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Linda Wallheim Mystery #4
Not of This Fold
The fourth installment in Mette Ivie Harrison's nationally bestselling Linda Wallheim mystery series, set in Mormon Utah, explores the effects of alienation, immigration, and extortion from the inner workings of the Mormon church.
Gabriela Gonzalez, a young mother and member of Draper's "Spanish ward," is found strangled at a gas station. She was an illegal immigrant, as well as a close acquaintance of Linda Wallheim's friend Gwen Ferris. Gwen is intent on finding Gabriela's murderer, as Gabriela had left a message on Gwen's phone before she died, begging Gwen to meet her at the place she was killed. Linda, though preoccupied with frustrations with how the church and her husband have handled her youngest son's coming out, reluctantly takes part in Gwen's vigilante sleuthing, fearing for her young friend's safety.
The pair discovers a host of suspects: Gabriela's deported husband, who's recently returned to Utah; her coworker and possible lover; and her bishop, a man at the head of a powerful, lucrative multi-level marketing company who was paying her for something under the table. Linda and Gwen must discover if one of these men had sufficient motive to kill Gabriela--and soon, as they find they are playing an increasingly dangerous game.
Gabriela Gonzalez, a young mother and member of Draper's "Spanish ward," is found strangled at a gas station. She was an illegal immigrant, as well as a close acquaintance of Linda Wallheim's friend Gwen Ferris. Gwen is intent on finding Gabriela's murderer, as Gabriela had left a message on Gwen's phone before she died, begging Gwen to meet her at the place she was killed. Linda, though preoccupied with frustrations with how the church and her husband have handled her youngest son's coming out, reluctantly takes part in Gwen's vigilante sleuthing, fearing for her young friend's safety.
The pair discovers a host of suspects: Gabriela's deported husband, who's recently returned to Utah; her coworker and possible lover; and her bishop, a man at the head of a powerful, lucrative multi-level marketing company who was paying her for something under the table. Linda and Gwen must discover if one of these men had sufficient motive to kill Gabriela--and soon, as they find they are playing an increasingly dangerous game.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2018
15 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Mette Ivie Harrison
68 books436 followersMy name is pronounced "Metty" like my mother's "Betty." It is Danish, and we were all named after ancestors. I guess by the time they got to number nine (out of eleven), it was getting tricky. So I got the funny Danish name no one knew how to prounounce. In Denmark, it should be "meta" like "metaphysical." It's from the Greek for "pearl." And no, it's not short for anything. Not even Mediterannean.
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
My first book, THE MONSTER IN ME was accepted for publication in 1999 and was published in 2002. My second book, MIRA, MIRROR was published in 2004. The latest book, THE PRINCESS AND THE HOUND , was published in 2007. A sequel, THE PRINCESS AND THE BEAR, came out in April of 2009.
I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.
from http://www.metteivieharrison.com/myli...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
December 7, 2018
Mormons have an “it’s complicated” relationship with the mystery novel. They have been there since the very beginning of the genre. The first modern series mystery, Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet (1887) takes place partly in Utah and features Mormon characters as both the killer and the dead body. A Study in Scarlet was a good puzzle, and the cultural otherness of Mormons in the 19th century contributed to the puzzleness. But it was not good anthropology. It did not tell readers anything important or true about actual Mormons.
Mormon-themed mysteries throughout the 20th century followed the Conan-Doyle model. In the last two decades of the century, mystery writers produced dozens of novels about contemporary Mormons. And they all pretty much sucked. Some of them, like A Study in Scarlet, were good puzzles. But none of them treated Mormonism with any kind of nuance. Mormons remained–in these novels and in the minds of most readers–irredeemably other.
Enter Mette Ivie Harrison’s Linda Waldheim series in 2014. From the first installment, The Bishop’s Wife, these novels did something that nobody else had ever done: they treated Mormons, living in a predominantly Mormon community, like a group of actual people instead of as a set of stock characters or cultural allegories.
This does not mean that Harrison “got Mormonism right.” Rather, she demonstrates that there is no such thing as a single Mormonism that anybody can get wrong or right. Rather, she shows that Mormon communities are as diverse as any other group of human beings. There are good ones, bad ones, liberal ones, conservative ones, smart ones, stupid ones–the works. And she highlights the conflicts within the community in a way that lets outsiders see that we are a conflicted community.
All of the novels in the series are very good. They are all well worth reading. But the fourth novel, Not of this Fold moves the needle up to Great. It is a notch above the others and an indicator that Harrison has hit her stride as a front-rank mystery novelist.
The main reason that this novel gets an extra star is that the puzzle is better. All of the novels portray Mormonism well, but not all of them feel like complete, well constructed intellectual puzzles. This one does. The murder is genuinely puzzling; the various motives and suspects roll out evenly through the narrative, with incremental revelations that both reveal and conceal other motives; and the end feels satisfying and complete. It does, in other words, all of the business of a good mystery novel apart from whatever anthropological tours it takes us on.
But the anthropology is also better in Not of This Fold. For one thing, Linda takes on a sidekick, Gwen Ferris, who stands somewhere between a surrogate daughter and an evil twin. Gwen is younger than Linda, angrier at the Church, more impulsive in her detecting methods, and less measured in her ecclesiastical criticisms. This allows Harrison to speak about Mormonism dialectically, with Gwen criticizing and Linda defending some of the Church’s doctrines and practices–with the author herself lurking (one suspects) somewhere in the middle.
