White usually writes a good book, but boy has he unloaded a stinker this time. I'm not a Mormon and hold no particular brief for them, but this screed against them dominates the book and throws into doubt White's credibility as an honest author. White hates the Mormons with the same blazing intensity that David Duke hates blacks or Al Sharpton hates whites. If you're a hater and you want to get your rocks off about the Mormons, be my guest. Me, I'm just looking for a good story without a whole lot of anti-religious malarkey thrown in. Obviously some Mormom forgot that White was the Center of the Universe and insulted him or something, leading White to not get mad but get even, even with a crummy book. And what's this having Sen. Orrin Hatch die in a bathroom? I guess White hates Republicans also. I wonder who he does like, other than his self-important self. I read White's first and second books and he can't keep his bile about Boulder under control in them. He's got a lot of anger, this guy -- he ought to see a shrink. As for me, This book has already taken up residence in my wastebasket. Save your money unless you want to discover what it looks like for a writer to say, in several hundred words: I AM PI$$ED OFF!!!! AND BIGOTED!

I have learned through experience that Stephen White is one of those authors that does not put out unrealistic, police-prodding, boring plotlines. Every element of every one of his stories screams, "realism!"

I have read many, many novels and I still cannot find a better dialogue writer than Stephen White. Due to his experience in Psychotherapy, he can compose dialogue that is so realistic, the reader feels like they are a part of conversation. Before I read my first Stephen White novel, Kill Me, dialogue was something that I easily overlooked. But, after reading such realism with words, I simply despise unrealistic dialogue.

This particular book shows the ability of White to compose an extremely complex, in depth, and, I'll say it again: REAL, plotline. I read this book, just like many other Stephen White books, in four days. He uses the Mormon Church as the framework of an elaborate plot that includes betrayal, conspiracy, religion, jealousy, and hatred. While there are many "implied" ideas about the Mormon Church, the implications are true- and if any of the other reviewers of this book would take the time to research the doctrine of the Mormon Church, they would agree that White fairly represented the Church. Many people expect to read a chocolate coated story-- well, I'll be honest, if you paint dirt green, it's still dirt.

Overall, this is a great read. It is an elaborate page turner that, literally, folds itself up on the last page.

When Boulder assistant DA Lauren Crowder asks for the assistance of Salt Lake City attorney and friend Robin Torr in helping her sister Teresa pursue a case of sexual harassment against female Blythe Oaks, a Mormon and chief clerk to a US Supreme Court justice, also a Mormon, little did she understand the lengths that the LDS establishment would go to preserve their highly moralistic image. In fact, simply a few inquiries seem to precipitate the execution-style deaths of Oaks and a PI hired by Torr.

Beyond what plot there is, the Church of Latter-day Saints is the main focus of the book. The structure is described, but more importantly, the mindset is explored. Deviation from church practices and beliefs, as well as independent thought, especially the questioning of Church history or practices, is not tolerated, with great pressure brought to bear on those who stray. While the analysis is not exhaustive, one can see the basis of rationalizations made for suppression, even murder.

Lauren turns to fellow Boulderites Alan, her psychologist boyfriend, and Sam Purdy, Boulder police detective, to follow leads in the case. As usual Alan gets in some bicycling as the evidence trail leads from Moab, UT to Telluride and Ouray, CO - all of them bicycling meccas. It is Lauren and Sam, not Alan, who do the serious work in resolving this case of Mormon fanaticism.

The pace of the book is rather slow, with many digressions concerning Mormonism. Despite a pattern of intolerance of the keepers of the faith, the motivations to kill in this case seem extreme to say the least. Also, the original complaint is all but lost by the end. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is Lauren's interest in Harley, a lapsing Mormon who she finds in a bar while shooting pool, but the author seems not to know what to do with that development. It is a good book in the series, but not one of the best.

Dr. Alan Gregory is a durable hero. He's been shot, stabbed, pushed off of cliffs, almost pushed off of cliffs, stalked, variously assaulted, and attacked by at least one wild animal. And yet he remains a mensch - tiresomely physically fit and over-addicted to healthy living, perhaps, but still a mensch. He admires his wife, cherishes his friends, and generally respects his patients. He loves his dogs, present and past. The supporting cast is equally attractive/compelling: Lauren Crowder's independent intelligence and relentless bravery, Sam Purdy's common sense and generosity, Adrienne Arvin's dementedly charming chutzpah, Diane and Raoul's wit and whimsy, all serve to anchor the series. And the presence of Grace in the later novels promises to develop into a great child character, possibly rivaling Lucy Karp in the early Gruber-authored Tanenbaums. The incidental characters are vivid and generally believable, almost without exception. Some authors are better at male characters than female, or the reverse, but White is excellent at people, all people. Most of the books are first-person narration by Gregory, but White can shift to third-person with aplomb.

Aside from the great characters, the plots of this series are outstanding. We learn about a private end-of-life corporation, cold-case volunteer groups, the Mormons, DB Cooper, the cult of personality, Grand Canyon adventures, and the fallout from the JonBenet case, all without stretching the seams of the community based in Boulder, CO. When the plots call for suspense, the books are literally terrifying, real white-knuckle reads. White is witty and insightful and the very best craftsperson of the English language I've read in years. His casually correct use of the subjective fills me with delight, as do his always-agreeing pronouns, and his elegant but unpretentious syntax. His prose is a pleasure to read.

The settings are wondrously vivid - views, trees, coffee houses, the streets and walks of Boulder and environs. White brings food to the table and vistas to the eye. You can track his characters on GoogleEarth and see just what he describes. I fell into this series at a gruesome time for me, professionally, and reading them all in a period of a couple of weeks has been an exercise in staying sane. Some are, of course, better than others - Kill Me, The Program, Higher Authority, Manner of Death - and there are some weak links (Cold Case, Private Practices), but I can't imagine reading 15 books by any other contemporary author sans break and still wishing for more.

Think you know about the Mormons? Give this a read. White perfects the process of seamlessly down-loading tons of new info to his readers. We get details from a variety of characters and from the narrator - never too much at once, always in a useful context. Lauren has more air-time here than Alan, and that's a treat for fans of the series. As always, White makes the landscape part of the plot and the mountains of Utah and Colorado loom large.

Mormonism takes some knocks, but deservedly so. What the reviewers who complain about this miss is the fact that everything here is true, verifiable from the LDS's _own_ websites. And - as Sam keeps pointing out - most religions look just as arbitrary, or would if they had Utah at their disposal. Read The Assassini by Thomas Gifford, and see the Roman Catholic version of this paradigm. In both cases, the willing participation of the flock is the most frightening element of the plot.

Many reviewers have stated that this book comes down rather hard on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I agree that some of the scenarios are rather extreme in almost any context. Nevertheless, as I am not offended by irreverent writings, even those about my own United Methodist Church, I was entertained by the book. Some things were implausible as described, if not physically impossible, but they were easy to overlook.

I find White's insight into the minds and motivations of his characters to be the main appeal of his books. Reading them provides an insight and self analysis that are almost like therapy.