Righteous04 - The Blessed and the Damned

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As the son of the prophet of Blister Creek, a polygamous enclave in Utah, Dr. Jacob Christianson has struggled for years to reconcile his faith with his skepticism about the fundamentalist practices of his community. Nevertheless, when his family and neighbors were threatened, Jacob stepped up time and again to lead the fight against those who would destroy them. Now Jacob and the residents of Blister Creek face a dangerous new challenge to their quiet existence. Taylor Kimball Jr. wants to take over as prophet of Blister Creek—and he wants Jacob’s sister Eliza by his side when he does it. With no room for personal reservations, Jacob forms a tenuous alliance with his father and the FBI. But Taylor Junior is as crafty as he is brutal, anticipating Jacob’s plan and drawing him out to leave Blister Creek vulnerable to attack. And this time Taylor has come prepared, with a horrific new weapon capable of annihilating Blister Creek. If he has any chance of winning this fight, Jacob will have to decide, once and for all, just how far he is willing to go to protect his community. The fourth in Michael Wallace’s riveting Righteous series, The Blessed and the Damned raises the stakes in Jacob’s world to dizzying new heights.From BooklistWallace, who grew up in a small-town religious setting, takes readers to the fundamentalist Mormon community of Blister Creek, Utah, where Jacob Christianson, a physician, struggles to reconcile his deep faith with his concerns about his community’s fundamentalist practices. His father, Abraham, is the prophet of a polygamous sect. Abraham has exiled the Kimball family, sending its patriarch to prison. Now the Kimballs want revenge. Taylor Kimball is a brutal man bent on eliminating the Christiansons. As homes are destroyed and people die, Jacob and his family work with the FBI to find the Kimballs and end the violence. Readers will enjoy the stark western setting and the glimpse at life in a little-known community. They will also appreciate the strength of the women living in a patriarchal society. The strong characters and vivid atmosphere provide the appeal in this engrossing mystery. About the AuthorMichael Wallace was born in California and raised in a small religious community in Utah, eventually heading east to live in New England. An experienced world traveler, he has trekked through the Andes, ventured into the Sahara on a camel, and traveled through Thailand by elephant. In addition to working as a literary agent and innkeeper, he previously worked as a software engineer for a Department of Defense contractor, programming simulators for nuclear submarines. He is the author of more than a half-dozen novels, including The Righteous, Mighty and Strong, and The Wicked.