Linda’s husband Kurt also plays a more active role in the detecting, and provides a very similar dialectic on the other side. Kurt is a true-believer with a rock-solid testimony of the Church and its leaders, but he is not a cartoon character. He makes good arguments too, and he is not always wrong.
Linda’s family rounds out different versions of Mormon culture: her son Samuel –an openly gay, faithful Latter-day Saint serving a full-time mission in Massachusetts–makes an appearance in a subplot. And her son Kenneth–a non-believer who has let the Church and still manages to live a moral and beautiful life–remind us that the larger Mormon culture is not constrained by any belief system.
And then there is the social question at the heart of the story: how do we treat those not of our fold? The murder victim in the story is an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Gabriela. Her story starts to get to some of the core tenets of the Gospel, of Christian Discipleship, and of what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormons really mean when they say they follow Christ.
All of this is wrapped around a compelling intellectual puzzle and a portrayal of Mormons that will help those who aren’t Mormon see the diversity of our community and those who are Mormon–but aren’t Mormon in quite the same way that others are Mormon–understand each other better.
Come for the engaging intellectual puzzle and stay for the nuanced treatment of Mormonism. Or do it the other way around. But definitely come and stay. You won’t be sorry.
Mormon-themed mysteries throughout the 20th century followed the Conan-Doyle model. In the last two decades of the century, mystery writers produced dozens of novels about contemporary Mormons. And they all pretty much sucked. Some of them, like A Study in Scarlet, were good puzzles. But none of them treated Mormonism with any kind of nuance. Mormons remained–in these novels and in the minds of most readers–irredeemably other.
Enter Mette Ivie Harrison’s Linda Waldheim series in 2014. From the first installment, The Bishop’s Wife, these novels did something that nobody else had ever done: they treated Mormons, living in a predominantly Mormon community, like a group of actual people instead of as a set of stock characters or cultural allegories.
This does not mean that Harrison “got Mormonism right.” Rather, she demonstrates that there is no such thing as a single Mormonism that anybody can get wrong or right. Rather, she shows that Mormon communities are as diverse as any other group of human beings. There are good ones, bad ones, liberal ones, conservative ones, smart ones, stupid ones–the works. And she highlights the conflicts within the community in a way that lets outsiders see that we are a conflicted community.
All of the novels in the series are very good. They are all well worth reading. But the fourth novel, Not of this Fold moves the needle up to Great. It is a notch above the others and an indicator that Harrison has hit her stride as a front-rank mystery novelist.
The main reason that this novel gets an extra star is that the puzzle is better. All of the novels portray Mormonism well, but not all of them feel like complete, well constructed intellectual puzzles. This one does. The murder is genuinely puzzling; the various motives and suspects roll out evenly through the narrative, with incremental revelations that both reveal and conceal other motives; and the end feels satisfying and complete. It does, in other words, all of the business of a good mystery novel apart from whatever anthropological tours it takes us on.
But the anthropology is also better in Not of This Fold. For one thing, Linda takes on a sidekick, Gwen Ferris, who stands somewhere between a surrogate daughter and an evil twin. Gwen is younger than Linda, angrier at the Church, more impulsive in her detecting methods, and less measured in her ecclesiastical criticisms. This allows Harrison to speak about Mormonism dialectically, with Gwen criticizing and Linda defending some of the Church’s doctrines and practices–with the author herself lurking (one suspects) somewhere in the middle.
Linda’s husband Kurt also plays a more active role in the detecting, and provides a very similar dialectic on the other side. Kurt is a true-believer with a rock-solid testimony of the Church and its leaders, but he is not a cartoon character. He makes good arguments too, and he is not always wrong.
Linda’s family rounds out different versions of Mormon culture: her son Samuel –an openly gay, faithful Latter-day Saint serving a full-time mission in Massachusetts–makes an appearance in a subplot. And her son Kenneth–a non-believer who has let the Church and still manages to live a moral and beautiful life–remind us that the larger Mormon culture is not constrained by any belief system.
And then there is the social question at the heart of the story: how do we treat those not of our fold? The murder victim in the story is an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Gabriela. Her story starts to get to some of the core tenets of the Gospel, of Christian Discipleship, and of what members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormons really mean when they say they follow Christ.
All of this is wrapped around a compelling intellectual puzzle and a portrayal of Mormons that will help those who aren’t Mormon see the diversity of our community and those who are Mormon–but aren’t Mormon in quite the same way that others are Mormon–understand each other better.
Come for the engaging intellectual puzzle and stay for the nuanced treatment of Mormonism. Or do it the other way around. But definitely come and stay. You won’t be sorry.
November 15, 2018
Thanks to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
The strongest element of this book continues the pattern of the rest of the series for me- the interesting, vulnerable way in which Linda wrestles with her faith and its interpretation and role in her life. As someone who has almost zero knowledge or experience of the Mormon faith, Linda's willingness to see the flaws of her religion as well as the parts that she embraces is something I find interesting. Characters in this book can seem a little one-note, and sometimes it feels like there is a bit of "filler" to the story, but it fits in well with the series as a whole.
The strongest element of this book continues the pattern of the rest of the series for me- the interesting, vulnerable way in which Linda wrestles with her faith and its interpretation and role in her life. As someone who has almost zero knowledge or experience of the Mormon faith, Linda's willingness to see the flaws of her religion as well as the parts that she embraces is something I find interesting. Characters in this book can seem a little one-note, and sometimes it feels like there is a bit of "filler" to the story, but it fits in well with the series as a whole.
