Book picks similar to
The Operative by Willard Boyd Gardner


lds-fiction
lds
suspense
realistic-fiction

Throstleford


Susan Evans McCloud - 2008
    Esther and her father, the local vicar, are the first to receive copies of the Book of Mormon. Both recognize truth in the book, but recoil from the challenges this knowledge brings. The new message affects the lives of other villagers as well: the Lutheran minister, the grocer, the stone mason, the local squire's son, the stable boy who finds a discarded Book of Mormon, and the innkeeper and his sons, who spearhead the opposition to this new faith. Faith, charm, and romance permeate this glimpse into nineteenth-century England and the early Church.

One Last Chance


Jerry Borrowman - 2009
    Orphaned during the Depression, he steals food to survive. When mischief lands him in juvenile court, he's offered a home by fellow ward member David Boone, but then suffers under Boone's unkind and unyielding treatment. And after Artie helps the victim of a robbery gone bad, he's abandoned by Boone and sentenced to juvenile hall. Then his luck and his life suddenly change. Mary Wilkerson, the feisty widow who was robbed, sees potential in Artie and takes him into her custody. Ray McCandless, the wise yet firm chauffeur, teaches Artie about cars, life, and the connections between the two. Under their care, Artie develops the desire and the ability to leave his past behind and grasp the hope in his future, which shines like Mary's luxurious Dusenberg. But when cornered by old enemies, will he defend his honor with his life? Jerry Borrowman masterfully combines emotion, morality, suspense, and humor in this tender coming-of-age story. Readers will struggle and rejoice with Artie as he discovers the value of integrity, the sweetness of family ties, and the reality of the American dream. And they will never forget the triumph that unfolds when a good boy with bad problems is given one last chance.

Bound on Earth


Angela Hallstrom - 2008
    --Kathryn Lynard Soper, editor of Segullah: Writings by Latter-Day Saint Women.

Moment of Truth


Cheri J. Crane - 2005
    But while on vacation with her family in Mexico, she meets Ed, a seventeen-year-old Baptist from Illinois who is spending his vacation building houses for the homeless. Laurie returns to Utah determined to make a difference through her actions and weekly editorial in the student newspaper.Unfortunately, she finds her best friend, Roz, has also changed. Their strong-willed personalities collide as they stand on opposite sides of a heated battle involving popularity and Church standards. As Laurie writes impassioned pleas in the student newspaper for how things ought to be, she seems to further alienate herself from her peers, leaving her with only her new-found friend in Illinois. In the end, Laurie discovers how difficult and terrifying--and absolutely worthwhile--it is to truly stand for something.

Hanging by the Thread


Donald B. Anderson - 2010
    They have infiltrated every facet of the federal government. They are powerful. They have extraordinary access to public funds and government technologies. The Constitution stands in their way. They have sought to destroy economic freedom, amass power to the federal government, and create mass dependency. They call themselves The Thread. And now, they are poised to rise to power. But, on the eve of their burst into power, a copy of their plan falls into the hands of a young man in the Utah State Capitol building. And now, the race is on. Time is short and a small group must struggle to preserve their lives, their nation, and freedom itself.

The Runaway Mother


Carol Lynn Pearson - 2006
    Alison decides--after the final straw has fallen on the camel's back of her eternal maternal devotion--to run away from home for Mother's Day weekend. Her plan is perfect until disaster strikes, tables turn, and she becomes the only one who can save the day. If you--or anyone you know--has ever felt like a second-rate mother, Alison's story will let you breathe easier, laugh louder, and love a little longer.

Finding Faith


Terri Ferran - 2007
    She loves her family and is content with her life in California. That is, until her parents decide to move to Utah, the land of Mormons. New surroundings and culture shock do nothing to help Kit's social life. It is only with the help of Janet, a new friend, that Kit begins to adjust to life in Utah, as well as to the Mormon culture. Janet's older brother, Adam, is more than happy to befriend Kit, but when their feelings begin to go beyond friendship, Kit is torn. Does she really want to devote her heart to a boy who is going to leave her for two years to serve a mission for his faith? Can she support him when she doesn't even believe in his religion? As Kit looks deeper, she realizes that it isn't Adam's faith she needs to come to terms with - it's her own.

