Derik R. Girdwood’s The Church of Jezebel, Hijacking the Gospel is a Christian fiction novel depicting the dark side of churches—hidden beneath a thrilling mystery novel. The purpose of this work, other than to superbly entertain, is to unveil the false doctrines that various churches and televangelists use to reel in naïve believers.

The Church of Jezebel weaves a fictional mystery amidst the concepts of the Christian faith, and not only exposes false doctrines, but also enlightens readers through scriptures from the Bible. The main character of the story is Christina, an eighteen-year-old who is excited about being admitted to Bible college. Although she is easily awed by the power of the dynamic speeches and doctrinal messages, there is unmistakably a sense of foreboding and alarm from the beginning of the book.

The antagonistic figures in this novel are Pastor Smith, who is only concerned about bringing a cash flow—at all costs—into the church, and the church prophet, whose lectures are more sinister and spine chilling than they are Christian.

The suspense builds as the truth comes out, and there “might be evidence of some type of cult at work, maybe satanic, or something similar to voodoo or Santeria.” From here on out, it’s a roller coaster ride for Christina, who hits an emotional low that all but destroys her.

The novel culminates in a mission trip to Haiti, where nothing is what it seems, and a scandal develops that involves the highest levels of this mega-church.