First let me begin my review by letting you know that I am not a religious person. Sixteen years of Catholic education has left me a bit jaded, to say the least. Therefore, as I read Gregg Olsen’s latest true crime novel A Twisted Faith I was stunned not only at the depravity of the main character, Nick Hacheney, but also his ability to brainwash and control a plethora of seemingly intelligent individuals. I use the word individuals because I think that Nick’s control was not limited to the women he victimized. So many people wanted to believe that this man had a direct line to God himself that they all failed to recognize the sociopath and predator that he truly was. When Nick Hacheney’s beautiful wife Dawn was tragically killed in a fire in the couples home on December 26, 1997 the members of Christ Community Church rallied around their youth pastor in a show of undying support. Although not everyone was a fan of the young pastor they all had to admit that he didn’t deserve the fate that God had just handed him. Reservations about Hacheney and his inappropriate behavior towards some of the female congregants were dismissed. His behavior was viewed as that of a man in severe emotional pain who was in dire need of comfort. Yet the comfort Nick sought was not just emotional, but physical as well. Within a week of his wife’s passing Nick Hacheney had manipulated at least three of the women from Christ Community Church into sexual relationships. Some of these women acted willingly while others felt they had no choice because God had told Nick this was how he would get over the loss of his wife. The women believed they were doing God’s will. It would take years before one woman, nearly destroyed by the betrayal she committed, would move from Nick’s grasp and face the truth of what really happened. Her need to come forward would lead to Nick’s downfall and finally the truth surrounding his wife’s death would be told.
As I read this book I was utterly disgusted. Not at the writing. Gregg Olsen does an excellent job telling this story. He is thorough in his reporting of the facts and it is obvious that he gleaned his information directly from those who lived it. He was even able to interview Nick Hacheney himself for this book. It was Nick Hacheney who disgusted me. First off, this is not a good-looking man. He was overweight and balding, although even in his younger days he was not very appealing. How could this total loser convince so many women to either fall in love with him or sleep with him? The answer is: he brainwashed them. Pure and simple. He preyed upon their faith and belief in God to manipulate them into doing whatever it was that he wanted. I found it impossible to believe that these women were that naive, but it is much easier to judge a situation for what it truly is when looking from the outside in. It probably didn’t help that Christ Community Church was acting more like a cult than a legitimate place of worship. This is due to the fact that it was being run by an egomaniac who actually thought he was an “apostle” of God. In my opinion he was just a con man looking also to prey upon people for power and monetary gain, as opposed to Nick Hacheney who wanted physical dominance over those he controlled. What angered me the most about the book was that everything Hacheney did he blamed on “God’s will.” The man never once has ever taken any responsibility for his actions. Whenever he was caught in a lie or compromising position he claimed that his behavior was dictated directly by God and out of his control. The truly ludicrous part is that everyone around him accepted that answer and allowed him to continue his depraved and immoral life without interruption. Could Dawn Hacheney have been saved? I don’t know, but I do think that it took way too long for the wheels of justice to catch up to her murderer.
One of the reasons I like to read true crime is that I enjoy reading about the pathology of those who will stop at nothing, even murder to get what they want. I enjoy complicated stories full of sordid details about seemingly normal people. A Twisted Faith definitely fits that bill. The details of this story are absolutely mind-boggling and are almost impossible to believe. Yet if you go to Gregg Olsen’s website you can read guest blogs and comments from those who lived this real life drama. Another reason I enjoy true crime is that I love reading about the investigation and trial that finally bring justice to the victims. This is the only area where I am disappointed. Traditionally Gregg Olsen focuses his books on the events and the characters, often stopping his story at the point when the accused is finally apprehended. I would have liked to read more about the second investigation into Dawn Hacheney’s death and the trial that finally put her husband behind bars. I definitely recommend A Twisted Faith to anyone who loves true crime. Gregg Olsen does an excellent job out outline this complicated story for his readers. It is absolutely a book you need to read in order to believe!
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