Scan barcode
rebecca_isreading's review
3.0
The strength of this book was in the timeliness of the story and in the actual mystery of who killed Carl Ashby and why. The story was fairly quick moving and while the identity of the killer wasn't surprising, the journey to the reveal was enjoyable. While i find the details of Mormon life and beliefs interesting, the author's tone is a little too "educational" and at times jarred me as a reader out of the story. The same tone is sometimes taken when the primary character talks about transgender individuals and issues. However, this is still a promising series and I hope to see it continue. Advance reading copy provided by Edelweiss.
aasplund's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Murder
tien's review
3.0
I enjoyed the first book of the series due to the thoughtfulness of the protagonist (and author?). This sequel is just as thoughtful but unlike the first book, the primary concern in this one is LGTBQIA and how it's being perceived in Mormon communities. I must say it was a struggle to read the back & forth arguments though I did appreciate author's note in that this was inspired by a friend's struggle.
While the mystery itself was intriguing, it was a heartbreaking one. I feel for these characters. I did enjoy, however, the portrayal of protagonist's marriage that isn't on the verge of breakdown or dysfunctional. They went through some rough patches in this book so it's not perfect but it works. The ending, however, too closely resembling the first book and for the protagonist to be involved in a car chase was a little unbelievable.
While the mystery itself was intriguing, it was a heartbreaking one. I feel for these characters. I did enjoy, however, the portrayal of protagonist's marriage that isn't on the verge of breakdown or dysfunctional. They went through some rough patches in this book so it's not perfect but it works. The ending, however, too closely resembling the first book and for the protagonist to be involved in a car chase was a little unbelievable.
ngerharter's review
2.0
Oh, that Linda. She makes me crazy.
***
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge - Book set in the country of one of your ancestors (Mormonism isn't a 'country', but kinda the same idea...)
***
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge - Book set in the country of one of your ancestors (Mormonism isn't a 'country', but kinda the same idea...)
ally_camel's review
4.0
A Mormon murder mystery about a transgendered bishop. Yeah, His Right Hand caught my eye right away. Granted I lost interest after the first few pages (it starts slow) but when I picked it up again, I found it very refreshing.
A stay-at-home mother of 4 (5?) full grown boys is about to become a full-fledged empty nester. Not-so-fortunately, she's kept busy as helpmeet to her husband, one of three bishops running their ward one of whom is Carl Ashby. Linda doesn't get along too well with Carl. His ideas about women in the church are much too conservative for her liking. Then Carl is found in the temple, strangled with a pink scarf. His death is the better news for some people. Many of Carl's secrets begin to come out, the biggest one being that he was born a she... and that he gave birth to a daughter some 20 years earlier... The police are being blocked from investigating the murder properly. Meanwhile, Linda finds herself asking questions and trying to find out what happened herself.
His Right Hand is probably the gentlest murder mystery I have every read. It's more about family and acceptance than murder. The development of the story is slow but allows you to build you own ideas. You know everything Linda knows as she obtains the information. Best of all, the reader doesn't have to guess based on some obscure detail mentioned or figure out some twisted plot (Carl's life is a twist all on its own). Great book!
A stay-at-home mother of 4 (5?) full grown boys is about to become a full-fledged empty nester. Not-so-fortunately, she's kept busy as helpmeet to her husband, one of three bishops running their ward one of whom is Carl Ashby. Linda doesn't get along too well with Carl. His ideas about women in the church are much too conservative for her liking. Then Carl is found in the temple, strangled with a pink scarf. His death is the better news for some people. Many of Carl's secrets begin to come out, the biggest one being that he was born a she... and that he gave birth to a daughter some 20 years earlier... The police are being blocked from investigating the murder properly. Meanwhile, Linda finds herself asking questions and trying to find out what happened herself.
His Right Hand is probably the gentlest murder mystery I have every read. It's more about family and acceptance than murder. The development of the story is slow but allows you to build you own ideas. You know everything Linda knows as she obtains the information. Best of all, the reader doesn't have to guess based on some obscure detail mentioned or figure out some twisted plot (Carl's life is a twist all on its own). Great book!
rebleejen's review
4.0
This book was even more crazysauce than the last book, but I've decided to lean into it. And yes, I can hardly wait for #3.
julieputty's review
4.0
The protagonist makes this series. She is smart, compassionate, and questions everything, including her own actions and beliefs. The mystery is not the point, which is good because they aren't the strongest aspect by far.
pammah's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
standback's review
5.0
Very well-constructed mystery story, making excellent use of its setting in a small-town Mormon community.
"Mormon murder mysteries" is kind of the tagline for the Linda Wallheim books, but they genuinely work - religious community and culture are really their own thing; they change familiar dynamics in intriguing ways. Harrison has a keen eye for those differences, finding key elements for her story that are uniquely Mormon and religious, without making them feel outlandish or ludicrous.
Both the author and the main character come across as sensible and down-to-earth, making the mystery and tension feel remarkably intimate and realistic. Linda Wallheim isn't some larger-than-life hyper-capable detective; she's just a person involved in her local community, who tries to take care of the people around during difficult times. Her constant feelings of responsibility and guilt, the sense that she wants to know more about her family, friends and neighbors but is toeing the line between caring concern and invasion of privacy, are very realistic and easy to relate to.