December 1, 2018
I have a great deal of admiration for Mette Ivie Harrison. Yes, she's writing mysteries-- a genre that some literary snobs dismiss with a sniff-- but she's also testifying to the current state of her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's the most even-handed, honest portrait of the Church I've read, and it's put Harrison in danger of being excommunicated. In this series, main character Linda Wallheim has dealt with various aspects of her religion as she solves crimes. A continuing issue in Not of This Fold is its stance on LGBT rights, as Linda's youngest son is openly gay and on a mission for the church. But the main issue here is the one of immigrants-- how they are seen by the church and how they are treated. I've probably made this book (and the series) sound as though they do nothing but preach religion, and they do not. NOt at all. However, the Mormon Church is the backdrop, the cultural setting, and to understand it a little is to be better able to unravel the mystery. For most readers, Not of This Fold will resemble reading a mystery set in a foreign country, and more knowledge is always a good thing.
Linda Wallheim is proud of her cooking and is picky about what she eats from other cooks' tables. But first and foremost, Linda is a mother. It's the primary gene in her DNA. With all her sons out of the house, she has found herself drawn to Gwen Farris, who is the age Linda's daughter would have been if she'd lived. Linda is aware of her maternal feelings, and she certainly needs those protective instincts because Gwen has never met an impulse she didn't give into. During the course of their investigation into Gabriela's death, Gwen constantly puts their lives in danger, and these TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moments are infuriating. (Yes, I did have a difficult time with this character. With behavior like that, if Gwen does make it through the police academy, she's not going to live long when she gets out on the street.)
The mystery in Not of This Fold is first-rate, with plenty of red herrings, and it was so good to see Linda's husband, the eternal eye-roller and naysayer, getting involved. The added bonus of learning more about another culture makes Harrison's entire series one you won't want to miss. I know I don't.
Linda Wallheim is proud of her cooking and is picky about what she eats from other cooks' tables. But first and foremost, Linda is a mother. It's the primary gene in her DNA. With all her sons out of the house, she has found herself drawn to Gwen Farris, who is the age Linda's daughter would have been if she'd lived. Linda is aware of her maternal feelings, and she certainly needs those protective instincts because Gwen has never met an impulse she didn't give into. During the course of their investigation into Gabriela's death, Gwen constantly puts their lives in danger, and these TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moments are infuriating. (Yes, I did have a difficult time with this character. With behavior like that, if Gwen does make it through the police academy, she's not going to live long when she gets out on the street.)
The mystery in Not of This Fold is first-rate, with plenty of red herrings, and it was so good to see Linda's husband, the eternal eye-roller and naysayer, getting involved. The added bonus of learning more about another culture makes Harrison's entire series one you won't want to miss. I know I don't.
December 10, 2018
Compared to the previous books in the series, the fourth installment was a hot mess. Sure, Linda Wallheim has always been nosy, but her involvement in the murder of a woman in the Spanish ward went way too far this time. I understand she and her friend Gwen want to see justice done on behalf of the underprivileged, undocumented single mother. But Linda is so contradictory: pious one moment, and stubbornly defiant the next.
Linda starts off preachy (and somewhat sanctimonious), and yet a few chapters later, she’s colluding with Gwen who then proceeds to corrupt a crime scene, break and enter, and impersonate a police officer. I was shocked that when the police found out about Gwen’s interference, she wasn’t even charged with tampering with evidence or impeding an open investigation, likely damaging the prosecution of her friend’s murderer.
Linda’s husband Kurt was the voice of reason here, constantly reminding her not to be so intrusive or put herself in danger. Then he goes and says something so infuriating about Mormonism and its un-inclusiveness: “The church doesn’t change to suit individuals who don’t fit the mold.” Basically, if you’re not white, privileged, or part of a nuclear family (like the victim), maybe the Mormon church doesn’t even want you to be part of it.
I stand by my opinion that Book 3 was, “…the strongest in the series so far.” My frustration with Book 4 has me contemplating whether I would even bother reading Book 5 when it comes out. Gwen in particular was so unlikeable and her confrontational nature was in such contrast to Linda, I couldn’t fathom why they were friends. And I can’t even bring myself to mention the dozens of other flaws throughout the story that made the whole thing a huge disappointment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program.
Linda starts off preachy (and somewhat sanctimonious), and yet a few chapters later, she’s colluding with Gwen who then proceeds to corrupt a crime scene, break and enter, and impersonate a police officer. I was shocked that when the police found out about Gwen’s interference, she wasn’t even charged with tampering with evidence or impeding an open investigation, likely damaging the prosecution of her friend’s murderer.
Linda’s husband Kurt was the voice of reason here, constantly reminding her not to be so intrusive or put herself in danger. Then he goes and says something so infuriating about Mormonism and its un-inclusiveness: “The church doesn’t change to suit individuals who don’t fit the mold.” Basically, if you’re not white, privileged, or part of a nuclear family (like the victim), maybe the Mormon church doesn’t even want you to be part of it.
I stand by my opinion that Book 3 was, “…the strongest in the series so far.” My frustration with Book 4 has me contemplating whether I would even bother reading Book 5 when it comes out. Gwen in particular was so unlikeable and her confrontational nature was in such contrast to Linda, I couldn’t fathom why they were friends. And I can’t even bring myself to mention the dozens of other flaws throughout the story that made the whole thing a huge disappointment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program.
