No Such Thing as Evil

Laura & Ben Richards, college professors, and members of the lucky, employed class find themselves the parents of a friend's orphan baby boy, Chris Lumiére. A very unusual boy who defies modern medicine's attempts to scan him, and who somehow exudes an aura of comfort and leadership. The boy's life runs parallel to, yet inevitably entangled with, the efforts of a dark cult plotting mankind's next evolutionary leap. Their efforts seem directed by supernatural forces that speak to their leaders during sadistic rituals involving torture and pain.

The plot is dualistic, creating a balance of forces that intensify their differences.

Offering on one hand a wholesome family and strong, positive friendships. The Richards are loving and accepting. They care for their neighbors, their world. They are optimistic and curious. Chris's friendships are supportive and creative. They are the family we all wish we could be. Supportive, loving, able to compromise and work through disagreement and strife. Their small group, which eventually includes Chris's three closest friends and a perfect Labrador puppy, are cooperative, inventive, and skilled.

On the other hand, the novel follows Skotino and Tyvold, leaders of the Circle of Six, a dark, sadistic cult shielded by corporate holdings and government infiltration. The Circle's chapters are difficult to read. They are evil, without a doubt. Hunkin pulls no punches in their torture chambers as he shows how vile, grotesque they are, drilling down on deep psychological terrors. He digs at fears rooted in the collective unconscious: disgust, humiliation, mortification, pain, helplessness. The dark terrors worse than death.

Description by Kristina Turner for Reader Views (01/2022). Reprinted with permission.