The Mormon Candidate - Softcover

Azrieli, Avraham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 147519451X ISBN 13: 9781475194517

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

While investigating the murder of a Marine veteran at a motorcycle rally, reporter Ben Teller infiltrates the D.C. Mormon Temple and uncovers a secret that could shock the nation and determine the presidential elections.

In the tradition of Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, Daniel Silva, and Ken Follett, The Mormon Candidate will enthrall readers who love a good story, filled not only with lively characters, intricate plotting, and breathtaking action, but also with passionate conflicts and crucial questions of loyalty, religion, and justice. It will have a special appeal for readers who are fascinated by the interaction of faith and political power.
"Plotted like a cinematic thriller, Azrieli has come up with a very powerful novel accelerated by a fluid narrative style that is laced with some troubling undertones. At work here is his extraordinary magic in making his readers as eager as his protagonist in uncovering the truth and thus effectively creating pervasive fear and suspense. This is one yarn that is sure to keep you up late against your better judgement. Don't say I didn't warn you." - N. Goldman,The Examiner.

About this title

From the Author

The Mormon Candidate, a fast-paced political thriller, is a book of fiction. At the same time, it is based on extensive research of the Mormon Church and its secrets. For interested readers, and for critics who might not be aware of the true facts, the author provided an extensive bibliography of source materials at the end of the novel, including: Books:
Skousen, Royal, Ed. The Book of Mormon - The Earliest Text. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2009.
Ostling, Richard N. and Ostling, Joan K. Mormon America - The Power and the Promise. New York: HarperCollins - HarperOne, 2007.
Abanes, Richard. One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003.
Brodie, Fawn. No Man Knows My History - The Life of Joseph Smith. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1945 and First Vintage Books, 1995.
Bushman, Richard Lyman. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Knopf, 2005.
Krakauer, Jon. Under the Banner of Heaven. New York: Doubleday, 2003.
Quinn, Michael D. The Mormon Hierarchy--Extensions of Power. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997.
Anderson, Devery S., Ed. The Development of LDS Temple Worship 1946-2000 - A Documentary History. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2011.
Laake, Deborah. Secret Ceremonies - A Mormon Woman's Intimate Diary of Marriage and Beyond. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1993.
Scott, Latayne C. The Mormon Mirage. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
Decker, Ed and Hunt, Dave. The God Makers. Eugene: Harvest House, 1997.
Beck, Martha. Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith. New York: Crown, 2005.
Ahmanson, John and Archer, Gleason L., Tran. Secrete History - An Eyewitness Account of the Rise of Mormonism. Chicago: Moody Press - The Fieldstead Institute, 1984. (Originally published in Denmark in 1876 under the title Vor Tids Muhamed - "The Muhammad of Our Time.")
Articles and Essays:
Pyle, Richard. "Mormons, Jews Sign Agreement on Baptizing Holocaust Victims." Associated Press Newswire, May 5, 1995.
Eden, Ami. "Sister Golda, Brother Bashevis: Mormon Baptizers at it Again." The Jewish Forward, July 27, 2001.
McEntee, Peg. "LDS Church Reaffirms No Proxy Baptisms of Jews." The Salt Lake Tribune, December 11, 2002.
Walsh, Paton Nick. "Russians fume as Mormons buy souls." The Guardian, November 22, 2003.
Urbina, Ian. "Again, Jews Fault Mormons Over Posthumous Baptisms." The New York Times, December 21, 2003.
Makotoff, Gary. "Posthumous Baptism is a Terrible Insult to Jews." Deseret Morning News, January 11, 2004.
Thiessen, Mark. "Sen. Clinton Joins Effort to End Mormon Baptisms of Holocaust Victims." The Associated Press, April 20, 2004.
Radkey, Helen. "Proxy Baptism of Jews: The Splash Goes On." Avotaynu - The Int'l Rev. of Jewish Genealogy, February 7, 2006.
Young, Neil J. "Southern Baptists vs. the Mormons." Slate, December 19, 2007.
Heneghan, Tom. "Catholic-Mormon Tension over LDS Baptism of the Dead." Reuters Blogs, May 8, 2008.
Marshall, Kelly. "Mormons and Jews Reach [another] Agreement on Posthumous Proxy Baptism." CNN,  September 2, 2010.
Burt, Brandon. "Rabble-Rouser Helen Radkey Keeping Tabs on Proxy LDS Baptisms." Salt Lake City Weekly, September 20, 2011.
Dreher, Rod. "Are Mormons Stealing Grandpa's Soul?" The American Conservative, October 19, 2011.
Slosson, Mary. "Mormon Church Apologizes for Posthumous Baptism." Reuters, February 14, 2012.
Editorial. "Mormon Posthumous Baptism, Again." The Jewish Week, February 14, 2012.
Sheffield, Carry. "A Mormon Church in Need of Reform." The Washington Post, January 29, 2012.
Keneally, Meghan. "Mormon Church shuts down whistle-blower's access to list of people posthumously baptized...but says it is to 'protect' Jews and Catholics not hid the names." The Daily Mail (UK), March 8, 2012.
Kaylor, Brian. "Prominent African-American Southern Baptist Condemns Mormonism as Racist." Ethics Daily, June 15, 2012.
Mason, Prof. David V. "I'm a Mormon, Not a Christian." The New York Times, June 12, 2012.

