By
Kelly Bridgewater
Description (from Amazon):
In the shadow of the Mormon church, a 19th-century conspiracy is about to be shattered by a 21st-century forensic artist.
In 1857, a wagon train in Utah was assaulted by a group of militant Mormons calling themselves the Avenging Angels. One hundred and forty people were murdered, including unarmed men, women, and children. The Mountain Meadows Massacre remains controversial to this day--but the truth may be written on the skulls of the victims.
When renowned forensic artist Gwen Marcey is recruited to reconstruct the faces of recently unearthed victims at Mountain Meadows, she isn't expecting more than an interesting gig . . . and a break from her own hectic life.
But when Gwen stumbles on the ritualized murder of a young college student, her work on the massacre takes on a terrifying new aspect, and research quickly becomes a race against modern-day fundamentalist terror.
As evidence of a cover-up mounts--a cover-up spanning the entire history of the Mormon church--Gwen finds herself in the crosshairs of a secret society bent on fulfilling prophecy and revenging old wrongs.
Can a forensic artist reconstruct two centuries of suppressed history . . . before it repeats itself?
When renowned forensic artist Gwen Marcey is recruited to reconstruct the faces of recently unearthed victims at Mountain Meadows, she isn't expecting more than an interesting gig . . . and a break from her own hectic life.
But when Gwen stumbles on the ritualized murder of a young college student, her work on the massacre takes on a terrifying new aspect, and research quickly becomes a race against modern-day fundamentalist terror.
As evidence of a cover-up mounts--a cover-up spanning the entire history of the Mormon church--Gwen finds herself in the crosshairs of a secret society bent on fulfilling prophecy and revenging old wrongs.
Can a forensic artist reconstruct two centuries of suppressed history . . . before it repeats itself?
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| From Amazon |
My Thoughts:
What
would it be like to have one of the premier founding authors of Christian
thrillers to read your manuscript and held mentor you into publication?
That
is exactly what Carrie Stuart Parks did. According to the introduction to her
debut suspense novel, A Cry from the Dust,
Frank Peretti reviewed her early manuscript and helped make it publishable.
Peretti had never done that for anyone before; at least that was what he said
in his opening.
A Cry from the Dust is a story
relying on Mormon history, especially with the death of Joseph Smith, the
founder and prophet of the Mormon faith. The heroine of the story is Gwen
Marcy, a cancer survivor and recently divorced forensic scientist who draws and
sculpts the images of victims from their skeletons or their corpses.
In
the beginning of the story, Gwen is working on reconstructing three heads from
the skeletons of their bodies, which were found at the evident site of the
Mountain Massacre. If you don’t know much about Mormon tradition, which I
didn’t until I read the book, the Massacre occurred at the hands of the Mormons
who killed off a crowd of innocent immigrants on their way to California.
My
favorite part of the book was that Carrie Stuart Parks actually has a
background as a forensic artist, which made all the technical ideas that Gwen
does realistic. It helped the authenticity of the plot line. When Gwen was
molding or drawing the face of the killer, I trusted Parks words and the
actions because she actually does what Gwen does for a living.
As
the story progress, Gwen is hunted by what she is led to believe as the
Avenging Angels of the Mormon faith. Wanting to protect her teenage daughter
and her best friend, Beth, she sends them to a peace convention outside of
Seattle, Washington after she constructs a clay image of Joseph Smith head.
The
character of Gwen was realistic and interesting. She worried about her family
while struggling with the effects of cancer on her life, her rebellious teenage
daughter, and her ex-husband who wanted a younger woman. Gwen had a lot on her
plate, but she kept her focus on solving the mystery, even though there were
moments where her life wanted to go array. Parks allowed the readers to
empathize with Gwen. We all struggle with a lot of different things like soccer
practice, boy scouts, chess club, church, aging parents, writing while trying
to keep our heads above water. We understood Gwen completely.
The
story has many twists and turns to come to its unforeseeable conclusion. I
liked how Parks created the bad guy to be someone who most readers wouldn’t
have suspected. The story features kidnapping, teenage pregnancies, and murder
while trying to solve a mystery of the murder victims.
Parks
does a good job at wrapping the fictional story around the items of historical
significance. I learned a lot about the Mormon faith then I probably would have
if I read the Mormon’s sacred text written from Joseph Smith. As an outsider,
the readers will learn and observe more of the inside world of the Mormons.
I
truly enjoyed the story, especially learning about a culture that I know a
couple of friends belong to. I’m curious to see what is in store for readers
for the next time Carrie Stuart Parks creates her next historical suspense, if
I’m aloud to call it that.
Have
you read this book yet? If so, what was your favorite part about the book?
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Purchase A Cry From the Dust
