cover image The Ferret

The Ferret

Tom Minder. Black Rose Writing, $16.95 trade paper (166p) ISBN 978-1-68433-659-3

Though Louie Kimball, the protagonist of this middling crime novel from Minder (The Long Harbor Testament), is an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, he’s more focused on playing Candy Crush than his faith’s spiritual mission. After Kimball, who looks like a ferret, is tapped to be the construction foreman at Testimony Acres, “a gated community of high-end homes, fifty miles north of Vegas,” which the church has invested in, an FBI agent informs him that his slated position is intended to make him the fall guy if the deal falls through. To avoid possibly being charged as a conspirator in the scheme, Kimball agrees to get the Feds access to relevant church computer files and testify against his superiors. He winds up in witness protection with a new face and identity in New Jersey, only to find his past remains a threat. Some breezy, satirical humor isn’t enough to offset stock characters and a standard plot. Those interested in Mormons behaving badly should check out D.A. Bartley’s Abish Taylor mysteries. Agent: Randi Davis, Davis Literary. (Apr.)