Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, so let’s meet Abish.

What is your name?
Abish Taylor.

How old are you?
32.

What is your profession?
I’m the sole detective for the Pleasant View City Police Department.

Do you have a significant other?
My husband, Phillip, passed away about a year ago. I still hear his voice sometimes. I’m not sure if I’m ready to be in a relationship yet. My brother thinks I am.

What is his/her name and profession?
Phillip Boardman. He was a journalist.

Any children?
Unfortunately, no.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
I’m one of six. My oldest brother, John, and I are very close. My other brothers and sisters have been distant since I left the Church.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Not at the moment.

What town do you live in?
Near Pleasant View, Utah.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I bought a great old place up a canyon on the way to Huntsville. It was originally built by a Swedish family in the early 1900s.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
In front of the fireplace, preferably with a good mystery and a cup of tea.

Who is your best friend?
Right now, my brother John is the person I rely on the most. I’ve sort of dropped off the radar with friends since Phillip’s funeral.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
Professional.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Jim Clarke. He’s an RM (returned missionary) from Logan, who also happens to speak fluent Spanish and is a genius with all things technical. We had a rocky start, but I think I trust him now.

Favorite meal?
That’s a tough question. I love food. If I had to pick, I’d say a rare steak with a spinach salad and a glass of California cabernet.

Favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate.

Favorite hobby?
I love to hike, especially in the desert. I head down to Moab in the spring and fall. There’s something wonderful about red rock and blue sky.

Favorite vacation spot?
Any place in Italy.

Favorite color?
Dark blue.

Favorite author?
P.D. James and Linda Castillo.

Favorite sports team?
The Utah Jazz, of course.

Movies or Broadway?
Both! When I lived in New York, we went to shows regularly. Now, I’m more likely to wait until a movie comes out on Netflix and watch it at home in my pajamas.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Morning, but every now and then I make an exception.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I get up fairly early, have a cup of coffee, and go for a run or a hike near my house. Then I drive to work. About 9,000 people live in Pleasant View. The main reason I decided to move back to Utah and take this job was because I wanted to mend my relationship with my family. I thought I’d have plenty of time because work would be slow. It turns out I was wrong about that. Small towns can be deceiving.

You can read about Abish in Blessed Be The Wicked, the first book in the NEW “Abish Taylor” mystery series.

In D. A. Bartley’s compelling debut, Detective Abish Taylor returns home to Utah and uncovers dark secrets lurking within the quiet Mormon community.

Detective Abish Taylor left Utah for a reason. But with her husband’s passing, it’s time to come home. Reconnecting with her family means dealing with her past: the father she abandoned and the community she left behind. Her one escape is serving as the sole police detective in the small town of Pleasant View. But when the quiet Mormon suburb in the Wasatch Mountains is shaken by a macabre death—with the hallmarks of a sacred ritual dating back to the days of Brigham Young— Abbie is called into action.

As she uncovers the dark side of the picturesque neighborhood—infidelity, corruption, and the greed of a global religion—Abbie discovers just how far some powerful leaders of the Church will go to bury their secrets. Especially as the brutal murder unearths a sinister tradition lurking in the religion’s not-so-distant past: the ultimate sacrifice for unforgivable sins. With the chief pressuring her to close the case and the community that once sheltered her watching her every move, Abbie must find justice for the dead—before she’s silenced for good.

Purchase Link
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Meet the author
D. A. Bartley is a member of Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She traces her family history back to the earliest days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She spent much of her childhood in Utah, but her parents were incurable travelers. She was born in Scotland and lived in Germany, France and Russia. After studying international relations, politics and law, D. A. worked both as an attorney and an academic in Manhattan. In the end, though, she could not escape her life-long love of mysteries. She lives in New York City with her husband, daughter and son. Connect with D.A. at dabartley.com

All comments are welcomed.