HIGHER AUTHORITY

Mormon fundamentalists took a beating in Jon Krakauer's UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, and they don't come off any better here. Lauren Crowder, the fiancée of Dr. Alan Gregory (White's usual protagonist), goes to Salt Lake City to assist in the investigation of a sexual harassment charge brought by Lauren's sister against a female clerk to the first Mormon U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The clerk is murdered--is it a random killing or one connected to the lawsuit? Two other murders follow. Dick Hill's facility with voices allows him to navigate easily between male and female, authoritative and scared, young and middle-aged. One policeman has an entire conversation through a mouthful of food. Informative about Mormon history and philosophy, well abridged, and well read. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]