Helpful Score: 3
The Bishop's Wife is more a nuanced character study of Linda Wallheim than it is a mystery, although finding out what's happened to these characters is absorbing. As a detective, Linda is as amateur as they come. With each new piece of information she gleans, she changes her mind about what happened and who's responsible. This habit keeps readers on their toes (if not a bit exasperated). Having picked up the author's clues along the way, I was not surprised by the story's resolution, but I found Linda Watching to be a fascinating new hobby.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is the insight Harrison gives readers into the Mormon faith. To many, Mormonism will seem like entering into a foreign country. In this I had the inside track. I'm not a Mormon, but I lived in Utah and attended Brigham Young University. For me, The Bishop's Wife was familiar territory, and what I liked about Harrison's weaving of faith into this storyline is that she was fair and even-handed. She shares both the good and the bad about this religion, and she does it in the best way possible: by the words and actions of her characters. Do not avoid reading this book because you fear being bogged down by theological rambling. You won't be. Instead you'll be drawn into a story about a very interesting woman whose conscience will not let her stand idly by. Like so many other characters in crime fiction, Linda will not rest until she's found the truth.
Do not avoid reading this book because you fear being bogged down by theological rambling. You won't be. Instead you'll be drawn into a story about a very interesting woman whose conscience will not let her stand idly by. Like so many other characters in crime fiction, Linda will not rest until she's found the truth.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is the insight Harrison gives readers into the Mormon faith. To many, Mormonism will seem like entering into a foreign country. In this I had the inside track. I'm not a Mormon, but I lived in Utah and attended Brigham Young University. For me, The Bishop's Wife was familiar territory, and what I liked about Harrison's weaving of faith into this storyline is that she was fair and even-handed. She shares both the good and the bad about this religion, and she does it in the best way possible: by the words and actions of her characters. Do not avoid reading this book because you fear being bogged down by theological rambling. You won't be. Instead you'll be drawn into a story about a very interesting woman whose conscience will not let her stand idly by. Like so many other characters in crime fiction, Linda will not rest until she's found the truth.
Do not avoid reading this book because you fear being bogged down by theological rambling. You won't be. Instead you'll be drawn into a story about a very interesting woman whose conscience will not let her stand idly by. Like so many other characters in crime fiction, Linda will not rest until she's found the truth.
