If you're not sure what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain:  My name is Susan and I'm a Mormon (you've seen the commercials, right?).  As a member of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media.  Because this blog is about books, every time I see a reference to Mormonism in a book written by someone who is not a member of my church, I highlight it here.  Then, I offer my opinion—my insider's view—of what the author is saying.  It's my chance to correct misconceptions, expound on principles of the Gospel, and even to laugh at my (sometimes) crazy Mormon culture.

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In Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley, 34-year-old Cassie Sunday is composing a letter to her sister.  An exhausted stay-at-home mom, she writes:

"I just remembered something.  When the boys were about four months old and I had been back at work for a month, I used to watch TV during their two a.m. feed.  I got into that show on Showtime with Chloë Sevigny about the Mormon polygamists, and I remember thinking, these people are genius!  A few extra wives really come in handy with a house full of kids.  It's just good sense.  We could have used an extra wife right about then (still could, actually).  I would have gladly let her sleep with Leo.  God knows I wasn't.  I fantasized about it for weeks—not the sex part, but the wife part, the extra set of hands to take care of the babies, cook, clean, all that" (36).  

--  All I can say is ha ha.  And members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints haven't practiced polygamy in more than 125 years.  The practice is continued by some fundamentalist sects, but these groups are not associated with the mainstream LDS Church.  If you want to read more about plural marriage and the history of the Church, click here.   

Haunted by his role in a recent investigation gone horribly wrong, Armand Gamache retreats to Québec City for a much needed respite.  Though his face has been splashed all over the news of late, he's hoping to keep a low profile while he licks his wounds.  But, he is not the only visitor to the historic, walled city.  Despite the bone-chilling winter temperatures, a crowd of tourists is in town for the annual Winter Carnival.  While he enjoys seeing the faces of delighted revelers, Gamache wants no part in the festivities.  He desires only to be left alone with the memories that haunt his mind, breaking his heart and wounding his soul over and over again.

Gamache finds solace in the peaceful quiet of a forgotten library run by the Literary and Historical Society.  When a body is discovered in the building's basement, the chief inspector's days of tranquil study come to an abrupt end.  Local police are stumped by the murder of Augustin Renaud, an amateur archaeologist obsessed with finding the remains of Samuel de Champlain; reluctantly, Gamache agrees to help with the investigation.  As he searches for clues in Québec City's history, culture, and political climate, he makes startling realizations that reveal enough motives and suspects to keep him busy.  In the meantime, Gamache dispatches Jean-Guy Beauvoir to quietly re-open the investigation into a murder that occurred several months earlier in Three Pines.  Although Olivier Brulé has been deemed responsible, his partner, Gabri, refuses to believe it.  He's been writing Gamache daily letters begging him to find the real killer.  Jean-Guy is attempting to do just that, but will there be anything to find?  Or will further inquiries only confirm that Olivier deserves to be exactly where he is—behind bars?

As Louise Penny masterfully oscillates between the two stories, the tension mounts for both police officers.  Will they find the killers for whom they are searching before they become targets themselves?  Can Gamache exorcise his demons enough to move on?  Or has the most revered cop in Québec reached the end of his professional rope?

Although I adore the village of Three Pines, I'm always intrigued when Penny sets one of her Armand Gamache mysteries outside the town.  And what setting could be more fascinating than Québec City?  I'd never heard of the place before, but Penny brings it to such vivid life in Bury Your Dead that I felt as if I'd walked its streets before.  Everything about the old fortress intrigued me.  The mystery at the center of the novel is similarly compelling.  Like all the books in this series, Bury Your Dead combines a colorful setting, a cast of complex characters, and a gripping mystery to create an engrossing detective story that will keep readers guessing.  Penny, as I've mentioned before, isn't afraid to toy with the emotions of her dedicated fans.  The resolution in Three Pines satisfied, but it also made me sad.  Despite the bruising I've taken from The Brutal Telling especially, I'm more dedicated than ever to this series with its trademark warmth and humor.  If you haven't "met" Chief Inspector Armand Gamche yet, introduce yourself, will you?  You won't regret it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny, including Still Life; A Fatal Grace; The Cruelest Month; A Rule Against Murder; The Brutal Telling; The Hangman [novella]; A Trick of the Light; The Beautiful Mystery; How the Light Gets In; The Long Way Home; The Nature of the Beast; and A Great Reckoning)

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Besides London and Bath, Lady Helen Poulter has never been anywhere.  Curious about the world beyond her Somerset home, the 19-year-old decides to accompany her mother and stepfather when they sail to the Brigadier-General's new military post in India.  Fascinated by the colorful sights and exotic sounds of Calcutta, Helen is delighted with her new home.  Unlike the other Englishwomen in town, she finds the city thrilling, its people intriguing, and their customs delightful.

Helen is immediately taken with another of Calcutta's magnificent sights: Lt. Arthur Bancroft.  With his handsome face and elegant manners, he's exactly the type of man she would like to marry.  But it's with Michael Rhodes, a 32-year-old captain, that she can really be herself.  Although crippled from a battle wound, the soldier has a calm, soothing way about him that always makes Helen feel safe.  A good thing, as she's discovering just how many dangers lurk in the shadows of India's blinding beauty.

As things heat up around her, both politically and socially, Helen discovers some harsh truths about her new home, about the two men vying for her heart, and, most of all, about herself.  When a deadly battle calls all the men Helen loves to the front lines, she fears the one she adores most will be lost forever.  Has she finally found her true love only to lose him?

Like Jennifer Moore's previous Regency romances, Lady Helen Finds Her Song is a sweet, upbeat love story.  Clean and compelling enough, it's an easy read, one that worked well as a fluffy diversion between all the heavy psychological thrillers I've been devouring lately.  The novel requires little from the ole brain cells, as its plot is about as familiar and predictable as they come.  While its unique setting offers the tale a pinch of originality, nothing else really sets it apart.  I would have appreciated a few twists in the story as well as more complexity from the characters.  A number of typos pepper the book, which take away from the overall experience.  All in all, though, Lady Helen Finds Her Song is a nice, enjoyable read.

(Readalikes:  Other Regency romances by Jennifer Moore, including Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince; Simply Anna; and Lady Emma's Campaign)

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