Sister Wife

by John Gates

Brigham Bybee, introduced in John Gates's acclaimed Brigham's Day, has withdrawn from the routine practice of law and purchased Piute Villa, a motel in Kanab, Utah -- not because he particularly wants to own a motel, but to be near the beautiful Zolene Swapp. But when the state deputizes him as a hired gun to prosecute and imprison the most notorious polygamist in the area, T. Rampton Crowe, Brig accepts: it all seems easy enough.Then Mercy confronts him. A runaway "plural wife" of Crowe's -- one of six wives -- she's beaten, bloody, and terrified and tells a story of murder and mutilation within the colony from which she's fled. Bybee decides to change his tactics: He's going after Crowe for murder. But this upsets the powers-that-be. They want one thing and one thing only -- a show trial on the polygamy charges to prove, as the Olympics prepare to come to Utah, that the state won't put up with immoral and backward behavior. This was to be a show trial, and that's all.

As Mercy begins to insinuate herself into his life, Brig starts losing Zolene and discovers how far -- reaching the hand of power can be.

228 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm wasn't really captivated by this book.
The first chapter was good and I was thinking great things were to come.

But suddenly there was a switch.
I'm not too into books like this.
I don't want to be sexist but this book was trying to hard to act macho.

I did appreciate the real raid talk on salt creek though.

Once again I'm abandoning a book midway.
Maybe I'll try to pick it up again but I doubt it.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't recommended it.

[Sandy Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I wasn't sure if I was going to finish this book, then bingo, I was drawn in and couldn't out it down