cover image The Zarahemla Vision

The Zarahemla Vision

Gary Stewart. St. Martin's Press, $0 (280pp) ISBN 978-0-312-89851-9

A character calls this story ""weird,''and it isfilled with half-crazed people, visions, revelations and many murders. It's also a marvelously intricate mystery with fascinating looks at modern Mormonism, and the characters are believable, crazed or not. Private eye Gabe Utley (The Tenth Virgin puts off returning to New York from Salt Lake City because of inertia and his half-Indian, sometime girlfriend Mona. Utley hears that his loony Cousin Parley is talking about a revelation that requires him to kidnap the old, ailing head of the Mormon church. Before Gabe can contact his kin, it's announced that ``the Prophet'' has died. But Utley can't find anyone who has seen the body. Next, a California big-business type is named as the new Prophet, and a huge Indian commits murder in public and disappears with Mona. Gabe must work through a dense crowd of Mormons, Gentiles and Indians, and a no less dense cloud of big bucks, church politics and odd references from the Book of Mormon. Stewart's depiction of Salt Lake City and the Mormon religion and culture is masterly, and even the wry, ambiguous ending will leave readers satisfied. (August 29)