Book excerpt: A girl is lured into fanaticism in this psychological thriller with “stunning twists”—by the New York Times–bestselling author of Turn of Mind (San Francisco Chronicle). Never one to conform, Anna always had trouble fitting in. Earnest and willful, she quickly learned, as a young girl, how to hide her quirks from her parents and friends. But at sixteen, a sudden melancholia takes hold of her life. Then the Goldschmidts move in next door. The new neighbors are active members of a religious cult, and Anna is awestruck by both their son, Lars, and their fervent violent prophecies for the Tribulation at the End of Days. Within months, Anna’s life—her family, her home, her very identity—will undergo profound changes. But when her newfound beliefs threaten to push her over the edge, she must find her way back to the center, in this “crisp meditation on the deadly mixture of mental illness and religious charlatanism” (San Francisco Chronicle). “LaPlante crafts prose that cuts to the quick and is the perfect vehicle for this dark tale. . . . A compelling read.” —The Seattle Times