Destroying Angel, by Chuck Larsen: A Book Review
Hello friends,
I had a chance to read this book, and found it a very interesting, exciting and intelligent book. I really enjoyed the twists and turns; it was unpredictable, surprising, extremely clever, and fully satisfying reading. I agree with the reviewer below that the portions dramatizing the Mountains Meadow Massacre were difficult, heart-rending reading, but they were also gripping and very much kept me on the edge of my seat.
His characters were well developed and I came to really care about them; I must admit I liked the famous polygamist character the best. :o) Truly, it was nice to see a polygamous family that is talented, loving, intelligent, and vulnerable; the characters exemplify a life of faith, a love for family, and the public/political challenges polygamous families face every day.
I strongly recommend this book.
Mary
************
This book’s hardcover release is scheduled for early September, with two “preview” readings and signings of a special paperback version taking place in August in Utah. They will be at
The Book Cellar, St. George
August 22nd
Ken Sanders’ Rare Books, Salt Lake City
August 28th.
You will need to contact the bookstores directly for times and location. This will be the only chance to get a copy of the book before the release date, so please encourage anyone who is interested to try to attend!
Title: Destroying Angel
Author: Charles M Larson
Publisher: Zyrus Press
Genre: Fiction
Year Published: 2008
Number of Pages: 473
Binding: Quality paperback
ISBN: 978-1-933990-18-7
Price: $16.95
Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle
At its heart, “Destroying Angel” is a tale of a series of brutal murders taking place in and around Salt Lake City, Utah. Orrin Christensen works for the Utah Attorney General as a special investigator working on dismantling the polygamous settlements and bringing the polygs to justice. When it appears that the murders are linked to a fundamentalist, he is assigned to the case, bringing his expertise and determination to the task. He is joined by an agent from the Department of Homeland Security, Bill Woodard, who is called in to help in the investigation.
There are several parallel stories that the reader must track. One involves a television reporter who has ingratiated herself into the murder stories. She finds herself becoming more immersed in the polygamous lifestyle as she tries to discover the perpetrator of the killings. She develops an uneasy relationship with Woodard and Christensen.
In another vein, three nephews of a famous polygamist are planning some sort of action — an action involving firearms, death, and ultimate redemption for what they consider a wrongful act by their relative. We are given brief glimpses into the lives of these three young men. Their entire view on life is so unsettling, so unpredictable, and utterly frightening.
It soon becomes apparent that the fundamentalists are, after all, not responsible for the killings. After meeting with some Mormon historians, the link is finally discovered — each of the victims was in some way related to the perpetrators of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Neither Christensen nor Woodard had any expertise in the Massacre. To help sort it all out, they consult some real-life historians, including our own
Will Bagley.
Interspersed within the chapters describing the murders, Larson offers up an unimaginably brutal account of Mountain Meadows. These were the hardest chapters to read: one can hardly imagine human beings acting in such a callous and vicious way. He collates many of the accounts currently available and produces a bloody, terrifying glimpse of what it must have been like for the Fancher party to have been gunned down in cold blood. And we even see the event through the eyes of the surviving children.
It is in the accounts of the Massacre that Larson is best at presenting a nuanced, multi-layered view of the victims and the perpetrators. Pure good and pure evil don’t exist in this world; we enter into the lives of real people, and cry out for justice as the account proceeds.
Larson likes to tease us, giving us glimpses of who the murderer might be. But I was taken completely by surprise when I reached the end of the book. I’m willing to guess that readers generally will be very surprised by how the book ends. The identity of the murderer, and his actual motivation, are alarming and unsettling.
Larson’s book is a long read. Coming in at just under 500 pages, the reader must be committed to the task. Fortunately, for me, I was hooked after the first ten pages. I do like a good mystery, and this one had the potential of being a real lulu.
In most books of this nature, fundamentalists come across as unbalanced and fanatical. Instead, Larson’s polygamous families come across as perfectly natural, happy, and well balanced. I was pleased to see this change of view. Tired of the seemingly-eternal rantings against those who practice “the Principle,” it was refreshing to have the opportunity to enter into the private lives of polygamous families where there is order and harmony. I’m sure this will make some unhappy, but it really delighted me.
“Destroying Angel” is one heck of a read. Larson has captured the spirit of Salt Lake City, the mindset of its more extreme characters, and the dubious concerns of law enforcement in a powerful parable of influence, revenge, and ultimate redemption. There’s not a soppy word in this hard-hitting novel. The characters are fully fleshed out, as real as can be. The crises eat at your guts and make you wonder how evil can have such a wide influence in our society.
In short, I just loved this book. I’m so glad I read it — and I read every word, from beginning to end. I cared for the characters, and hoped things would turn out in a way that is both believable and ultimately redeemable.
I am very glad to heartily recommend this read. I think most will find themselves completely immersed in the story, somehow wishing it wouldn’t end.
Jeff Needle
Association for Mormon Letters
jeff.needle@gmail.com
<www.aml-online.org>
<www.LDSBookLovers.com/Needle.html>
