A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church [Hardcover]

Gregg Olsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2010

The New York Times bestselling author investigates the sensational story of a minister who seduced four of his female congregants, and hatched a cold-blooded plot to murder his wife

On December 26, 1997, near the affluent community of Bainbridge Island off the coast of Seattle, a house went up in flames. In it was the shy, beloved minister’s wife Dawn Hacheney. When the fire was extinguished, investigators found only her charred remains. Her husband Nick was visibly devastated by the loss. What investigators failed to note, however, was that Dawn’s lungs didn’t contain smoke. Was she dead before the fire began?

So begins this true crime story that’s unlike any other. It investigates Nick Hacheney, a philandering minister who had been carrying on with several women in the months before and just after his wife’s death. He would be convicted for the murder five years to the day after the crime.

From one of the foremost names in true crime, this is a gripping and truly unforgettable story of a man whose charisma and desire rocked an entire community.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Best Books of the 2010, True Crime --Suspense Magazine

Gregg Olsen returns to true crime with BANG! In A Twisted Faith, Olsen has delivered a true crime story that reads like fiction but is OH. SO. TRUE. --True Crime Book Reviews

Praise for Gregg Olsen:
"As gripping and necessary as true-life drama gets.” --Stewart O’Nan

"Searing and brilliant." --Ann Rule

"Dark, atmospheric, riveting suspense." --Allison Brennan

“Olsen is a top-notch writer.” --Michael Connelly

Praise for A Twisted Faith:
“Gregg Olsen weaves his story deftly, managing to bring alive a wide cast of characters, all headed for and contributing to a tragedy driven by faith.”
--Stephen Singular, NY Times Bestselling author of WHEN MEN BECOME GODS

“A fascinating exposé of sexual obsession and murder, a cautionary tale of innocence and virtue manipulated and destroyed by the vilest of mortal sins.”
--Kathryn Casey, author of A DESCENT INTO HELL.

“An insightful expose of a man of God and a woman of prophecy who manipulate God’s will to justify adultery, treachery and even murder.”
--Diane Fanning, Edgar Nominated Author of WRITTEN IN BLOOD

“Olsen writes the way a surgeon cuts—precisely exposing the personality riddles that lie concealed within each of the players.” 
--Anthony Flacco, International Thriller Award nominated author of THE LAST NIGHTINGALE and A CHECKLIST FOR MURDER

From the Back Cover

As seen on NBC’s Dateline

His sin was adultery.

He counseled young couples at a small church in Bainbridge Island, Washington—and convinced young women that having sex with him was part of God’s plan. But that wasn’t the worst of Youth Pastor Nick Hacheney’s unspeakable sins. The tragic house fire that ultimately consumed the life of his soft-spoken wife was no act of God…

His crime was murder.

What demons drove a highly respected minister to commit the most sinful of crimes? How did five women—including Hacheney’s own mother-in-law—fall prey to his seductions? Combining firsthand confessions, erotically charged emails, and one woman’s chilling prophecies, bestselling author Gregg Olsen paints a shocking portrait of a church, a community, and a man of the cloth who turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing…

Gregg Olsen’s books are:

“Searing and brilliant.”—Ann Rule

 “Riveting and deeply disturbing…Olsen does a superior job.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (March 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312360614
• ISBN-13: 978-0312360610
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I live in rural Washington State (about a mile as the crow flies from Starvation Heights). I've wrapped up my fifth novel -- a serial killer thriller coming out in April 2011. It's called Closer Than Blood. I've been a guest on Dateline NBC, NPR, Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, Snapped, Deadly Women, William Shatner's Aftermath, and A&E's Biography.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A chilling, cautionary tale..., April 5, 2010

By 

M. Jowell (Lakewood, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church (Hardcover)

I found Gregg's latest book, the third of his I've read, to be a chilling cautionary tale that I couldn't put down. It's the telling of an unspeakable crime that sent shockwaves out in so many directions, affecting so many people. This story is a reminder of how insidious some forms of abuse can be...coming from directions one might not expect...the consequences of which are tragic for EVERYONE involved.

Set close to home, I find that many of the places mentioned in Gregg's book are very familair to me, adding much personal interest. I recall reading the headlines, and wondering then, just as I do now, how this could have happened. As the story unfolds however, the author provides an in-depth look that the news media could not, providng me with some new perspective. I found A TWISTED FAITH to be a fast read...but this is not to say an easy read. It's a complex story, that by necessity introduces the reader to several individuals.

Gregg reveals some extremely personal details from the lives of those involved, but appears to do so without malice or moralizing. While the facts of the case resulted in a conviction, the reader is still left with much to think about...

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trust your instinct -- IF you have the patience to listen for it!, April 8, 2010

By 

NaPua 1+Y "NaPua 1+Y" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church (Hardcover)

Once again Gregg has taken a difficult tragic topic - a persons death - and put us on a ride of deception, truth as the facts are presented in an addictive fashion - I like many others could not put this book down. People never cease to amaze me in the many forms of abuse that we do to one another! The way that Gregg puts in the details & locations makes it easier for the readers who are from/in the area that may not have been closely affected to be able to relate. However if you have read this book and are not in some way affected then you need to check your pulse --- or just turn yourself in to the police now so Gregg doesn't have to write about you taking someone's life!!
I like that this one along with many of Gregg's other books leave you to think; unlike some authors he doesn't write to frame your mind or make up your mind about the matter - just presents it to you & YOU get to use your brain to come up with what you think!!!
Well done Gregg ... I look forward to more of your writing!! Sadly we are a vicious species so I am sure you will not draw any blanks!!!
NaPua
(formally of & can't wait to get back to Silverdale, WA)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Power can corrupt and destroy both those who have it and those who follow..., May 2, 2010

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church (Hardcover)

I am always confused and dismayed when people who hold positions of authority in a church or religious organization abuse that power for their own gain. I'm even more dismayed when people who follow them end up following the person instead of their faith, letting charisma and personality overrule what they *know* to be right and wrong. Gregg Olsen portrays one of those situations in his real-life crime drama A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church. Twisted Faith shows what happens when no one confronts evil or is willing to think for themselves and take action.

The book centers around a death that occurred in Bremerton Washington in 1997, the day after Christmas. Dawn Hacheney, the wife of youth pastor Nick Hacheney, dies in a house fire that took her life in the early morning hours as she slept. At least that's what it appears to be, and for quite some time, that's the story that all the officials signed off on. But the reality of her death is far different. Olsen documents how Christ Community Church, a Pentecostal church on Bainbridge Island, went from a small community gathering in the mid-90s to a church embroiled in power struggles, sex scandals, and ultimately the murder of one of their own. Olsen pieces together the story from interviews, news stories, and other sources, and shows how the abuse of power can destroy both the person who has it and those who follow.

There were so many emotions going through my head during this book. I was dismayed that a group of leaders could abuse biblical teachings so blatantly and repeatedly. I was also amazed that so many people can look the other way when everything they see tells them that something is very wrong and needs to be addressed. Letting a person become the focus of your faith instead of God is a sure recipe for disaster. A Twisted Faith is primarily a crime novel (and a good one), but it can also be a wake-up call to check your focus when it comes to your faith, and to make sure you're basing your beliefs on the correct foundation.

Disclosure:
Obtained From: Library
Payment: Borrowed