The Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case seems tailor-made for sensationalist true crime media. A woman who has been married multiple times falls for the leader of an emerging doomsday religious cult, and the two leave a series of suspicious deaths and disappearances in their wake. In bestselling author John Glatt’s capable hands, this tragic tale avoids hyperbole and emotionally provocative prose. Instead, in THE DOOMSDAY MOTHER, he gives readers a detailed timeline and thorough recounting of the lives and crimes of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell.

Lori Vallow (née Cox) was born into a traditional LDS family in 1973, one in a house full of children. She is remembered by childhood friends as both sweet and spoiled, a popular girl who did well in school. Her mother was critical of her appearance, and under that pressure, she cultivated her looks as well as her interest in cosmetology. Lori married the first of her five husbands right out of high school, but the union lasted just about a year. She had a son, Colby, with her second husband, and a daughter, Tylee, with her third husband. With her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, she adopted Vallow’s nephew, JJ.

"...a fascinating, gruesome and harrowing examination of religious beliefs and familial bonds turned destructive and fatal."

While her marriage to Charles seemed stable and content, Lori was growing increasingly interested in doomsday prophecies, end-time preparations and some beliefs that were clearly outside the LDS mainstream --- beliefs that started to impact her relationships. She was especially drawn to the teachings and proclamations of Chad Daybell, who was born to an LDS family in 1968. From an early age, he was into sports, reading and, as he grew older, near-death experiences, claiming a few of his own and eventually recording them in his self-published memoirs. He believes that these experiences, along with other metaphysical events and spiritual guidance, made him into a prophet with the ability to predict end times and help deliver a chosen few to a heavenly reward.

At first, Daybell’s ideas lined up with LDS theology. But over time they became fringe, and he was excommunicated as he continued to preach via his books and speaking engagements. His teachings even attracted a cult following: a small group of people who were preparing for the world to end and who believed in previous lives noted by Daybell and in the demon-possessed “zombies” that he identified.

Lori started out as a fan of Daybell’s, and once they met in person, it was an immediate attraction. Together they fed each other’s worst attributes and soon were convinced --- or claimed to believe --- that they were destined to be with one another and lead followers into the apocalypse. Their hubris, lust and arrogance resulted in the manipulation of those around them and the series of murders and attempted murders that shocked the nation. Using Lori’s brother, Alex Cox, as a hitman and criminal errand boy, the two had Charles killed, along with Tylee and JJ.

THE DOOMSDAY MOTHER is a clinical and detached look at Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell --- their beliefs, their crimes, their evasion of law enforcement. Glatt draws on interviews and court documents to tell a story that is still being revealed and may never be fully understood. He provides little analysis here, which is a weakness of the book. Overall, though, this is a fascinating, gruesome and harrowing examination of religious beliefs and familial bonds turned destructive and fatal.