The synopsis of The Complete Mystery of Matthew Alcott: Heritage of Secrets by Michael Oborn drew my attention so I accepted the book to review. I was 
interested in how a book written in the thriller genre could answer “Was Joseph Smith the Hugh Hefner of the early 1800s?” and was soon to find out.
The beginning of the plot finds Matthew Alcott in the desert, naked and beaten. He makes his way to a small New York town, Resurrection Corner, and settles in find solace in a 12-step meeting for alcoholics. Alcott writes a book, gleaned from information gathered while he was a historian for the Mormon Church, which exposes Joseph Smith and revelations that were hidden by the church. The hierarchy of the church finds out about the manuscript and uses unscrupulous ways to prevent its publication.
That is the premise and the mainstay of the plot, but there is another side to the story and that is the struggles of an alcoholic and how the disease influences life. There was a complete sub-culture that readers, especially men in recovery, would relate to and get pulled into the story.
Personally, I found the exposed information on the Mormon Church interesting. Being this is a fiction book, I’m not sure how much of the information is embellished, but I would assume the basis is true. The power of the church and those running it are viewed as being corrupt with political and cultural clout.
The beginning of the book was very difficult to read because it in written in staccato style. The overuse of fragmented sentences presented flow issues and got boring. I also found redundant and irrelevant parts of the book that could be left out. These alone were burdening. As well, there were a significant number of editing issues that a professional editor would catch and polish up. Because of these issues, it was hard for me to convince myself to continue reading, but after reading reviews of the book, I continued with the challenge.
Article comments
1 - Angie
If you are wondering if there is embellishment in this work of fiction about the heirarchy of the LDS church, then yes, there is embellishment and little truth to that but it makes for an exciting premise. In truth the leaders of the LDS church are very Christlike and humble people.
2 - Michael Oborn
Those people who review fiction literature have a daunting job. Stories come in all sizes from a few pages to over a thousand. Some are so convoluted and broad-based it is impossible to do them justice without spending days reading and making notes. Reviews don't have that kind of time. An author will lay a trail of hints, each being significant and each predicated on another hint at some future or past point in the story. It is left to the reader ultimately to experience the story as it was meant to be enjoyed. Let me say to all my reviewers, no matter how the review turns out, I appreciate your time, consideration and hard work. To my readers, thank you.