SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Good Things Utah) — Chris Thomas, former manager of media relations for the Utah Department of Public Safety and key player in the search for Elizabeth Smart, is set to release his book, Unexpected: The Backstory of Finding Elizabeth Smart and Growing Up in the Culture of an American Religion, on March 7th.

The book provides fresh insights and new details surrounding the search for Elizabeth, including how her family responded to breaking news about the abduction being an inside job and how the Salt Lake City Police Department sabotaged the family’s announcement about Mary Katherine remembering the voice in her room. The book also offers a different perspective on the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the role it played in the search.

Thomas hopes the book will inspire readers to be slower to judge and quicker to serve others. Unexpected is available at major bookstores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and has received strong advanced praise from notable figures such as John Walsh and Jason Wright.