The Wicked Bible

Sharon L.
Dean
Genre: 
Mystery
Seeking a diversion, librarian Deborah Strong signs up for a conference on the history and future of libraries to get some ideas for her small town, and to enjoy the lovely New Hampshire setting. Her research project for the week leads her to examine connections between a misprinted Bible, and a letter written to a little-known nineteenth-century author. As she puts the pieces together, Deborah’s past with the college also comes into play in a way that could shape her future.
 
This story is a proper fit for those who prefer very light mystery with few real romantic elements. The plot of this book is intriguing enough, but it’s slow and often gets bogged down in irrelevant details. At times, it is basically just a tedious catalog of the heroine’s every move and the creepy, mysterious vibe that is attempted falls rather short given the low stakes theft. There are several coincidental connections and red herrings, stretching the plausibility of the storyline and making the perpetrator obvious to the astute reader, even if it’s not so to Deborah. Readers who enjoy dabbling in philosophy will enjoy the parallels drawn between past and present, truth and fiction, as well as the mutability of truth. Others may be put off by Deborah’s very harsh and offensively snarky attitude about anything different from what she’s used to. Despite having a first-person narration from Deborah, she is difficult to know and the relationships she professes to be building don’t shine through on the page, making her seem unreliable and her characterization feel flat. The story picks up near the end, bringing with it a fairly satisfying conclusion.
 
Niki Price