Book Review: His Right Hand by Mette Ivie Harrison

I chose to read His Right Hand because I had read Harrison's first book, The Bishop's Wife and I wanted to see what our characters were up to now. I enjoyed His Right Hand, but not as much.

A little background. Linda is the Bishop's wife. His Right Hand is not only a mystery, but a book about the Mormon faith. One of the Bishop's closest assistants, Carl, is found dead in the church. He seemed to be a pillar of the community and a loving and supportive husband and father. But after his death, startling secrets are discovered that change everything. The autopsy reveals that Carl was biologically a woman.  This would be startling in any situation, but as a Mormon there are additional complications.

Linda, as always, can't let things go. While trying to support Carl's family she can't help but get mixed up in the investigation.

I thought His Right Hand was a bit more preachy than the first book. This might be because a lot was repeated from the first book about the Mormon faith. I also didn't think the mystery was as compelling as The Bishop's Wife, but it still kept my interest. In the first book, there were multiple issues and more complexity. It gives a good introduction to the faith, and has stirred up some controversy for the author because of her questioning certain things about her faith. I also didn't get that as much in His Right Hand. This second book is just a straightforward murder mystery, complicated by some interesting issues.

I would recommend reading The Bishop's Wife first.  I liked the characters and setting and would recommend His Right Hand if you enjoy the first book.

Published by Soho Crime, December 1, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 3/5

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