The Prophet of Lost Souls

Let’s begin with a moment of silence for the shattered china and the last remnants of Ralph’s will to exist in corporate America.

Now then—

This book? It’s like if Succession joined a megachurch, got possessed by Black Mirror, and started chain-smoking truth bombs in the parking lot.

The Plot (Don’t worry, no spoilers):

You’ve got Ralph Norton—a broken, brilliant man spiraling after the suicide of his wife, working as the invisible backbone of a Christian tech empire called FASTRAK. Meanwhile, P.T. Mayo, his arrogant CEO, is the Dollar Store Antichrist with a bonus check and a French cigarette he can’t pronounce. The story plays out like a modern-day corporate gospel of betrayal, mental unraveling, and a whole lot of uncomfortable truths about faith, power, and who really gets crucified in the end.

The Vibe:

The Prophet of Lost Souls is blasphemous in the best way—like getting slapped with a Bible that’s been hollowed out to hold cash and cocaine. It’s not just a takedown of religious capitalism; it’s a slow-burning, character-driven psychological spiral that dares to question if any of us are really “redeemable”… or just running glorified scams with better branding.

Characters:

• Ralph is emotionally raw, devastatingly intelligent, and on the brink of “just one more hallucination from total enlightenment.”

• Mayo is the devil’s favorite corporate exec: manipulative, blasphemous, and so oily he could be declared a natural resource.

• Ada Taylor, the fixer? She deserves her own series. She’s part hitwoman, part philosopher, and entirely done with your nonsense.

The Writing:

Andy Slade’s prose is sharp and theatrical, soaked in sarcasm and moral decay. Dialogue hits like bullets dipped in holy water, and the inner monologues are practically confessional booths for the morally bankrupt.

What I Loved:

• It doesn’t shy away from ugly truths.

• It balances grief and madness with satire and gallows humor.

• The vibe is spiritually unhinged but emotionally grounded—like praying with one hand and flipping off God with the other.

What Might Test Your Faith (or Patience):

• Pacing is intentionally slow in the first act—it marinates in the existential dread like it’s trying to pickle your brain.

• If you don’t like corporate satire or religious critique… you will spontaneously combust around page 3.

Final Judgment:

This book slaps with the force of divine disappointment. It’s not for the faint of heart or the devoutly uncritical, but if you like your fiction dark, unfiltered, and morally gray with a heavy pour of existential rage? The Prophet of Lost Souls might just be your next unholy obsession.

"A delicious blend of corporate thriller and religious drama."

"The characters were believable and engaging. The story arc was not that far from what I have seen in real life."

"I look forward to reading future stories from the author."

Ralph, the creator of a Christian app that presents itself as a Gad tailored to each customer. Fasttrak, the Christian company that distributes the app, hits the stratosphere in sales, stocks, and followers. But the creator does not believe in the true God, and so the conflict. Then Ralph disappears into the world of the forgotten members of society - the homeless. Follow his story from guilt and anguish to redemption.

An excellent book that delves into corporate greed, how to survive the harsh reality of homelessness, and how to rise above it.

Ralph Norton CFO and inventory of The Word Of God app suddenly disappears after it's successful launch. Melanie his girlfriend doesn't give up and goes after the truth

There is more to this than it seemed with a lot of suspense. A fast-pace thriller which is captivating from the start. I received this ARC copy via Booksirans and recommend this book to other readers.

Reviews

FASTRAK CEO Ralph Norton has reached the pinnacle of professional success: his development of the Christian app, Word of God—an up-market, AI-generated personal deity—has revolutionized his Houston-based company. But with great success also comes great risk, and Norton’s achievements place a target on his back with his duplicitous boss, P.T. Mayo. When Mayo makes it his mission to set Norton up and remove him from the company, passions run high and Norton does the unthinkable: he attacks Mayo during a heated argument, leaving him in a pool of blood and, in Norton’s mind, dead.

Slade (author of In the Act of Shooting) delivers a gripping story of resilience, humanity, and discovering faith in the bleakest of times. Norton is a flawed character haunted by his past—his wife died by suicide—and, when his rage gets the better of him, he makes a snap decision that costs his world. While on the run, he is welcomed by Houston’s unhoused population—and a mystery man of faith, Hosea. Meanwhile, Melanie Spenser, Norton’s girlfriend, reports him missing to the local police and commissions retired investigator Samuel Steele to help her track him down. Slade skillfully unites those separate threads, crafting a grueling but necessary transformation for Norton—from “terrified executive” to a true leader—that feels real and compelling.

This is a touching and emotional narrative that examines long buried secrets, the corruption money and power can cause, and the importance of fellowship to drive faith. Slade excels at character development, pacing, and creating an engaging plot that draws readers in, and the mystery that follows offers thoughtful contemplations on a man who runs from his mistakes, only to discover his true place in the world. Also poignant is the book’s exploration of how technology and faith intersect. Slade closes with a touching reminder of how far forgiveness can go in creating a path forward.

Takeaway: Moving story of faith, fellowship, and the perils of capitalism.

Comparable Titles: Daniel Patterson’s One Chance, Urcelia Teixeira’s Hannah’s Halo.