The Bishop’s Wife

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. (Dec.)