Destroying Angel (Hardcover)

 

ISBN-10: 1-933990-15-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-933990-15-6
Publication Year: September 2008
Binding / Size: Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket - 6x9
Pages: 480
Case Qty: 20

 

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About the Author

CHARLES M. LARSON is originally a native of Michigan who grew up in California. He is an artist, a lifelong student and aficionado of history, and writer who makes his home in Orem, Utah with his (one) wife of thirty-four years and his family. Destroying Angel is his third book and his first novel. He is the author of the best-seller By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri (1992) and the award-winning Numismatic Forgery (2004).

 

Flap Description

When Justice delayed means Justice not served, there are consequences.

 The murder of an entire family in southern Utah takes on a bizarre twist when a cryptic message left on the wall brings Utah's polygamous underground under immediate suspicion – those who believe and practice "Old Mormonism." Some practice secretly, many openly, but all of them privately – for it was under the former governor's direction that a crackdown on high profile polygamists was actively pursued for such charges as child abuse, non-support and bigamy.

Fearing political and domestic terrorism, Federal Agent Bill Woodard from Homeland Security is called in to partner with Utah's Investigator Orrin Christensen. Delving deep into the invisible labyrinth of Utah's polygamous subculture while fending off clamoring media, contending with bureaucratic church officials and exploring the exclusive domain of the historians' private realm, the investigators feel powerless to prevent the continuing murders as the killer's death toll continues to grow.

The horrifying truth lies behind a little-known historical incident at Mountain Meadows in 1857 that carries the potential to bring the entire structure of the twelve-million-member LDS Church crashing down. And they discover that the motive for the killings has nothing whatsoever to do with the fundamentalist Mormons.

 Or does it?

 

Editorial Reviews

"I deeply enjoyed reading Destroying Angel from the first page to the last. I've read very many books about Mountain Meadows, and while Larson's is every bit as well written as Mark Twain's Roughing It and Jack London's Star Rover, it also does a number of things that even the best non-fiction historical works fail to do.

 

The book is an intense murder mystery and a riveting psychological thriller all rolled into one, and at the same time it is very informative. The author's fair and balanced approach to the various Mormon factions was refreshing and, perhaps more importantly, an approach that surprisingly seemed to work. Larson has an in depth knowledge of the Mormon people that I have seldom seen. I believe Mormon and non-Mormon alike will find the cultural portrayals in the book fascinating, and both will come away with something they can feel good about.

With respect to healing the 150 year old wound that is the Mountain Meadows Massacre, I think this book will achieve more than any so far toward bringing about a welcome settlement. It may be the first accurate portrayal that both sides may accept, and if I am correct about this Larson will have accomplished something very special, and is to be commended for it."

--Wayne Capurro is the author of White Flag: America's First 9/11, and is a direct descendent of Bishop Philip Klingensmith, one of the most notorious participants of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

 

 

 

"…In his first novel, Utah writer Charles M. Larson may have written a crime thriller featuring the Mormon culture that crosses over to a broader audience.

 

In the best traditions of John Grisham and Dan Brown, Destroying Angel is a ripping good yarn with fully drawn characters, a classic crime thriller plot and expertly written dialogue. I marveled at the degree to which Larson shows an appreciation of his subject by the care he takes to give his characters and his story depth and complexity… Larson is a scrupulous researcher… [lending] authenticity to the book [which] makes for fun reading… taken purely as a crime thriller, it succeeds on nearly every level. Particularly as it begins to accelerate toward the climax, the story's twists and turns are fun to follow and provide a satisfying payoff.

 

Unlike the media's coverage of polygamy, Mormon culture and history, Larson's treatment is nuanced and complex, exhibiting a clear appreciation for Utah's past and present that few writers could.

 

Larson could have presented a caricature of this culture, but instead chose to go well beyond the surface to provide a sophisticated picture that rings true. This isn't "Big Love" rendered to print—instead Larson takes great care to humanize his characters… Weaving factual historical references within a fictional story line that alternates between the 19^th century and modern day, Destroying Angel has an authentic feel that provides a sense of realism without sacrificing plot.

 

It's not for the squeamish—it has a considerable body count and it doesn't exactly have a Hollywood ending. To some, this will be its charm.

 

As the news media inevitably provide superficial coverage of Warren Jeffs, El Dorado and similar stories, Larson's book contributes to the understanding of the unique Utah human landscape in ways that a non-fiction book couldn't begin to touch."

—Roger Plothow is the Editor of the Idaho Falls Post Register