The Bishop's Wife

April 27, 2015
YA author Harrison’s debut novel for adults focuses primarily on Linda Wallheim, the wife of Bishop Kurt Wallheim. She and her husband reside in Draper, Utah, where he is the spiritual father to a Mormon congregation (called a ward), and now that their five sons are grown, she occupies her time assisting in church activities and offering guidance both religious and common sense. Though the plot, which is told from Linda’s perspective, has her unofficially investigating two possible murders and the rumored incestuous behavior of a church elder, solving the mysteries is secondary to her attempt to understand herself and her place in a male-dominated religion, in a marriage dominated by her husband, and in a world where a woman’s death is deemed less important than a man’s. As portrayed by actress Potter, Linda is an intriguingly complex character, and the reader does a fine job of catching the moods of her inner thoughts, her displays of outspoken anger and frustration, and her embarrassment over mistakes in judgment. Potter follows this particularly rich characterization with an efficient amplification of the author’s depiction of the bishop’s calm but authoritative manner, of several elderly male ward members who growl angrily and
dismissively about women, and of Mormon wives who, much to Linda’s dismay, passively accept their secondary status. A Soho Crime hardcover.

Starred review from October 6, 2014
YA author Harrison (The Princess and the Hound) 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. When distraught Jared Helm shows up at the Wallheims’ door with his five-year-old daughter, Kelly, Linda is immediately suspicious, growing more so after Jared claims that his wife, Carrie, simply up and left her family. There’s talk in the ward about the Helms’ tumultuous marriage, but Linda finds it hard to believe that Carrie would abandon Kelly with her husband, who’s known for his extremist views. Linda does all she can to assist in the search for Carrie. 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. 15-city author tour. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Harrison, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers an insider's look at an enigmatic religious community, warts and all. Kirsten Potter portrays a strong, intelligent, outspoken woman in Linda Wallheim, who is the bishop's wife of the title. Although she has no official standing in the church, Linda is the unofficial "go-to" person for the Mormon community of Draper, Utah. When the wife of a neighbor disappears in the night, Linda becomes suspicious of the husband. Potter is reserved as Linda reveals secrets that sully the picture-perfect ideal of the LDS church. Potter's voice takes on a gravitas appropriate to the revelations of misogyny behind the male-dominated religion, including the abuses that occur behind closed doors. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine