D.A. Bartley : Mystery/Thriller Author

D.A. Bartley's family settled in the Salt Lake valley in the late 1840s and early 1850s. She's a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Alison received both her J.D. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. She moved to New York City where she worked at a global law firm and was a research scholar with a focus on international relations. Alison has lived in Utah, Scotland, France, Germany and Russia. She jokes, "you can take the girl out of Utah, but you can't take Utah out of the girl." Blessed be the Wicked is her debut novel.

News

NEWS

The Thrill Begins, Debut Author Spotlight by Linda Castillo http://thrillbegins.com/2019/07/01/bartley/

Not the Book of Mormon: PW Talks with D.A. Bartley https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/80510-not-the-book-of-mormon-pw-talks-with-d-a-bartley.html

Publishers Weekly starred review for Death in the Covenant:  Tensions within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are at the heart of Bartley’s exceptional sequel to 2018’s Blessed Be the Wicked. … The thoughtful plot well serves the book’s strong female lead. Readers will want to see more of Abbie. https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-64385-119-8

Death in the Covenant released on August 13, 2019.

Blessed Be the Wicked nominated for 2018 Reading the West Book Award  https://www.mountainsplains.org/wp-content/userfiles/2019/01/Reading-the-West-Fiction-Nominees.pdf

Book Signing and Discussion at The Mysterious Bookshop on September 17, 2018 at 6:30 pm, 58 Warren Street, New York City. https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/pages/events

Publishers Weekly:  Abish Taylor, the heroine of Bartley’s surprising debut, left Pleasant View, Utah, and the Mormon faith early in her life, eventually becoming a police officer in New York City. After her husband’s death, she returned home to Pleasant View, where she assumed the detective position for the local police force. She thought it would be an easy way to pass the time between hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, but the job turns serious when a man is found dead in the basement of a newly purchased McMansion in a swanky part of town. https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781683317203

Library Journal:  The author’s background knowledge of the Church of Latter-Day Saints aids in the skillful plotting of this thought-provoking and intricate debut featuring a well-drawn protagonist.

Murder Books: And even though her investigation leads her into some rather dark places, this story has some light-hearted and tender moments that make the book very absorbing. Bartley’s attention to detail and her obviously deep knowledge of her subject matter make Blessed Be the Wicked nearly impossible to put down.https://murderbooks.wordpress.com/2018/08/12/blessed-be-the-wicked-a-fine-start-to-a-new-series-and-a-great-new-voice-in-crime-fiction/

Crime Reads: Things get interesting when a respected member of the Mormon community is found dead in what appears to be a ritualistic murder with historical implications that date back to the days of Brigham Young. One of the things I loved about the book is learning about some of the lesser-known rituals, traditions, and inner workings of the Mormon religion. D A Bartley also includes many historical references that added another layer of credibility and made the book an absolutely fascinating read. https://crimereads.com/crime-in-closed-societies/

Dru’s Book Musings: The mystery was tightly woven keeping me riveted to the pages as I had to know what was happening. With plenty of potential suspects, the author led me this way and that way and when I thought I knew who the killer was, the author changed direction and I was blown away when the killer’s identity was revealed, because I did not see that one coming. Bravo! https://drusbookmusing.com/2018/08/12/my-musing-abish-taylor-1/

Praise for Blessed Be the Wicked: 

  • “Blessed Be the Wicked is razor sharp and crackles with a relentless tension. D.A. Bartley takes readers on a dark passage into the depths of a little known society that is as fascinating as it is secretive.”
    ―New York Times     bestselling author Linda Castillo
  • “A fascinating and memorable story, full of twists and turns.”
    ―Emily Littlejohn, author of Inherit the Bones
  • “Blessed Be the Wicked is an insightful and compelling read.”
    ―Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill

Interview with C. Michele Dorsey on August 7, 2018 https://www.missdemeanors.com/single-post/2018/08/07/DA-Bartleys-Blessed-Be-the-Wicked

Publication by Crooked Lane Books on August 7, 2018 http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/authors/

Interview https://www.missdemeanors.com/single-post/2017/07/27/Meet-DA-Bartley

D.A. Bartley joins Miss Demeanors https://www.missdemeanors.com/

Profile of D.A. Bartley at ThrillerFest 2017

Shout-out to MasterCraft Teacher and Author David Corbett