Undercover Target


Frank Holdaway - 2016
    But after adopting a baby girl and her teenage brother from China, he finds that being a father comes with its own set of challenges—problems that his work as an antiterrorism agent did nothing to prepare him for. Or so he thought. When a Scout campout with his son takes a terrifying turn, Matt realizes his past and present have just collided, with devastating consequences. Deep in the rugged mountains of Utah, a band of mercenaries lies in wait. The target: Matt Knight. Their orders come from a dangerous enemy from the former agent’s past, one who is bent on destroying everything Matt holds dear. While struggling to protect his son and the other Scouts, Matt is horrified to learn the full extent of the plan: his wife and baby have been taken too. Now the agent-turned-family man must draw on his years of combat training in an explosive battle to save those he loves—or die trying.

Grave Secrets


Marlene Austin - 2007
    However, Bethany's dismay immediately turns to anger when she learns that the wealthy, eccentric, and distant woman who raised Bethany has taken pains to torment her granddaughter even from the grave. Now, in order to claim her substantial inheritance, Bethany must spend a year at an abandoned house in Maine—and write a book. But what book? In the course of making the old house livable, Bethany believes she's discovered the answer. But the process of writing the now-important book soon becomes complicated by threatening messages—and the attention of three very different men. She wonders if any of their motives are honorable as it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to wrest away her inheritance. Now, Bethany must use every ounce of her faith and resourcefulness—if she is to survive.

Dakota's Revenge


Janette Rallison - 1998
    Despite her Mormon faith, seventeen-year-old Dakota hates her new home in Arizona, sabotages her mother's remarriage, and plots revenge against the boys who have worsened her poor self-esteem by publicly insulting her.

Aisling of Eire


Dorothy M. Keddington - 2002
    gt. grandmother who ran away with her coachman and came to American. When Catharine decides to write a book based on the woman's life, her own life undergoes some dramatic changes. Danger and discovery, a lost love and secrets from her own past become entwined with the events of the long ago.

The Guy Next Door


Kate Palmer - 2012
    The small-town kindergarten teacher is set to wed ambitious lawyer Sean Langley, and their plans for a dream wedding are well underway. Eva accepts that she will soon live life in the spotlight as a member of the prestigious Langley family, but can she overlook her fiancé’s tendency to dominate the details of her life and push the limits of her standards?Mere weeks before the wedding, Eva is thrown into a traumatic, life-changing event that changes her view of family commitment and creates a sharp contrast between her ideals and Sean’s. With her engagement to Sean in jeopardy, Eva finds herself relying on the support and encouragement of Peter, her kind and attentive next-door neighbor. Faced with a choice between her penitent fiancé and the increasingly mysterious Peter, Eva is unprepared for the consequences—and peril—that come with her decision.

The Ball's in Her Court


Heather Justesen - 2009
    As Denise's search leads her closer and closer to the one person she hoped she'd never have to face again, she begins to realize that her future depends on just one person--herself.This emotional and inspirational love story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns--especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future.

Turning Hearts


Deanne Blackhurst - 2009
    Her recurring dream makes it seem urgent - the dream with the shiny gold frame and the vaguely familiar faces smiling down at her. The dream in which her grandmother says, "You must find them. You're the only one who can."When Amanda gets to California and starts teaching, she wonders which family she was sent there to find. What happens next is something she never would have expected.

The Great Gathering


Chad Daybell - 2007
    . . (D&C 84:4) In the near future, Tad and Emma North and their children live in a United States that is growing increasingly wicked. The Norths and their extended family notice that many Latter-day Saints are being deceived by alluring temptations, and they wonder how much longer the Lord will allow American society to continue its downward spiral. Then comes an invitation from Church leaders for the Saints to gather together. This invitation isn’t well-accepted—and even openly mocked—but those faithful Church members who trust in the Lord soon find themselves accomplishing monumental tasks. Join these humble yet heroic Saints as they embark on an unprecedented journey to build New Jerusalem.The Great Gathering, the first novel in the Standing in Holy Places series, paints a vivid picture of exciting prophesied events that still must occur before the Second Coming. If you have an interest in what awaits the members of the LDS Church, this series should definitely be on your reading list!