Mette Ivie Harrison’s The Bishop’s Wife, a mystery set in a Mormon ward in Draper, Utah, will be published by the New York City publisher Soho Press on December 30. The reviews have started to come in. Here are some excerpts. Publishers Weekly (Starred): “YA author Harrison makes her adult debut with a stunning contemporary mystery set in Mormon country. Linda Wallheim, the independent-minded wife of an LDS bishop, is the unofficial problem-solver and general soothsayer for the Mormon community of Draper, Utah . . . An intriguing subplot involves dark secrets that one ward member sought to hide for years. Harrison, a Mormon herself, easily transports readers into a world most will find as unfamiliar as a foreign country.”
Janet Maslin, New York Times. “’The Bishop’s Wife’ has good reason to draw a large readership. It places heavy emphasis on domestic abuse and on the question of how dangerous fire-breathing extremists really are. The man who inveighs against women as whores and sinners may or may not be anything worse than a crank. The man who speaks sanctimoniously of them may be much worse. And the women who live among them have every reason to hide whatever goes on behind closed doors. They aren’t likely to find shoulders to lean on within their community. That’s why Ms. Harrison’s Linda is such a welcome character: In her role as Sister Wallheim, she encourages women to speak freely, at least to her, and to escape the shame that has burdened some of them since childhood. Linda is no mover or shaker, and she accepts many Mormon beliefs and customs in her heart. But she has healthy doubts about, say, waiting until the next life to be able to raise the stillborn daughter she lost in this one. Linda has grown sons, but the loss of that baby girl haunts her throughout this story.”
Booklist (Starred review). “The mystery surrounding Carrie drives the plot, but Linda herself is the most compelling thing about young adult author Harrison’s debut adult mystery about a world she knows well.”
Kirkus: “This decidedly adult tale adds twists aplenty to an insider’s look at a religion replete with its own mysteries.” Library Journal: “YA author Harrison’s debut novel is a measured exploration of a small religious community filled with dark secrets. Readers interested solely in the mystery aspect may be underwhelmed, as the inclusion of multiple crimes feels muddled and Linda’s investigations are subdued and clumsy. Still, the details about the inner workings of the Mormon church are intriguing; and while Linda can come across as meddlesome, her heart is in the right place. VERDICT For fans of unembellished, character-centered novels and readers with an interest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Kellie, Seagullah: “So begins Mette Ivie Harrison’s contemporary exploration of the world of ward politics, judgments, snap assumptions and above all everyday people trying to make sense of the mess and joy of life, and each other . . . I have read many of Harrison’s non-contemporary novels, and while I am a happily devoted fan of the fantasy/sci-fi/fable genres, The Bishop’s Wife was a very welcome and skilled immersion into contemporary fiction. In particular, I appreciated how the title character, Linda, was not painted as a paragon of a woman, or endowed with increased spirituality or discernment simply because she was the bishop’s wife, or the main character. Linda struggles with the demands put on her by loved ones and irritating people in her ward, she makes snap judgments and really dislikes some people – exactly how real people (how we) can be in our lives. The ongoing complications and effects of situations from long ago still resonate in Linda’s life, and the difficulties and rash decisions Linda makes are not sugar coated, unbelievable or unrealistic. I also appreciated how the patriarchal structure of the church is presented, and the ongoing struggles different characters have with the interpretation thereof in many areas of faith and life. The Bishop’s Wife is a mystery story, but is also an honest exploration of how women can be pulled in too many directions by personal history, the best of intentions, sick individuals and loved ones. This is not a light, fluffy, Disney fairy-tale story, but it’s all the more honest, compelling and relatable because of it.”
Shelah Books It. 4 stars. “While the whodunit is creepy, complex, and compelling in its own right, what makes the book a 4-star read is the way it analyzes LDS culture. Unlike many of the mysteries I’ve read for the Whitney awards over the years, The Bishop’s Wife is not necessarily written for an LDS audience. While many authors would whitewash our culture, focusing on the positive, and others might focus only on the negative aspects of Mormon culture, Harrison doesn’t paint with broad strokes. She acknowledges stereotypes and expectations (temple marriage is a side focus in the story) but she isn’t heavy handed. Instead, she explores how Mormon culture can have positive and negative effects in the lives of church members. I love the way that the culture influences the mystery, and the graceful, reasoned touch Harrison uses when presenting the story, especially as seen through Linda’s eyes.”
Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times. “Some of the mystery genre’s most beloved sleuths are women of a certain age. Although their gray hair or wrinkles may relegate them to the shadows of a youth-obsessed culture, their vantage point provides an intimate perspective on their communities that often surpasses that of even law enforcement (think of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or television’s Jessica Fletcher). And when the sleuth is also part of a religion that proscribes specific roles for women, her observations from the sidelines can be even more crucial in understanding the context and consequences of crime in a community . . . Harrison’s insider view of Mormon doctrine and religious practices forms a complex tapestry that serves as background and context for the crimes and misdemeanors of the Mormon men and women of Draper . . . Watching Linda Wallheim take on the church and its entitled male members as she unravels the mystery of Carrie’s and Helena’s disappearances is one of the chief pleasures of this richly detailed debut. And even if the reader does not understand much about Mormonism or holds more liberal views on life and marriage than the Latter-day Saints, Linda’s negotiation of her first steps toward a new relationship with her church, her family and her community is worth another visit — hopefully soon — to the Wallheims of Draper, Utah.
Interview with Jana Reiss at Flunking Sainthood. “I am contracted for a sequel, which is coming out a year after the first book. I have in my head planned out nine total books in the series, and I have written some of them. My editor and I have talked about how they fit together. Linda needs to go through each of the experiences I have planned for her in each book in order to end up where I want her to be in book 9.” The News & Observer (North Carolina). “This will probably be the gentlest murder mystery you read all year. There’s not even a dead body until almost 200 pages in, although there is a young mother missing in suspicious circumstances.Our narrator is Linda Wallheim, wife of a Mormon bishop. I very much enjoyed her voice, intelligent and wry. In Linda’s dealings with her husband’s flock, author Mette Ivie Harrison gives us a rare neutral treatment of Mormonism, which when it turns up in a murder mystery is usually an evil plot device . . . In the end there are two bodies, two mysteries and an “amateur sleuth” who does not get the usual fictional pass from the professionals. Refreshing.”
Sarah’s Book Shelves. Skip it. “It was really the book’s overall portrayal of what it was like to live as a Mormon that I enjoyed most. The church and its leaders are incredibly involved in the lives of those in the ward…to a level I found nosy and creepy. There was a lot of showing up unannounced on people’s doorsteps to “help” them or “check in on” them…and a lot of the delivering of baked goods as an excuse to intrude (or investigate, in Linda’s case). Ugh – this would drive me crazy! I also took issue with the general Mormon assumption that church attendance and involvement automatically equate to good personal character and integrity. It seemed the Mormonism portrayed here was an example of religion gone wrong. I think religion is supposed to be a comfort to people, especially in their time of need. However, living up to the expectations of Mormonism seemed to cause stress, anxiety, and fear of judgement more than anything else for many of this book’s characters, particularly the women. But, the mystery/thriller piece of the story was stop and go for me and felt a bit contrived . . .While the disappearance of Carrie Helm hooked me in the beginning, it lost momentum a quarter of the way in before finally regaining it towards the end. And, during the momentum dip, Linda’s nosiness and obsession with delving into other people’s issues got tiresome to endure . . . Overall, I was on the fence with whether or not to recommend this book. But, given I spent about 50% of the book wondering where the momentum went, I landed on “Skip it”.”
And don’t miss Theric’s reviews and discussion at A Motley Vision.