The Blessed and the Damned

Righteous #4

by Michael Wallace

As the son of the prophet of Blister Creek, a polygamous enclave in Utah, Dr. Jacob Christianson has struggled for years to reconcile his faith with his skepticism about the fundamentalist practices of his community. Nevertheless, when his family and neighbors were threatened, Jacob stepped up time and again to lead the fight against those who would destroy them. Now Jacob and the residents of Blister Creek face a dangerous new challenge to their quiet existence. Taylor Kimball Jr. wants to take over as prophet of Blister Creek―and he wants Jacob’s sister Eliza by his side when he does it. With no room for personal reservations, Jacob forms a tenuous alliance with his father and the FBI. But Taylor Junior is as crafty as he is brutal, anticipating Jacob’s plan and drawing him out to leave Blister Creek vulnerable to attack. And this time Taylor has come prepared, with a horrific new weapon capable of annihilating Blister Creek. If he has any chance of winning this fight, Jacob will have to decide, once and for all, just how far he is willing to go to protect his community. The fourth in Michael Wallace’s riveting Righteous series, The Blessed and the Damned raises the stakes in Jacob’s world to dizzying new heights.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Fiction

335 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

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Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is so terrible and I keep reading it. This one features as much over the top violence as the others but was much less rape obsessed (yay). Author continues to work out issues with women and basically breaks his arm patting himself on the back for admitting they are people.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series keeps me wanting more of these characters

I enjoyed this book, another page turner that you could read in a sitting. You can tell it was left side I own for another book and I am anxiously awaiting to read it already.

[John Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and compelling

Couldn't put it down. Riveting book about little known Moemon.polygamous factions ..and wars. Fiction but the author is an insider and knows his territory. Highly recommended.

[Martha Dahlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Exciting Read

I enjoyed the previous books and this was just as enjoyable. Not being of any Mormon persuasion I found these interesting.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, intriguing, and suspenseful thriller.

Michael Wallace does it again! Michael Wallace develops his plots and characters to keep you turning the pages wanting to know what will happen next. There are some twists and some surprises in store for you in this book. This is a great series, and I am sure you will enjoy it. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Blessed and the Damned" is the latest in Michael Wallace's Blister Creek series. It's the story of two warring fundamentalist LDS cults, replete with competing "prophets," sister wives ... the whole shebang.

It also has overtones of the Branch Davidian compound, as each of the warring sects has an arsenal in preparation for the "end of times."

Picking up where the last novel left off (although each book can stand alone pretty well), we have Dr Jacob Christianson (son of one of the self-proclaimed prophets) and his wife, Fernie -- who is about to give birth to their first child. Jacob is a walk-away from the fundamentalist lifestyle. Fernie was a wife of the leader of the other fundamentalist group and has two children, although her marriage was not considered legal in the eyes of the state. We also have Eliza, Jacob's sister, who faked her own death in order to get away from Taylor Junior, son of the other group's leader and another self-proclaimed prophet. When Taylor Junior decides to take back what he sees as his property, the twists and turns begin.

This is an entertaining suspense novel that takes a long, hard look at the dark side of fundamentalist religion (which exists across ethnicities, cultures and dogma). Wallace exposes the underbelly of the FLDS in his works at the same time that he writes a good tale. Highly recommended.

(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance Kindle copy of the book from the author.
I have read this series from the beginning and it is one of my favorites. This hooked me from the beginning and I really liked having Eliza in a main role again. I did bog down in so many desert scenes. Hard to understand and keep straight who was doing what where....... :) The words did paint a magnificent desert scene though.
You need to read the first in this series The Righteous to get the full impact of the characters.
If you liked Big Love the Hbo Series you will enjoy this. I had a sister involved in fundamental Mormonism polygamy and it was a nightmare. This really is not to far fetched for fiction.
I read this in a day, hard to put down, it kept pulling me back. I wish Michael Wallace could write as fast as I read.
4 Stars!!!

[Donna Callea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally captivated by the first novel in Michael Wallace's Righteous series, and have eagerly looked forward to the sequels. I received The Blessed and the Damned as an advance reader copy, and, after a somewhat slow start, found it hard to put down. Wallace is a fine writer and his subject is a fascinating one. His central characters are intelligent, compassionate, conflicted men and women who find themselves immeshed-- either by birth or choice or both-- in a polygamist Mormon sect in modern-day Utah, far from mainstream Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, their ruggedly-drawn world is also populated by more than its share of homicidal, crazed, power-hungry fanatics who do truly terrible things in the name of religion. I can imagine The Righteous as an action-packed, thought-proviking blockbuster movie, followed by a string of successful sequels. But I highly recommend starting from the beginning.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, engrossing book about Fundamentalist LDS sects, focusing on Jacob who has become the default prophet, and his one wife Fernie, unusual in the FLDS. He is a reluctant prophet, not really believing in the teachings, and not wanting to take a second or third wife. He is a doctor, a man of science. His sister Eliza has now grown into a young woman, strong in her belief but not wanting to be in an arranged marriage or be someone's nth wife. She is strong and intelligent.
The evil doers are the Kimballs, who have a history of mental illness among the males and the oldest boy, Taylor Junior is the worst of them, not only misguided and delusional but sadistic.

