THE MORMON MURDERS: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit, and Death

by Steven & Gregory White Smith Naifeh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1988

Solid true-crime as the prolific writing team of attorneys Naifeh and Smith (How to Make Love to a Woman, The Best Lawyers in America, Why Can't Men Open Up?, etc.) chronicle the largest criminal investigation in Utah history, one which rocked the Mormon Church. In October 1985, bombs killed a Mormon housewife and a Salt Lake City businessman. Here, Naifeh and Smith concentrate on the relentless efforts of two hard-boiled Salt Lake City cops to track down the bomber--an outsized personality, a tragic and scary mixture of Mormon heretic, pathological liar, and cold-blooded killer. The police investigation revealed that the victims had been selling documents to the highest members of the Mormon Church--documents that purported to cast doubt on the veracity of the church's founding revelations. In describing how the bomber was finally brought to justice, Naifeh and Smith offer a revealing tour of Mormon history, examining the character of founding Prophet Joseph Smith, the institution of polygamy, and the practice of ""blood atonement."" The conflict between Mormon historic ""fact"" and contemporary PR ties the Mormon hierarchy to the murders; and the authors pull no punches in documenting the role that church leaders played in conspiring to censor news of their involvement and to obstruct the wheels of justice. Exhaustively researched, engrossingly told.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1988

Categories: NONFICTION