Visual: 
Whitney, Helen, Dir. The Mormons. New York: PBS - American Experience, 2007.
Roos, Bram. The Mormon Rebellion. New York: A&E - History Channel, 1997.

From the Inside Flap

Praise for Avraham Azrieli's books:

The Jerusalem Inception - "Beautifully and superbly narrated." The Examiner. "Boldly realistic plotlines and genuine, well-developed characters. Highly recommended!" Yahoo News/Politics. "Protagonist Jerusalem Gerster is the quintessential recruit." NY Daily News. "Among the likes of the Jason Bourne series and Mission: Impossible franchise, The Jerusalem Inception is a daring piece of literature ... airtight research and believability ... intriguing ... never a boring moment!" Shelf Pickings. "A lover's triangle, complete with the friction, suspense, and human gratification ... Azrieli educates as he entertains ... the reader introduced to the secret ways of the Mossad. To those unfamiliar of the living history of Israel, this book is a must. For those knowing the facts surrounding the creation of the Jewish State, this book is an absolute must. Extraordinarily impressive!" Pacific Book Review.
The Jerusalem Assassin - "Action-packed escapade ... memorable cast of characters ... pages turn as fast as the plot twists and locales shift, taking the reader from Paris to Zurich to Amsterdam to Tel Aviv." Jewish News. "Reviewing The Jerusalem Inception, I wrote that "Avraham Azrieli's suspenseful action thriller is an engrossing read and compares favorably with the novels by John Le Carre, Tom Clancy, and Lee Child." This sequel is far more exiting, and is arguably better than the novels of the aforementioned best-selling authors." The Jewish Eye. "Keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the author navigates through the twists and turns of religious zeal, political missteps, intense human emotions, and complicated personal relationships ... the story of human suffering and redemption shines through as the ultimate theme of the novel." The Authors Den.
The Masada Complex - "A fast-paced thrill ride. Exciting. The complexity of the characters keeps the reader enticed to see what will eventually become of them. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good story." Book Review Bin. "An edge of your seat political thriller from start to finish. A fascinating tale. Filled with surprising twists and turns. Not only entertaining, but also believable. A must read. Literary Fetish. "Brims with gritty authenticity ... a genuine treat!" David Liss, author of Conspiracy of Paper, winner of Edgar. "Riveting portrayal of global intrigue!" Stella Pope Duarte, author of If I Die in Juaréz, winner of the 2009 American Book Award.
The Mormon Candidate - "Plotted like a cinematic thriller ... a very powerful novel ... making his readers as eager as his protagonist in uncovering the truth ... sure to keep you up late against your better judgment. Don't say I didn't warn you." The Examiner. "A thoroughly entertaining mystery ... twists surprise the reader without seeming out of place. A well-written page-turner. San Jose Mercury. "Excellent mystery ... will likely draw some Mormons to defensive protestations reminiscent of stormy Catholic reactions to The Da Vinci's Code. Ben Teller is witty and intractable--you'll want to stay with him for every flare-up of action and shocking discovery. Timely and provocative novel you don't want to miss. Dad of Divas Reviews. "New and interesting ... unique setting ... pushes you forward!" City Book Review. "Tying together church intrigue, electoral politics and Mormon practice. Even-handed, even as [it] deals with the delicate issue of posthumous baptism, anathema to many Jews and a controversial practice in the LDS church. An exciting chase ... well-conceived and timely." The Jewish News. "This thriller gives chilling insight into the lengths that politicians go ... fast paced, full of facts, and provides a detailed bibliography. Do you like books like The Bourne Identity or The DaVinci Code? This is a book for you." Bubblews.com "Part thriller, part mystery, part love story, part religious interrogation ... maintains an excellent balance, keeping the reader engaged not only with the current mystery, but the life and progression of the protagonist's life as well. Never a dull moment!" San Francisco Book Review.
