Natalie R. Collins

SISTER WIFE is a worthy successor to Ms. Collins' first mystery on the
fringes of Mormonism, WIVES AND SISTERS. I actually did read it in one
sitting -- on Kindle for PC in front of my desktop computer. The story
is that compelling.

It begins with a kidnapping, continues with the discovery of a murder,
and then, as protagonist Kelsey Waite begins the agonizing search for
her missing daughter, we learn bit by bit of her shocking past and her
fear that it has caught up with her. Kelsey is, in some show more ways, an
average young single mother; she doesn't practice martial arts or have
exceptional strength. What she does have are a strong, willful
personality and a tigress's instinct to protect her daughter. She also
has a firm ally in handsome police officer Quinn Anderson.

Kelsey's search will take her back to a place she never wanted to see
again -- to the shadow world of polygamous cults, offshoots of the
Mormon religion, repudiated by the LDS church. (We have learned in
recent years that Collins' books, which may have seemed far-fetched
when first published, are all too sadly true-to-life.) Her journey
will also take her somewhere she had wished to be but never expected
to reach, as her relationship with Quinn Anderson deepens.

Ms. Collins knows her setting and characters intimately and even
relatively minor characters come to life on the page. It's hard to
read about bad things happening to children, but Ms. Collins always
keeps the emphasis on the inner strength of the victims rather than
dwelling on the twisted thoughts of the perpetrator as too many
authors seem to do. For thrills, romance, and social relevance, I
would strongly recommend this book. show less

Good read with lots of potential left on the table - sorry for the cliche, but it illustrates the main weakness of the novel: too many cliches. Which is too bad, because the plot works and the setting is intriguing - who doesn't want to know more about the inner workings of the Morman Church? But the characters say and do things we've all seen before. These are like old friends mashed up in a new scenarios. We look forward to getting to know them, only to realize we already do. That said, show more it's a fast read, entertaining, and I was kept intrigued to the end. I would read this author again. show less

An interesting murder, domestic violence tale woven through the lives of Mormons in Utah and the constraints and rules of their lives within that society.

Samantha Montgomery has returned to her small Utah hometown as a police detective. When several kids apparently die by hanging themselves, Samantha and the other police begin to think there is more to it than simple teen suicide. When post-mortem pictures of the kids show up on a computer at the high school, they are sure a killer is at work. And Samantha is also dealing with ghosts of her past which haved been stirred up by the suicides. When a man from her past enters the investigation, show more Sam may have more than she can handle.

This was a good book. The interconnected story and insight into Mormon culture were interesting. Sam is a complex character with a whole set of baggage she needs to deal with. Despite her personal problems, she is a good cop and I could not help but pull for her. There are enough clues to solve the crime but it was not completely obvious. show less