September 23, 2018
I generally like these mysteries, partially because it gives me glimpses into modern Morman life. But this one was not my favorite, in great part because of how much I disliked Linda's friend Gwen, a major player in this episode of Linda's life. I think the intention was that she is so upset over what seems to be the racially motivated death of someone in her ward that Gwen will do anything to get justice. But I just found her rude, ungrateful, and impatient, and I was irritated at Linda for putting up with it. These mysteries offer gentle whodunits with a unique element of the impact of church on the choices we make. This one just rubbed me the wrong way.
December 27, 2018
Mostly I just had zero patience for Gwen. Girl, I get faith crisises are hard and you've been through trauma, but get yourself a therapist because you're projecting guilt onto literally every character you encounter. You went beyond ameteur sleuthing and contaminated crime scenes and witnesses all over the place. A few of the conversations between Linda and Gwen felt like boiled down internet discussions rather than an authentic conversation those two characters would actually have. And the murderer was obvious from the start. I still enjoyed the book, but it wasn't as strong as previous installments to the series.
Read
March 20, 2019tried it, didn't care for this Mormon-centered book
February 20, 2019
I still think the first in the series was the best. This one focuses on another current issue, immigration. The reader is expected to have read the whole series as she refers to things before but doesn't recap. Sometimes things are thrown in and make you wonder why. Is she planning something further on in the series, or just keeping readers "updated" on characters? I often wonder how practicing Mormons feel about how the author puts enough in the books to be skirting on some really private stuff (temple) but she doesn't stray from the current issues plaguing the church (gay members, women's rights).
November 9, 2021
I really like main character Linda Wallheim and can understand the struggles she has with her marriage, her faith, and her place within the Mormon church.
I did not, however, like her friend Gwen Ferris.
Gwen is far too abrasive, self-righteous, extremely rude, and actually criminal in her amateur investigating - she even goes so far as to contaminate a crime scene - and she wants to attend the police academy! Ha, not very likely ... plus, I seriously doubt that she would even pass their psychological evaluation - she seems hot-headed and emotionally unstable.
For some reason, maybe my strong dislike of Gwen, it took me longer than typical to read
this mystery.
I did not, however, like her friend Gwen Ferris.
Gwen is far too abrasive, self-righteous, extremely rude, and actually criminal in her amateur investigating - she even goes so far as to contaminate a crime scene - and she wants to attend the police academy! Ha, not very likely ... plus, I seriously doubt that she would even pass their psychological evaluation - she seems hot-headed and emotionally unstable.
For some reason, maybe my strong dislike of Gwen, it took me longer than typical to read
this mystery.
December 31, 2019
The first several chapters, before the mystery actually starts, do extensive explication about the Utah Mormon culture we readers will be swimming in. After it starts, there's yet more explication, of course. All done well,* and including a few things that this Catholic, despite being a long-time observer of the Saints who populate his state, didn't know.
Otherwise, the book looks like one of those floundering-around cozies, the kind that usually end in the Kinsey Millhone pattern--viz., the investigator pokes around more or less randomly until, in the next-to-last chapter, the killer and so is revealed. I give Harrison full props for NOT ending that way. Linda may even have identified the killer from clues.
I say "may" because in disgust, more than halfway through, I skipped over several chapters to read the last couple.
Why? Harrison, apparently having run out of fairly dumb and/or dangerous ways for Linda to flounder around, in this installment has progressed to really dumb and/or dangerous things for her to do. She's pulled in by her good friend Gwen, who hopes to be accepted by the police academy. Because Gwen is convinced--wrongly!--that none of the white people currently in the department care about poor brown people (like the murder victim and unlike Gwen). So she'll need to reform the force from within, presumably all by herself, and in the mean time investigate what she thinks the police won't. Yes, Gwen and Linda are caught in the act more than once, warned, and keep right on going.
Because Harrison is mostly a kind author, I assume Gwen isn't actually blackballed before she can even apply to the academy, but I'm not bothering to confirm that.
This one loses two stars for the above faults. It would pick one back up for the ending, which displays Kurt, Linda's long-suffering husband (and bishop), being highly competent--except that he's made to say they ought to investigate some future murders together. Which is not only silly but out of character for him.
I don't expect I'll be reading further sequels to find out if that happens.
-------------------------------------
* Except for an unexplained reference to POX. A Net search shows this was the comparatively short-lived Policy Of eXclusion, which visited the sins of same-sex couples on their children, excluding them from Mormon baptism. Somebody in authority seems to have realized that it was not a wise way to love the sinners while hating the sin.
Otherwise, the book looks like one of those floundering-around cozies, the kind that usually end in the Kinsey Millhone pattern--viz., the investigator pokes around more or less randomly until, in the next-to-last chapter, the killer and so is revealed. I give Harrison full props for NOT ending that way. Linda may even have identified the killer from clues.
I say "may" because in disgust, more than halfway through, I skipped over several chapters to read the last couple.
Why? Harrison, apparently having run out of fairly dumb and/or dangerous ways for Linda to flounder around, in this installment has progressed to really dumb and/or dangerous things for her to do. She's pulled in by her good friend Gwen, who hopes to be accepted by the police academy. Because Gwen is convinced--wrongly!--that none of the white people currently in the department care about poor brown people (like the murder victim and unlike Gwen). So she'll need to reform the force from within, presumably all by herself, and in the mean time investigate what she thinks the police won't. Yes, Gwen and Linda are caught in the act more than once, warned, and keep right on going.
Because Harrison is mostly a kind author, I assume Gwen isn't actually blackballed before she can even apply to the academy, but I'm not bothering to confirm that.
