The timing of Astoria author William Dean’s latest novel couldn’t have come at a more resonant moment. “The Have-Nots” is about a pastor-led, pacifist uprising against the top 1%. It takes place on fictional Turner Island, a Pacific Northwest enclave that is home to only the richest of the rich.

In the big city not far away, Jeremy Stone is an investigative reporter who has struggled with alcoholism since the untimely death of his wife. The mistakes he has made while under the influence have led to a costly lawsuit against the paper, and his exasperated editors are about ready to fire him.

This week’s book

“The Have-Nots” by William Dean

Lonely Whale Press — 278 pp — $17.99

But in a stroke of luck, Stone’s rehab counselor, Charles Caprice, gives the reporter a call. Despite Stone’s multiple relapses, Caprice hasn’t given up on him. He has seen too many other people like him, and understands that empathy and enduring patience are key to achieving sobriety.

Caprice is not only a counselor, but also the charismatic leader of a relatively new ministry. Situated in a former warehouse in the city’s industrial district, People’s Oasis Church is open to all, but is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor and those who have been suffering from addictions or abuse or mental illness.

The ministry is becoming increasingly well-known, and now, Caprice has a plan for funding its further expansion. He wants to give the scoop on this story to Stone, and asks the reporter to meet him a few days later on Turner Island.

When Stone shows up for that appointment, he discovers that he has stumbled into the midst of a forceful takeover of the island by Caprice and his followers. They have established a barricade across the only access road to the island and now are holding its wealthy residents hostage until they meet Caprice’s demands for substantial donations of cash.

The religious leader wants to open up more homeless shelters and detox centers, but he needs money to do so. He also wants to send a message of hope to “the entire underclass. The working poor, the unemployed, the millions and millions of people living below the poverty line, watching their car get repossessed as the rich get richer.”

That’s why Caprice has chosen Stone as the person to communicate this effort to the rest of the world, not only for his reporting skills but also for his lived experience as someone who’s been down and out. He can make this story relatable.

Conversely, however, there’s scarcely any dimensionality to the ultra-rich characters in this story. That’s a shame — wouldn’t we all be interested in getting some insight into what makes people like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk tick?

So while the subject matter of this book is spot-on — the divide between the insanely wealthy and the rest of us has indeed become increasingly vast — readers might find themselves wishing that the story could have gone through just one more draft to refine pacing and complexity.