Publishers Weekly
07/08/2024
Retired attorney Hellis (The No-Nonsense Guide to Divorce) delves into 2019’s “doomsday murders” in this shocking work of true crime. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, who were both raised Mormon, met at a prepper conference in 2018 and were instantly drawn to each other. Vallow, a blonde former beauty queen who was on her fourth husband, and Daybell, a married author of religious-themed erotic fantasy, leapt into an affair animated by their end-of-days beliefs and their mutual conviction that they were reincarnations of former lovers and leaders of the Mormon church. In order to be together and fulfill their destiny to lead saved souls into “the new millennium,” the pair “removed” obstacles in their path, including their spouses and children. Just 17 days after Daybell’s wife died under mysterious circumstances, the couple was married, and in early 2019, both of Vallow’s children disappeared. The details of how police pieced together the evidence implicating Vallow and Daybell in five killings make for grimly propulsive reading, and Hellis provides fascinating context about radical Mormon beliefs. Readers will be horrified. Agent: Max Sinsheimer, Sinsheimer Literary. (Sept.)
James Renner
There are big questions at play in these pages: How do two seemingly normal people become mass murderers? And what separates us from them? That line may be frighteningly thin. Lori Hellis dives into Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell’s madness with the care and efficiency of a fine storyteller. The writing is sharp and engaging and she never loses sight of Tyler and JJ or the other victims caught up in this couple’s depravity and delusion.
Steve Cuno
"To fathom, let alone unravel, the infamous Vallow-Daybell case requires a working knowledge of law, psychology, and Mormon doctrine. Author Lori Hellis delivers with aplomb. A retired criminal law attorney who (lucky for us) also happens to be a skillful writer, Hellis brings this complex, outrageous story to life within its religious and legal framework. Children of Darkness and Light is as riveting as it is harrowing."
Allison Margolin
"In Children of Darkness and Light, former attorney Lori Hellis masterfully navigates the complexities of a riveting murder trial that intertwines sex, crime, religion, and the dark undercurrents of human belief. With her background in law, she provides readers with a bird’s-eye view of courtroom dynamics and the intense emotional landscape of high-stakes litigation. This book is essential for those fascinated by the intersections of law, faith, and human psychology."