This one loses two stars for the above faults. It would pick one back up for the ending, which displays Kurt, Linda's long-suffering husband (and bishop), being highly competent--except that he's made to say they ought to investigate some future murders together. Which is not only silly but out of character for him.
I don't expect I'll be reading further sequels to find out if that happens.
-------------------------------------
* Except for an unexplained reference to POX. A Net search shows this was the comparatively short-lived Policy Of eXclusion, which visited the sins of same-sex couples on their children, excluding them from Mormon baptism. Somebody in authority seems to have realized that it was not a wise way to love the sinners while hating the sin.
December 18, 2018
I’m not a fan of Harrison’s novels, probably because I don’t see the Mormonism I know reflected in the world she creates for her readers. But I like that she uses her fiction to engage contemporary challenges within Mormonism. If nothing else, her novels have great potential to open up dialogue about difficult issues within the Church.
But I see this novel as a missed opportunity. It is ostensibly concerned with the plight of undocumented people, but all of its main characters are white Mormon characters. Undocumented characters are relegated to secondary roles.
All of Harrison’s Wallheim mysteries generalize about Mormons, but this novel’s generalizations feel especially glaring in the way they present Mormons as a fairly homogenous group characterized by whiteness and privilege. In doing so, they fail to make space for the non-white Mormons on the margins of the narrative, negating their experiences and identities as Mormons.
As I read the book, I kept wishing that Harrison engaged more deeply with her Latino/a Mormon characters. Also, in this novel, all of them are undocumented, impoverished, and attending a Spanish-speaking ward—hardly giving readers a sense of the diversity of experiences that exist among the Latino/a population in Utah and the Church. Getting to know the members of the Spanish-language ward in the novel could have opened up opportunities to show more diversity. I think at least one non-white main character in this novel would have also helped it to feel more diverse and less insular.
But I see this novel as a missed opportunity. It is ostensibly concerned with the plight of undocumented people, but all of its main characters are white Mormon characters. Undocumented characters are relegated to secondary roles.
All of Harrison’s Wallheim mysteries generalize about Mormons, but this novel’s generalizations feel especially glaring in the way they present Mormons as a fairly homogenous group characterized by whiteness and privilege. In doing so, they fail to make space for the non-white Mormons on the margins of the narrative, negating their experiences and identities as Mormons.
As I read the book, I kept wishing that Harrison engaged more deeply with her Latino/a Mormon characters. Also, in this novel, all of them are undocumented, impoverished, and attending a Spanish-speaking ward—hardly giving readers a sense of the diversity of experiences that exist among the Latino/a population in Utah and the Church. Getting to know the members of the Spanish-language ward in the novel could have opened up opportunities to show more diversity. I think at least one non-white main character in this novel would have also helped it to feel more diverse and less insular.
dnf
March 1, 2021Did Not Start This One
2018; Soho Crime/Soho Press
I read the first book, and had problems with the characterizations not being full developed, and the story was just so-so. I don't like giving up with just book one, so decided to give book 2 a chance, it was slightly better in the story, but the same problems persisted. I also could not like the main character, Linda. I tried book three but gave up 40% in and am calling it. I will not be continuing the story. I had requested this book before I read book one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2018; Soho Crime/Soho Press
I read the first book, and had problems with the characterizations not being full developed, and the story was just so-so. I don't like giving up with just book one, so decided to give book 2 a chance, it was slightly better in the story, but the same problems persisted. I also could not like the main character, Linda. I tried book three but gave up 40% in and am calling it. I will not be continuing the story. I had requested this book before I read book one.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
December 30, 2018
It was exactly who everyone thought it was the whole time! And everything they found out the police already knew. Incredibly disappointing.
Besides that, I can see how this book might turn off a lot of Mormons for not always painting a rosy picture, although there are many sweeping generalizations.
Also, this book was annoying because it seemed to be written for a Mormon audience yet she was always explaining every cultural detail as if it was an outside audience.
Besides that, I can see how this book might turn off a lot of Mormons for not always painting a rosy picture, although there are many sweeping generalizations.
Also, this book was annoying because it seemed to be written for a Mormon audience yet she was always explaining every cultural detail as if it was an outside audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
I love this series. The Mormon community setting is new to me and I love learning about people who live differently from me. Also, as the wife of a Mormon bishop, Linda Wallheim is certainly not your typical detective, even for a cozy mystery. In fact, it seems to me that this series is more about Linda exploring her thoughts and feelings about the church, her relationship with God, and her "empty nest" situation with all five boys grown and moved on, than it is about the actual murders that she solves. Each murder is essentially a vehicle that allows her to explore a different topic near and dear to her, like the role of women in her church, how LGBTQ+ individuals are viewed and how immigrants are treated. It is also very interesting to see how she reacts in a world where she has a very specific, simple role that she finds confining in some ways; familiar and comfortable in other ways. I don't know how much Linda reflects the author's actual thoughts and feelings, but there is a ring of truth in her perceptions that comes from examining one's self and from being sensitive to others. You don't have to agree with the characters' viewpoints, but it broadens one's mind to consider them.
The murders themselves, are plotted well enough to stand up in any kind of mystery, but there does tend to be a bit of "deus ex machina" in the resolutions, particularly in this, her fourth book. Even expecting that, I still love to read these books if only to chuckle at the realistic relationship Linda has with her husband, such as when she deals with his anger about her putting herself in harm's way by investigating a certain business, while in her head she's regretting that her lovely fish tacos will be ruined by the time they get through this argument!
All in all, I look forward to reading number five in the series and know I will enjoy it!