This book starts out with a murder, which Linda is more than happy to leave to the police. It's the awful repercussions in the ward that she wants to help out with. The deceased was keeping an impossible awkward secret:he was transgender, born female, and living now for twenty years as a man in a devout religious community, up to and including a wife and adopted children. These events and revelations leave both the grieving family and the religious community in impotent turmoil.
His Right Hand is ultimately much more focused, better constructed, and better plotted than the previous book, [b:The Bishop’s Wife|21416678|The Bishop’s Wife (Linda Wallheim Mystery, #1)|Mette Ivie Harrison|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1436466558s/21416678.jpg|40717829]. The mystery is clear and very compelling, and events spiral naturally and convincingly from the initial setup, all through the book.
The one thing that bothered me in the book is that it spends a lot of time in musings and asides about gender roles and LGBT issues, which are central to the book. Since I consider this pretty much a non-issue, the frequent hand-wringing over acceptance and understanding wear pretty thin. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be the author or the editor responsible fiddling with those passages - I suspect that, both for a wide, popular readership, and to provide a strong portrayal of religious Mormons with various degrees of understanding and acceptance of LGBT identities, Harrison pretty much had to have a strong, continuing focus this. If it came out a little more heavy-handed than I might have wished, well, I can live with that, and it didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
"Mormon murder mysteries" is kind of the tagline for the Linda Wallheim books, but they genuinely work - religious community and culture are really their own thing; they change familiar dynamics in intriguing ways. Harrison has a keen eye for those differences, finding key elements for her story that are uniquely Mormon and religious, without making them feel outlandish or ludicrous.
Both the author and the main character come across as sensible and down-to-earth, making the mystery and tension feel remarkably intimate and realistic. Linda Wallheim isn't some larger-than-life hyper-capable detective; she's just a person involved in her local community, who tries to take care of the people around during difficult times. Her constant feelings of responsibility and guilt, the sense that she wants to know more about her family, friends and neighbors but is toeing the line between caring concern and invasion of privacy, are very realistic and easy to relate to.
This book starts out with a murder, which Linda is more than happy to leave to the police. It's the awful repercussions in the ward that she wants to help out with. The deceased was keeping an impossible awkward secret:
His Right Hand is ultimately much more focused, better constructed, and better plotted than the previous book, [b:The Bishop’s Wife|21416678|The Bishop’s Wife (Linda Wallheim Mystery, #1)|Mette Ivie Harrison|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1436466558s/21416678.jpg|40717829]. The mystery is clear and very compelling, and events spiral naturally and convincingly from the initial setup, all through the book.
The one thing that bothered me in the book is that it spends a lot of time in musings and asides about gender roles and LGBT issues, which are central to the book. Since I consider this pretty much a non-issue, the frequent hand-wringing over acceptance and understanding wear pretty thin. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be the author or the editor responsible fiddling with those passages - I suspect that, both for a wide, popular readership, and to provide a strong portrayal of religious Mormons with various degrees of understanding and acceptance of LGBT identities, Harrison pretty much had to have a strong, continuing focus this. If it came out a little more heavy-handed than I might have wished, well, I can live with that, and it didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
jessicaesquire's review
2.0
Update: More thoughts (and some spoilers) on Book Riot.
I wanted really badly to enjoy this book. I'm a former Mormon and looking at the Church's issues on gender and LGBT issues is a really intriguing place to take Harrison's series. I enjoyed The Bishop's Wife without loving it, but the things I wasn't crazy about seemed to be amplified in this second book.
I try not to leave a lot of negative reviews, but I've noted Harrison's first book as an example of writing Mormons well so I felt like I needed to see this one through. Harrison seems to be writing to both a Mormon and non-Mormon audience, so she explains the Church and she explains a lot of gender/transgender elements to her audience. It can feel like a lot of explaining. And while Harrison obviously cares about these issues, the subplots feel clunky and like an attempt to do too much to make a statement.
While a big part of Linda's history is revealed and was really interesting, I still felt detached from her as a character. And I definitely felt more detached and confused about her marriage, which feels very stilted. I just didn't connect with this book the way I hoped I would.
I wanted really badly to enjoy this book. I'm a former Mormon and looking at the Church's issues on gender and LGBT issues is a really intriguing place to take Harrison's series. I enjoyed The Bishop's Wife without loving it, but the things I wasn't crazy about seemed to be amplified in this second book.
I try not to leave a lot of negative reviews, but I've noted Harrison's first book as an example of writing Mormons well so I felt like I needed to see this one through. Harrison seems to be writing to both a Mormon and non-Mormon audience, so she explains the Church and she explains a lot of gender/transgender elements to her audience. It can feel like a lot of explaining. And while Harrison obviously cares about these issues, the subplots feel clunky and like an attempt to do too much to make a statement.
While a big part of Linda's history is revealed and was really interesting, I still felt detached from her as a character. And I definitely felt more detached and confused about her marriage, which feels very stilted. I just didn't connect with this book the way I hoped I would.
More...