Linda Wallheim and her Bishop husband, Kurt, are
attending a bishopric dinner with two other couples. They
were having a discussion about the place of women in
Mormon society when Carl Ashby suddenly lashes out at
his wife Emma. The Ashbys had
been running late for the dinner, Linda had phoned Emma
and heard part of a heated argument. A few
days later, a distraught Emma phones Linda saying her
husband is late coming home from a church meeting.
However there was no church meeting, so Kurt and Linda go
to the church where they do indeed find Carl, murdered.
The autopsy revealed that Carl was
transgender; he was born a woman. And even though that
shocking piece of news is known to only a few, the little
city of Draper, Utah will rock the lives of many of its
citizens.
I was anxiously awaiting the second instalment of this
series, and I think it's even better than book one, even
though it is quite different in tone. HIS RIGHT HAND is
more of a psychological character study than a
straightforward mystery. Linda is not so much trying to
find the murderer as to understand the situation and why
someone would want to kill Carl. The fact that Carl was
transgender, and that no one knew -- even his wife -- has
Linda paying more attention to the people of her
community, thus bringing forth reflections on what
defines men and women, what makes them who they are, and
where they belong in Mormon society.
HIS RIGHT HAND is a mesmerising look into the very fibre of
Mormon life, and it is astonishing how Mette Ivie
Harrison, through Linda Wallheim's eyes, paints an
extraordinarily complex and utterly fascinating picture,
all the while remaining perfectly objective. The mystery
is totally engrossing as it indirectly touches everyone
in the community simply because we are all sexual human
beings. HIS RIGHT HAND had my entire attention the whole
time I was reading; it was difficult to put down, and
when I had to stop, I kept thinking about it. Much
backstory about the Wallheims is provided, which is
enthralling as well as illuminating, and tells us why
Linda's perception differs regarding Carl's plight.
Mette Ivie Harrison's writing is spectacularly subdued,
quietly eloquent, and besides crafting a captivating
murder mystery, we get to know more about the whole
Wallheim family, where a shocking situation happens as
well. The author provides a surprisingly unbiased, richly
detailed look at modern Mormon society from an insider's
point of view. HIS RIGHT HAND is a magnificent,
unforgettable book of profound philosophical depth, much
humanity and understanding. Mette Ivie Harrison is an
astutely perceptive, sensitive author, and I will be
looking forward to her books with even more anticipation
than before.
In Draper, Utah, a tight-knit Mormon community is thrown into upheaval
when their ward’s second counselor—one of the bishop’s right-hand men—is
found dead in an elaborately staged murder on church property. Carl Ashby
was known as a devout Mormon, a pillar of the community, and a loving
husband and father. Who would want him dead?
Linda Wallheim, the wife of the ward’s bishop, can’t rest as long as the ward is
suffering. She is particularly worried about Carl’s grieving family. But the
entire case is turned upside down by the autopsy report, which reveals Carl
Ashby was biologically female. In the Mormon church, where gender is
considered part of a person’s soul, some people regard transgenderism as one
of the worst possible transgressions of faith. Church officials seem to be more
upset by Carl’s gender than by his murder, and more concerned with hushing
up the story than solving the crime.
Linda realizes that if the police are to catch the killer, they are going to need
an ally on the inside—and she is the only one who can help. Carl was living a
life of secrecy for twenty years. What else was he hiding—and can Linda ferret
out the key to his death before the rumors tear her community apart?
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