His Right Hand

Zusatztext 91725216 Informationen zum Autor Mette Ivie Harrison Klappentext In the follow-up to the controversial and critically acclaimed mystery The Bishop's Wife, Mormon housewife Linda Wallheim finds herself ruffling feathers in Draper, Utah, as she assists a murder investigation that is being derailed by transphobia within the LDS community. In Draper, Utah, a tight-knit Mormon community is thrown into upheaval when their ward's second counselor-one of the bishop's right-hand men-is found dead in an elaborately staged murder on church property. Carl Ashby was known as a devout Mormon, a pillar of the community, and a loving husband and father. Who would want him dead? Linda Wallheim, the wife of the ward's bishop, can't rest as long as the ward is suffering. She is particularly worried about Carl's grieving family. But the entire case is turned upside down by the autopsy report, which reveals Carl Ashby was a biological female. In the Mormon church, where gender is considered part of a person's soul, some people regard transgenderism as one of the worst possible sins. Church officials seem to be more upset by Carl's gender than by his murder, and more concerned with hushing up the story than solving the crime. Linda realizes that if the police are to catch the killer, they are going to need an ally on the inside-and she is the only one who can help. Carl was living a life of secrecy for twenty years. What else was he hiding-and can Linda ferret out the key to his death before the rumors tear her community apart? Chapter 1 One Friday night in May, in lieu of our regular couple's date, my husband, Kurt, and I were going to the annual bishopric dinner. Kurt was the bishop of our Mormon ward in Draper, Utahit was the second year of his five-year calling, so this was the second annual dinner I'd attended. I wished that I were looking forward to the dinner more, but it was just another one of the tasks of being a bishop's wife. Tasks like playing Mrs. Claus at the annual Christmas dinner, coming up with excuses for Kurt when he was constantly late for family functions, and keeping a vigilant eye out for problems in the ward so I could alert Kurt to them. This dinner was going to be a little awkward no matter what. Kurt and his counselors would probably hint at all kinds of church matters that the wives didn't and couldn't know about, and we women would be left trying to make small talk. There would be six of us coming to dinner: the first counselor, Tom deRyke, who was in charge of the adults and the Primary, and his wife, Verity; the second counselor, Carl Ashby, in charge of the Young Men and Young Women and the Primary, and his wife, Emma; and of course, Kurt, the bishop, and myself. We were going to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate surviving another year of performing the hardest jobs in the Mormon churchjobs which, I should mention, are completely unpaid, since we Mormons have a lay clergy. Kurt, Tom, and Carl served in the bishopric because they had been called to do so, and they performed their duties in addition to working full-time jobs to support their families financially. As a bishop, Kurt was in charge of making sure that the whole ward was staffed, officiating at funerals and weddings, organizing the finances of the ward, conducting annual spiritual wellness interviews for all the youth, and holding church courts for discipline issues. He did a thousand other things, but those were the ones that he couldn't delegate to his counselors. Tom deRyke and Carl Ashby handled a lot of the oversight of meetings, extending callings, girls and boys camp visits, dealing with tithing donations and missionary interviews, among other things. Without them, the job of bishop would have overwhelmed Kurt. They were his right hand in more than one way. Ready? asked Kurt, poking his head into our bedroom. I was wearing a nice b...

**Praise for *His Right Hand
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An ABA IndieNext Selection for December 2015

"Absorbing . . . Besides the fact that I cannot resist a good mystery, Mette Ivie Harrison's books had an added allure . . . [They] are rich with real-life details that often get lost in stereotypes."
—Karen Grigsby Bates, NPR's *All Things Considered
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"A fast moving crime story, but also far more than that. Deep social and moral issues dealt with, and made real with compassion and honesty. I couldn't put it down!"
—Anne Perry

"For all of its thoughtful exploration of LGBT people and issues, His Right Hand is also a good mystery. Yet it's the issues the book raises that will make readers hungry for more of Linda and her close-knit community."
—Paula Woods, Los Angeles Times

"A heartfelt story that opens outsiders to a fascinating world."
—The Boston Globe

"You wouldn’t expect a book about the crime-solving wife of a staid Mormon leader to be so edgy and engrossing. It has all the outward signs of being a conventional 'cozy' mystery that plays it safe. But Linda Wallheim, the bishop’s wife, is quite the independent thinker who is full of surprises—and Harrison delivers a provocative tale that doesn’t shy away from timely social issues."
—Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

"[The] Linda Wallheim novels are worth reading, and not only for their uncompromising plot lines and compelling conclusions. They should raise important and necessary questions about Mormonism itself in every thinking Mormon’s mind."
—Association for Mormon Letters

"Intriguing . . . [Harrison] puts in the forefront many issues, such as gender and sexual orientation, to which characters react in various ways, many of which feel authentic and show that no one has a perfect life."
—The Deseret News

"His Right Hand is a fascinating novel that explores the LDS world and how it reacts when a treasured member of the church is not what he appears to be. Watching Linda juggle her duties as a bishop's wife, adjust to life as an empty-nester and solve a murder keeps readers turning the pages of this riveting mystery penned by a member of the LDS church."
—Bookreporter

"A mesmerising look into the very fibre of Mormon life . . . Harrison's writing is spectacularly subdued, quietly eloquent."
—Fresh Fiction

"A masterpiece of socially relevant genre fiction. Her voice is one of the most unique in the genre, and I cannot wait to see what subject she will address next."
—MysteryPeople Bookstore, Pick of the Month 

"Outstanding . . . The suspect pool may be small, but Harrison once again dramatizes the agonizing plight of those who firmly believe church doctrine and yet by their nature have a fundamental conflict with it."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Harrison provides a fascinating look into the Mormon church from the point of view of a woman who sometimes struggles with its strict rules. ­Linda’s insider’s perspective is almost as engrossing as the mystery itself. Recommended for mystery lovers."
—Library Journal

"Does a wonderful job of parting the curtain on many of the Mormon Church's mysteries."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Linda is an extremely likable and refreshingly imperfect series lead—an ideal guide to aspects of Mormon life that may be unknown to many readers. She’s also curious, smart, and impulsive—essential traits for any successful amateur sleuth! In her author’s note, Harrison explains that this book was inspired by the journey of a family friend who came out as transgender and transitioned while remaining in the Mormon faith." 
*—Booklist

*"Often we forget to pay attention to the different cultures that are on our own doorstep. I find Harrison's Linda Wallheim books to be good mysteri…