The murders themselves, are plotted well enough to stand up in any kind of mystery, but there does tend to be a bit of "deus ex machina" in the resolutions, particularly in this, her fourth book. Even expecting that, I still love to read these books if only to chuckle at the realistic relationship Linda has with her husband, such as when she deals with his anger about her putting herself in harm's way by investigating a certain business, while in her head she's regretting that her lovely fish tacos will be ruined by the time they get through this argument!
All in all, I look forward to reading number five in the series and know I will enjoy it!
June 9, 2022
Linda Wallheim mystery #4, set in Draper, Utah. I found this to be so "Mormon" that I can't comprehend how non-Mormons would even begin to understand it. (My daughter, who left the Church years ago, recently watched "Under the Banner of Heaven" on Hulu--partly because she's a fan of Andrew Garfield, the main actor--and said that she thought, in a similar vein, that viewers without a basic knowledge of Mormonism wouldn't fully appreciate it, especially the historical flashbacks.) At any rate, I liked this much less than the previous books. Linda is not a captivating character, and I became very annoyed both at her failure to DO anything productive in her life other than meddle in other people's business (she can't get a job? do meaningful volunteer work? serve in her Church?) and at her negative attitude towards her grown children, who she sees exactly once, at Thanksgiving, when she hides in the kitchen doing the wonderful cooking that only she's capable of, thinking snarky thoughts about their food offerings. (Recipe for disastrous in-law relationships ahead.) I really disliked Gwen, the other main character, an increasingly nasty woman who definitely doesn't need a helping hand in her disastrous attempts to play detective--she desperately requires personal therapy and marriage counseling. The book's grand finale is all-too-convenient, and there are way too many loose ends. Finally, Harrison needs a much better editor in order to correct the minor but annoying errors of someone sitting when they were just standing, someone quitting the job they quit several chapters earlier, etc.
November 12, 2022
I admit I probably am more annoyed by this than I would have been had I read it instead of listened to it. The narrator couldn’t take a few minutes and find out how to pronounce words that were going to be used dozens of times in the book? The mispronunciations aside -there are so many false and ridiculous things put in about Mormons through the book that it is laughable. Bishops wives typically don’t have callings?!? Yes, yes they do. I’ve never met a single one that didn’t and I currently am a bishops wife and have a calling… as does every other bishops wife in our stake. There are honestly so many weird things that are either specific to Utah or to this authors own neighborhood but are NOT anything to do with the actual church. It honestly made me so sad. I’m not going to get into all of them- honestly I started tuning out some of it because it was so annoying and ridiculous .
Also listening to it may have had an effect too- because the inflections are so derogatory where it may not have really seemed like that in the book. This is one reason I really prefer to read- so I can put my own voice in to a book. But I’m at a stage of life where audiobooks are the only way I get much read.
So why do I let reading these books?!?? It’s something I keep asking myself. I think it because the mysteries are decent and it’s all in all clean. Would I ever listen to them again? Definitely not. There are many books I’ve read dozens of times or more. This will be a once and done series.
Also listening to it may have had an effect too- because the inflections are so derogatory where it may not have really seemed like that in the book. This is one reason I really prefer to read- so I can put my own voice in to a book. But I’m at a stage of life where audiobooks are the only way I get much read.
So why do I let reading these books?!?? It’s something I keep asking myself. I think it because the mysteries are decent and it’s all in all clean. Would I ever listen to them again? Definitely not. There are many books I’ve read dozens of times or more. This will be a once and done series.
April 19, 2019
I'm not sure how I came to request this mystery, written by a thoughtful woman, who is a Mormon herself, as well as an academic. It is refreshing as a commentary on the official role of men & women in the Mormon religion & the struggles, particularly of the women, in relation to the power structures, to be themselves & for an equal role, as well as providing a description of different roles and functions, which may have similar titles to other churches, but different qualifications.
It serves as a good contrast to some of the recent books written by women who have "escaped" restrictive situations, particularly in polygamous sects. This particular series involves a bishop's family in which the youngest son is homosexual, one son has left the Mormon church, & a wife who works to advance the role of women(& also solving murder mysteries), & a couple struggling to maintain their relationship after raising their children. The author brings in information about some of the organizations & women working to change the gender balance, roles & relationships. This particular book(#4 in the series) is dedicated to one of the 3rd wave Mormon feminist organizations.
Each of the books features at least one, if not more, current social issues(eg in this one, undocumented immigrants). I plan to read the first book in the series, & perhaps read them all.
It serves as a good contrast to some of the recent books written by women who have "escaped" restrictive situations, particularly in polygamous sects. This particular series involves a bishop's family in which the youngest son is homosexual, one son has left the Mormon church, & a wife who works to advance the role of women(& also solving murder mysteries), & a couple struggling to maintain their relationship after raising their children. The author brings in information about some of the organizations & women working to change the gender balance, roles & relationships. This particular book(#4 in the series) is dedicated to one of the 3rd wave Mormon feminist organizations.
Each of the books features at least one, if not more, current social issues(eg in this one, undocumented immigrants). I plan to read the first book in the series, & perhaps read them all.
April 23, 2021
This is the third novel in the Linda Waldheim mystery series written by Mette Ivie Harrison. Set in Mormon Utah and among Mormons, this is an intriguing mystery about a religion and it’s beliefs and practices. Harrison herself is a current member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints so she knows of what she writes.
While not my favorite book in this series, Harrison does touch upon current issues, such as immigration and LGBTQ issues and how the Mormon Church deals with those issues. And it’s not always in a favorable light.
