Visions of Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant went dancing through my head when I picked up The Bishop's Wife (#439) by Mette Ivie Harrison. Be warned! The only angel you'll find in this novel is the picture of the Mormon Temple angel on the cover.
Instead, what you'll find is the story of Linda Wallheim, ordinary housemaker and mother, and wife to the bishop of her ward in Draper, Utah. When her husband was elected to the position, Linda inherited all the unwritten and unpaid duties and responsibilities that come along with being the bishop's wife. Most of the time she's content to do her duty until the day one of their neighbors comes to their house with his five year old daughter, claiming that his wife has disappeared overnight without a trace. Something about the situation doesn't sit right with Linda as she tries to push her husband into looking into things further. What she eventually turns up puts herself, her faith and her marriage in peril.
Ms. Harrison's book deals with domestic abuse in what appears to be a wholesome neighborhood on the surface. Things aren't always what they seem, and in the Mormon culture depicted here, it's difficult to push the limits if there are problems. The resulting ripples may turn up something that everyone else would prefer not to know about.
Ms. Harrison does include a lot of information about the Mormon way of life, which may be of interest to those curious about what makes the Mormons so different. If you're not one of those, do yourself a favor and find something else to read.
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