Blessed Be the Wicked (Abish Taylor Series #1)

by D. A. Bartley

Overview

In D. A. Bartley's compelling debut, Detective Abish Taylor returns home to Utah and uncovers dark secrets lurking within the quiet Mormon community.

Detective Abish Taylor left Utah for a reason. But with her husband’s passing, it’s time to come home. Reconnecting with her family means dealing with her past: the father she abandoned and the community she left behind. Her one escape is serving as the sole police detective in the small town of Pleasant View. But when the quiet Mormon suburb in the Wasatch Mountains is shaken by a macabre death—with the hallmarks of a sacred ritual dating back to the days of Brigham Young— Abbie is called into action.

As she uncovers the dark side of the picturesque neighborhood—infidelity, corruption, and the greed of a global religion—Abbie discovers just how far some powerful leaders of the Church will go to bury their secrets. Especially as the brutal murder unearths a sinister tradition lurking in the religion's not-so-distant past: the ultimate sacrifice for unforgivable sins. With the chief pressuring her to close the case and the community that once sheltered her watching her every move, Abbie must find justice for the dead—before she’s silenced for good.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683317203
Publisher:	CROOKED LANE BOOKS
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Series:	Abish Taylor Series , #1
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

D. A. Bartley is a member of Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She traces her family history back to the earliest days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She spent much of her childhood in Utah, but her parents were incurable travelers. She was born in Scotland and lived in Germany, France and Russia. After studying international relations, politics and law, D. A. worked both as an attorney and an academic in Manhattan. In the end, though, she could not escape her life-long love of mysteries. She lives in New York City with her husband, daughter and son.

Editorial Reviews

07/30/2018
Abish Taylor, the heroine of Bartley’s surprising debut, left Pleasant View, Utah, and the Mormon faith early in her life, eventually becoming a police officer in New York City. After her husband’s death, she returned home to Pleasant View, where she assumed the detective position for the local police force. She thought it would be an easy way to pass the time between hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, but the job turns serious when a man is found dead in the basement of a newly purchased McMansion in a swanky part of town. The victim is dressed for Temple in full ceremonial regalia, his throat cut from ear to ear. As she sets out to solve the murder, Abish must navigate the particular realities of Mormon culture, where protecting the reputation of the church often takes precedence over investigating a grisly murder or two. The book contains a goodly dollop of Mormon history, which adds unexpected layers to the mystery. Readers will look forward to this unusual woman’s next outing. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Blessed Be the Wicked:
"[A] thought-provoking and intricate debut featuring a well-drawn protagonist...Readers who enjoy Mette Ivie Harrison’s ’Linda Wallheim’ mysteries will appreciate another insider’s examination of Mormon rituals and traditions."
—Library Journal

“Surprising...The book contains a goodly dollop of Mormon history, which adds unexpected layers to the mystery. Readers will look forward to...[the] next outing.”
—Publishers Weekly

"Blessed Be the Wicked is razor sharp and crackles with a relentless tension. D.A. Bartley takes readers on a dark passage into the depths of a little known society that is as fascinating as it is secretive."
—New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo

"A fascinating and memorable story, full of twists and turns."
—Emily Littlejohn, author of Inherit the Bones

"Blessed be the Wicked is an insightful and compelling read."
—Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill

From the Publisher

2018-05-15
As the lone detective in her small Mormon community, Abish "Abbie" Taylor must use her understanding of the faith she rejected when a religious leader is murdered.Abbie has been living a life of luxury and privilege with her husband in New York City, but after his death, she returns home to Pleasant View, Utah. She takes a job as the small force's detective, assuming it will be an easy one given the area's predominantly Mormon, law-abiding makeup. But then a church leader is found dead, bearing wounds and wearing clothing that hint at a violent and bloody chapter of the church's past. As she and the promising young Officer Clarke investigate, Abbie realizes that many of the church's leaders are involved in actions that are less than legal, let alone moral. Even her own boss seems reluctant to fully investigate. Further complicating matters is Abbie's troubled past with her father, a man whose position as a respected church historian doesn't match up with his treatment of his own wife. The reader is given many, many passages about Mormon history and practices, yet key facts of the plot, such as those about Abbie's past career in law enforcement, are distributed sparingly. One wants to like Abbie, but Bartley's sluggish, predictable prose makes it hard to engage.Although the book's setting and subject material give it potential, the lackluster style keeps this off the must-read list.

Kirkus Reviews