In this installment, Gabriela Gonzalez, a young mother and member of the Spanish Ward of the Church is found strangled at a gas station. Linda Wallheim’s friend, who was also a friend of Gabriela, suspects that a Bishop in the Church may be more involved than he cares to admit. Reluctantly, Linda agrees to help her friend uncover what the story is, since her friend doesn’t t believe the police will be much help since Gabriela is an immigrant.
This was another fascinating look into how the Mormon Church operates and what their practices and beliefs are. Harrison is clearly critical of the Church’s stance on immigration, LGBTQ rights and its highly patriarchal structure. It’s an interesting, behind then scenes look at a religion which is not well known outside of Utah.
While not my favorite book in this series, Harrison does touch upon current issues, such as immigration and LGBTQ issues and how the Mormon Church deals with those issues. And it’s not always in a favorable light.
In this installment, Gabriela Gonzalez, a young mother and member of the Spanish Ward of the Church is found strangled at a gas station. Linda Wallheim’s friend, who was also a friend of Gabriela, suspects that a Bishop in the Church may be more involved than he cares to admit. Reluctantly, Linda agrees to help her friend uncover what the story is, since her friend doesn’t t believe the police will be much help since Gabriela is an immigrant.
This was another fascinating look into how the Mormon Church operates and what their practices and beliefs are. Harrison is clearly critical of the Church’s stance on immigration, LGBTQ rights and its highly patriarchal structure. It’s an interesting, behind then scenes look at a religion which is not well known outside of Utah.
November 27, 2018
I've been a fan of this series from the beginning- they are cozies which are something more than just your usual amateur solving murder tale. The appeal to these has always been the insight which Harrison provides into Mormonism and the life of a Bishop's wife. And especially into the mind of a Mormon wife with questions. This time out, Linda and her friend Gwen investigate the death of Gabriella, a young immigrant mom of three children. Gwen is determined to find out what really happened and focuses largely on Gabriella's relationships with her husband and a lover. Linda is more intrigued by Celestial Security, run by the Bishop of the Spanish ward and Gabriella's employer. As always the mystery was less interesting that the other bits. Some things in Linda's life seem like they are out of the 1940s and OMG I know Kurt is supposed to be a good guy but geez.....Not my lifestyle but I appreciate the opportunity to learn. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This can easily be read as a standalone. Try it for a different point of view.
January 8, 2019
I'm a huge fan of this series -- Harrison is one of those authors I wish would write faster because the stories are so good. This one was a bit of a step down -- while I appreciate learning more about the Mormon faith, there was a bit too much of the lecture. Perhaps this is Harrison's way of spreading the word of her faith or a way to make up for her character (Linda Wallheim)'s questioning her faith. Gwen was a bit over the top -- Linda has more patience than I would in that situation. Parts of the book got a little political -- but I'm on Linda/Mette's side of the fence on what she had to say.
I always read the author notes and comments at the end of a book -- usually that's what I read first because it gives me so insight into where the characters might go. In this one Harrison talks about an important group of women in the Mormon faith and gives a little tidbit about a female senator that bears further reading.
I always read the author notes and comments at the end of a book -- usually that's what I read first because it gives me so insight into where the characters might go. In this one Harrison talks about an important group of women in the Mormon faith and gives a little tidbit about a female senator that bears further reading.
August 12, 2020
I really enjoy this series and liked this one too, but it was more frustrating than previous books in the series. I liked that Linda continues to grapple with her faith and the complications of following some thoughts to their logical ends. She is a remarkably vulnerable and real character to me, in turn challenging herself and falling back on cliche and easy thoughts. I especially liked how she was in one role with Kurt and playing something like Kurt's role with Gwen. That felt very real.
The bad side? Gwen is a complete idiot and just not remotely realistic how she was handling herself or that Linda (who has done goofy things but is essentially a fairly smart person) would go along.
I did like the twist in the plot but thought Harrison didn't really handle it well.
In all, I still enjoyed and will continue to follow the series, but this one was more of a miss.
The bad side? Gwen is a complete idiot and just not remotely realistic how she was handling herself or that Linda (who has done goofy things but is essentially a fairly smart person) would go along.
I did like the twist in the plot but thought Harrison didn't really handle it well.
In all, I still enjoyed and will continue to follow the series, but this one was more of a miss.
June 27, 2024
This book is proof that I should really start reading the author's "About Me" blurbs before I decide to read something. I picked up this book solely off of the title, thinking that it would be critical of the Mormon Church, or at the very least that maybe the antagonist was an outsider. This is what I get for assuming.
I think that there was an attempt to write about the MC critically, but it completely missed the mark. Someone who is still inside a community can never accurately critique that community, in the same way that parents can't decide how well they parented their children. It takes an outside perspective to make the criticism more objective and realistic.
This entire book was nothing more than a lame attempt at proselytizing to an audience outside of the MC to make that community seem more sympathetic. This is most evident in the way the ending was written and that a perfect set-up to criticize religious leaders and their abuses of power was completely discarded.
I think that there was an attempt to write about the MC critically, but it completely missed the mark. Someone who is still inside a community can never accurately critique that community, in the same way that parents can't decide how well they parented their children. It takes an outside perspective to make the criticism more objective and realistic.
This entire book was nothing more than a lame attempt at proselytizing to an audience outside of the MC to make that community seem more sympathetic. This is most evident in the way the ending was written and that a perfect set-up to criticize religious leaders and their abuses of power was completely discarded.
