ISIS dominate the airways, it does us no good to forget that there is homegrown American religious terrorists closer than you think. . .

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books that I think “everyone” should read. It’s an exhausting, harrowing look at the inside workings of cult leader Warren Jeffs and his FLDS.

The author’s credibility is unimpeachable. Brower worked as a private investigator for seven years on behalf of FLDS members who were kicked out of the church and on behalf of attorneys filing claims against the FLDS. He became friends with some of the former members, and he recalls past cordial working relationships with church members. He had regular run-ins or was able to interview many of the key players in the endless legal battles surrounding the church. Brower was in close contact with local police, state investigators, and the FBI during the course of his investigations.

This evidence illustrates how a criminal enterprise can claim freedom of religion to control an entire town and parts of two states. “Short Creek” straddles Utah and Colorado, yet was (and still is?) controlled by the FLDS. Readers will ask the same question Brower asks: “How could this go on under our own noses?” Brower lived only an hour away and had no idea this was happening until he was asked to investigate.

Prophet’s Prey is not easy reading as far as its subject matter goes, but it is extremely well-written. Sentences flow smoothly. Events unfold with enough detail to read like fiction but enough documentation to show that, sickeningly, it all happened – and likely still is happening. Brower provides names, dates, locations, and even photographs.

I wish every citizen, voter, and taxpayer would read this book. In Prophet’s Prey, Sam Brower gives us a backstage pass to a real-life creep show.

Read my full review at breathlovereadlaugh.blogspot.com.