I keep thinking I will get tired of this series but I continue reading, even though each book has a main story that is wrapped up at the end. The thread continues throughout the series, compelling you on to read more and more. Well done, Michael Wallace.

[J.F. Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am deeply fascinated by the fundamentalist communities of the polygamist Mormons portrayed in the Righteous series, evoked so well by Wallace. In this book, we see darker themes emerge in the life of Jacob, the prophet who denies his calling and Eliza, his independent sister. The Kimball family continue their murderous rampage with a plot to kill those they believe are not living in the right path and Jacob is tested as the violence now threatens those he loves most. This fast paced book continues with the high body count of the series and I zipped through it, loving the character development as well as the plot. It ends the story well but opens the series up further with some key deaths and new plot twists. Excellent!

[Charles Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted just a little bit more

I thought this part of the series was a good read even though I felt I needed a little bit more. The evil characters of course made the book worth reading and had me more focus on them since i thought the good guys/gals acted just a little bit too naive for me, and it became overwhelming at times that I was looking forward for all of them to get killed off, but I guess it had a lot to do with their religion. Even the so called professional FBI agents were annoying and I wanted them bumped off also. But this book did not lack action and some really eye opening scenarios which made up for the not so great characters i mentioned. I still like this series and looking forward to the next part.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep thinking that I will tire of this series with each new book, but when I finish I eagerly await the next installment. I really liked this book. I love the strong female characters especially. There were times when I could not understand the characters' motivations, but now I am grateful that I could not predict their behaviors. It added to the suspense. I especially like how each novel revisists past storylines and characters and also adds a new level to the history of the people and the communities. If there is to be a book 5, I think I will enjoy what I predict will be a new perspective of Blister Creek. Well done, Mr. Wallace.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading these books. they're fast paced, lots of action and you pick up tidbits of history along the way. Probably not what you would expect from a book about Mormons. my only gripe after the reading the fourth book is they are getting a bit samey. how many mad cult leaders can you get in one commune? however a couple of big characters were killed off in this one so maybe they'll take a different direction from now.

[Theresa M Desautels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, 3.5

Actually, 3.5

but who is counting? and I put the fifth book on my wish list, which should tell you something. well written,don't have any idea if description of Mormonism is still being practiced on a large scale basis.more wars have been fought for religious beliefs than any other reason. I have enjoyed the series,busily wait a couple months before going on to the next one. they are rather intense books.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this entry in the series. Jacob is still somehow the head of the church, but not everyone agrees with that and people are out to get him. As usual, lots of backstabbing and deceit and Jacob and his wife continue to fight. Jacob doesn't full know his own faith and must come to terms with it. Enjoyed this overall in the series.

[Robin Patchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this series because I find Mormonism, especially the idea of polygamist cults, fascinating. This book had less discussion about the religion itself, and I found that disappointing. I already love the characters, but I didn't see any new facets of their personalities in this book. Having said all that, I'm sure I'll read the next book in the series. It is very engaging.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first three books in this series and was excited to find I could borrow this for free from Amazon Prime. Sure glad I didn't pay for it! I could hardly finish it. Too many vague characters to keep track of, stupid dialogue, stupid action. Not sure I'll read the 5th book in the series even if it is free.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good or easy to read as the other 3. I was extra disappointed when I got to the end and realized that it wasn't the end and there is going to be a 5th book. I really feel the author could have finished the story in 4. I'll read the next one and hope it's worth the wait.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was about ready to give up on these books until the end of this one. I'll probably go one more to see what happens. The middle part of this one, though, was pretty weak. Just wandering through the dessert--Moses did it better.

[Kevin Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read. This entire series is interesting.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked on this series. I highly recommend that anyone start from the beginning.

[David Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far the best of the four books in the series!

[John Hanscom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 1/2 and 4. This is the 4th book of a series, and, though the story is exciting, the premise is getting old.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying the series ....but even though it's fiction, this one was a little more far fetched than the others. I think there is maybe one more book in the series ...moving onto that now.

[Emma W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better

[Ernest Barker]

More murder, mayhem and mystery in the polygamous colonies of Utah. I just can' put these books down.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the series, but the last book left me hanging... I want more. :)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The same high standard achieved in the preceeding three books is found here.