Thump - "A light-hearted romp through sexual proclivities ... the characters are lovable ... the irreverence is delightful. Thought-provoking. Interesting. Unconventional. Recommended!" U.S. Review of Books. "There is something captivating when we mix spicy sex, lust, greed, and a protagonist that acts with such abandon as long as the end justifies the means. Well-paced plot ...  a thoughtful and gripping narrative ... never a dull moment ... highly entertaining." The Examiner. "Stirring and dramatic...unique look at sexual harassment. Unflinching and unapologetic. Delves into the gritty reality of inner office liaisons. "Thump" is thought provoking and poignant long after the last page turns. I highly recommend it!" Penn Book Review. "Balanced yet thrilling example of racism and sexual harassment in a very realistic work environment. [Not] the classic "young beautiful woman who falls victim," [but] a young man in his prime. A legal thriller with plot twists that can make your head spinning...this is definitely a book you will enjoy!" Hollywood Book Reviews. "A well-written, attention-grabbing courtroom room drama. Engaging. Realistic. Honest. Provocative. Builds to a climax that rivals other mainstream authors in this genre. A book you cannot put down until you figure out the resolution." Pacific Book Review. "Thump's various bold personalities collide over socially fraught questions with stimulating results. A taut courtroom drama that blends issues of race and sexual harassment. Blunt dialogue, a quick pace, and pressing social questions make Thump an engrossing read." Foreword. "A striking social commentary that will draw readers in. Diverse, timely and thoughtful." Portland Book Review. 
Christmas for Joshua - "In its own gentle way, the book is as much a page-turner as Azrieli's thrillers - pulling the reader into complex personal and familial conflicts." The Jewish Journal. Christmas for Joshua is a sensational novel [...] filled with religious paradoxes, sure to test any faith. [It is] a wonderful five-star spiritual fiction. Avraham Azrieli proves himself, time and again, to be a popular contemporary writer for our troubled times, as his plots often expose attitudes, beliefs, and actions that contribute to human suffering. Christmas for Joshua is no exception. - Pacific Book Review. "Have you ever been given a gift and unwrapped it, slowly, enjoying the moment, and then discovering yourself deeply touched by what you found inside? Christmas for Joshua is that gift. Through superbly developed characters and a delightfully creative plot, Avraham Azrieli weaves a gentle yet powerful story that closes with yet another gift - the gift of hope. - The Examiner. "This book is the perfect eye-opener. A beautifully written, heartfelt novel." Bee's Knees Reviews.
The Bootstrap Ultimatum - "Riveting. It doesn't get any better than this, folks!!" Sun Francisco Book Review. "The real magic here is Azrieli's incredible ability to create well-developed characters. The Examiner. "Fast-paced, action thriller ... full of heart. An entertaining, thought provoking read ... sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats." Hollywood Book Reviews.  "Thought-provoking. Plenty of action make this book difficult to put down. Fans won't be disappointed. Entertaining." U.S. Review of Books.  "Much more than a fun read. Azrieli's latest work will appeal to a wide range of readers in its accessibility, fast-paced action, and intelligent storyline." Pacific Book Review.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 147519451X
• ISBN 13: 9781475194517
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 374