Blessed Be the Wicked: An Abish Taylor Mystery

Written by D. A. Bartley

Narrated by Chelsea Stephens

Detective Abish Taylor left Utah for a reason. But with her husband’s passing, it’s time to come home. Reconnecting with her family means dealing with her past: the father she abandoned and the community she left behind. Her one escape is serving as the sole police detective in the small town of Pleasant View. But when the quiet Mormon suburb in the Wasatch Mountains is shaken by a macabre death—with the hallmarks of a sacred ritual dating back to the days of Brigham Young—Abbie is called into action.

As she uncovers the dark side of the picturesque neighborhood—infidelity, corruption, and the greed of a global religion—Abbie discovers just how far some powerful leaders of the Church will go to bury their secrets. Especially as the brutal murder unearths a sinister tradition lurking in the religion's not-so-distant past: the ultimate sacrifice for unforgivable sins. With the chief pressuring her to close the case and the community that once sheltered her watching her every move, Abbie must find justice for the dead—before she’s silenced for good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Jul 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781974975570

D. A. Bartley

D. A. Bartley is a well-traveled author who has always had a lifelong love of mysteries. A member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, she can trace her family history back to the earliest days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She spent much of her childhood in Utah, but she was born in Scotland and lived in Germany, France, and Russia. She currently resides in New York City.

Reviews for Blessed Be the Wicked

[cathygeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Blessed by the Wicked by D. A. BartleyAn Abish Taylor Mystery #1Abish Taylor: widow, ex-Mormon, returned home from New York, sole detective on Pleasure View police force, knowledgeable about LDS and detective work. Abish left New York for Utah after her husband died to see if she could reconnect with family members that did not see eye to eye with her when she left the Mormon faith. Not much is said about Phillip, her deceased husband, but she did love him and he left her plenty of money when he died. Abbie is not really accepted by the old-boy network at work so it can be tough at times. When a man is murdered in what appears to be a ceremonial way mentioned in older LDS writings the church really would prefer to keep things out of the media and let Abbie know this in more than one way. There is quite a bit of sleuthing. Interviews are done with various suspects as well as those that might have information that might help solve the murder. Tidbits are unearthed that lead the reader to potential suspects and reasons for the murder. The case is eventually wrapped up by Abish and Clarke, the colleague assigned to work the case with her. She does make inroads into getting along better with her father and she meets up with an old friend that may prove to be a potential love interest as she moves forward in the series. There is a mystery left unsolved – why were the two men in her home one night when she got home and what were they looking for? There was considerable information about the history of Latter Day Saints that might not appeal to everyone but it was informative and based in fact. Having done much comparative religious study over the years I did enjoy the story and do look forward to reading what comes next in the series. If there is anything I might have wanted more of is information about why Abbie left the church, how she met Phillip and how Phillip died. That said, my guess is that more of this information will show up in future books…hope so!Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4 Stars

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Blessed Be the Wicked by D.A. Bartley is the first installment in An Abish Taylor Mystery series. Abish “Abbie” Taylor is a widow who has moved back to her hometown of Pleasant View, Utah where she is the only detective in the town’s small police force. Abbie is hoping to reconnect with her family who were less than understanding (except her brother, John) when she left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). Abbie’s newfound peace is shattered when she is called to an unusual murder scene. The victim is wearing sacred temple clothes and killed according to an abolished punishment ritual called Blood Atonement. Abbie dives into the case with her partner, Officer Jim Clarke, but she is thwarted at every turn. Even her fellow officers attempt to hinder her investigation. Church leaders do not want their secrets coming to light and the police chief is pushing for her to close the case, but Abbie wants justice for the victim. Join Abbie as she follows the clues to catch a deadly killer in Blessed Be the Wicked.Blessed Be the Wicked is a different type of cozy mystery. It is set in Pleasant View, Utah where many of the citizens are members of the LDS. The author provides readers with the inner workings of the church (the hierarchy, various committees, rituals). It did seem that D.A. Bartley is not a fan of the church or its practices based on the criticism. The details provided on the church slowed down the pace of the story and some of it was just baffling. I did enjoy discovering the history behind the Mormon faith. The author created a complicated mystery with a simple solution. The crime scenes are explained in graphic detail which is unusual for a cozy mystery. The author has a descriptive writing style which allows me to visualize the scenes. I did wonder at the overabundance of detail regarding high end clothing and accessories. At the end of the book, I was left with unanswered questions (which is so frustrating). I was never able to get into Blessed Be the Wicked, and I struggled to finish it. Blessed Be the Wicked was not the right fit for me.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.

Blessed Be the Wicked by D. A. Bartley is a compelling mystery that incorporates the Mormon faith into the storyline.

Abish "Abbie" Taylor is the only detective in the Pleasant View Police Department.   A small town with a dense population of members of the Latter Day Saints, everyone on the police force is shocked by the ritualistic death of a prominent resident. Trying to prevent any negative publicity for the Church, Police Chief Russell Henderson pulls everyone off the case except for Abbie and Officer Jim Clarke. With pressure to solve the case quickly and quietly, Abbie and Jim cross paths with church officials who are not exactly forthcoming when answering questions. Will Abbie and Jim unmask the killer before Henderson and church officials shut down their investigation?

Abbie has been estranged from everyone in her family except for her brother, John, since she left the church and moved out of state. Following the death of her husband, she decided to moved back to Utah in hopes of reconciling with her father and sisters, but  her siblings are not receptive to her overtures. Abbie's interactions with her dad are fraught with tension, but they are making progress in working through their issues.

Abbie also experiences tension with the many of her co-workers. However, she has a good working relationship with Jim and his close ties with the residents of the community are extremely helpful during their investigation.  Although she is no longer an active member of the church, her knowledge of the Mormon faith is extensive (and rather impressive). Abbie immediately recognizes the significance of the manner in which the victim died, but Chief Henderson seems more concerned with protecting the church's reputation than solving the case.  She and Jim must tread lightly as they question prominent leaders of the church who have close ties to the victim. Jim is a devout Mormon and this proves to be a valuable asset throughout the investigation.

With plenty of twists, turns and clever red herrings, Blessed Be the Wicked is an intricately plotted and infinitely fascinating mystery. Abbie is a likable and sympathetic lead character but it would be nice to learn more information about her past. The secondary characters are also appealing but they are not very well-rounded due to a lack of much backstory.  D. A. Bartley skillfully weaves different facets of the Mormon faith into the storyline and these glimpses of the Latter Day Saints are quite interesting. The investigation into the victim's death exposes many other secrets that will hopefully be explored in future installments of the Abish Taylor Mystery series.