July 14, 2024
i really like this series (linda wallheim mysteries)... the mysteries are pretty tame and there aren't a lot of twists and turns or a ton of suspense, but the characters are likable and I love the glimpse into the Utah/intermountain Mormon way of life. The main character (Linda) also discusses some issues with "the Church" that she has and wrestles through as the stories progress, from coming to terms with how her church deals with LGBT people after discovering her son is gay to exploring issues like diversity and crime and learning less than flattering details about Mormonism, trying to square it into her understanding of the world and her relationship with her husband (a bishop in their church). So many interesting facets to these stories! This one explored immigration and even delved into "pyramid schemes." I really liked it.
December 10, 2018
In this fourth of the series, Linda has more time on her hands now that all five sons have left home, and is spending much of it with Gwen, a young woman from her ward who is having doubts about her faith and losing her trust in the Mormon church's power structure, and who has been working with immigrants in the local Spanish ward. When a young mother from that ward is found strangled at a nearby gas station, Gwen decides that the police aren't doing enough, and she and Linda start checking into matters themselves.
The mystery part of this series borders on the ludicrous sometimes, as do most "cozy" mysteries featuring a nosy sleuth acting against their own better judgment. What I like about it is the history and culture of the Mormon church that it is based in.
The mystery part of this series borders on the ludicrous sometimes, as do most "cozy" mysteries featuring a nosy sleuth acting against their own better judgment. What I like about it is the history and culture of the Mormon church that it is based in.
December 26, 2018
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2018/1...
The latest Linda Wallheim mystery—about a fairly progressive Mormon woman in Utah—is pretty entertaining, though as usual I am more interested in the character, her family, and her experiences with the Church than in the actual mystery. The mystery here involves the murder of a woman from the Hispanic branch of their local Mormon church, but that part of the story mainly involves the protagonist and her friend being bumbling white women; there isn’t much for a reader to solve. Again, I like the protagonist a lot and enjoy the series, the mystery elements in this one are just kind of weak. B/B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.
The latest Linda Wallheim mystery—about a fairly progressive Mormon woman in Utah—is pretty entertaining, though as usual I am more interested in the character, her family, and her experiences with the Church than in the actual mystery. The mystery here involves the murder of a woman from the Hispanic branch of their local Mormon church, but that part of the story mainly involves the protagonist and her friend being bumbling white women; there isn’t much for a reader to solve. Again, I like the protagonist a lot and enjoy the series, the mystery elements in this one are just kind of weak. B/B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book is available now.
February 19, 2019
Linda Wallheim is earnest but a bit bland. I kept picturing a plump, rather dowdy 50-year-old who wants to be a rebel but is constrained by her husband's role as a bishop and society's role.
I checked author Harrison's home page and read a number of her essays about Mormonism and her personal journey. She says that among her other activities (triathlete, mom of 5, writer of YA and kids' books as well as the Wallheim series) she is a quilter. Then why, on p. 249, does Linda say that "Quilting is a dying art"??? The quilt industry is booming. (http://www.quilts.com/news-and-info-q...) [I'd have written that to Harrison directly but the "contact me" tab on her website doesn't go to anything.]
I checked author Harrison's home page and read a number of her essays about Mormonism and her personal journey. She says that among her other activities (triathlete, mom of 5, writer of YA and kids' books as well as the Wallheim series) she is a quilter. Then why, on p. 249, does Linda say that "Quilting is a dying art"??? The quilt industry is booming. (http://www.quilts.com/news-and-info-q...) [I'd have written that to Harrison directly but the "contact me" tab on her website doesn't go to anything.]
July 28, 2020
Oooh. I like this. In my opinion, the best of the series. Gwen is kind of an annoying character, but she serves multiple necessary purposes here. Her anger about the church takes Linda's that step further I have always wanted to see (that's the ex-Mormon in me talking), and her utter cluelessness to her own bias gives Linda insight that she has been lacking. It's kind of a genius move on Harrison's part. And Kurt is not a total waste of space in this one (sorry, Kurt - not a fan). Come for the mystery, stay for the societal commentary. Keep going, Mette. I want to see a Linda who leaves Mormonism.
August 10, 2018
Mormon bishop’s wife Linda Wallheim teams up with Gwen Ferris who has shifted to a Spanish ward (congregation). Initially they are offering assistance to immigrants who want to get enrolled in DACA, but soon there is a murder and they are on the case. Most of the members of the ward are employed by a home security systems company whose president is their bishop.
These books spend a lot of time exploring current tensions in Mormonism over the role of women and other social justice issues, this one more than most.
These books spend a lot of time exploring current tensions in Mormonism over the role of women and other social justice issues, this one more than most.
August 11, 2019
Second of the series that I have read; 4th in order that Harrison has written them. An interesting story, based on current events re illegal immigrants. Lots of interesting detail about life as a practicing member of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, written by an author who is still a committed member of the church. I will read more in the series, though I found this one to drag a little in spots. I also did not find the protagonist, Linda Wallheim, to always be completely sympathetic/likeable. Will read His Right Hand, book #2, next, and see what i think of that one.
January 3, 2019
This novel is set in Utah in the Mormon community featuring Linda Wallheim as the main character. A Mormon wife and mother who is constantly questioning some of the ideas of the Mormon church. In this story, Gwen Ferris, another Mormon woman is questioning everything about her church and the men who run it. Gwen becomes involved with trying to find justice for a murdered woman that was Hispanic. Linda is brought into the case because she is trying to help Gwen. The book was a quick easy read.
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