«His Right Hand» by Mette Ivie Harrison

Author of The Bishop’s Wife: A Utah housewife looks into the murder of a prominent Mormon—with a surprising secret—in this “fast-moving” novel (Anne Perry).In Draper, Utah, a tight-knit Latter-day Saints 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 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 that Carl 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 sins. Church officials seem to be more upset by Carl’s gender than 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’re going to need an ally on the inside. 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?From the author of The Bishop’s Wife, this is both a compelling crime novel and “a heartfelt story that opens outsiders to a fascinating world” (The Boston Globe).