Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders
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Preface vii=970 01$lSection 1Pipe Bombs in the City of the Saints 3The Third Bomb Victim 27An Unprecedented Investigation 48Matters of Control 83The Microscope Detectives 117This Case is Made in the Shade 145=970 01$lSection 2One Fold 183The Boy Who Never Threw Spitwads in Church 200A College Education 216The Treasure in a Bible 235A Boom in Mormon Documents 254The Birth of the Salamander Letter 269The "Oath of a Freeman"-A Pot of Gold 299The McLellin Collection at All Costs 319=970 01$lSection 3Mark Hofmann Comes to Court 361Double Identity 390A Question of Ink 417The Wheels of Legal Strategy 455Ask Me Your Questions 485Afterword 530A Forensic Analysis 547Index 567
\ Library JournalMark Hofmann, 32, pled guilty to two bombing murders in Salt Lake City in 1985, a case that made national headlines. Apparently a successful rare documents collector and church-going family man, Hofmann was really a skillful forger and con artist. A third bomb accidentally exploded in his car, sending Hofmann to the hospital and his undoing. Many of his forgeries cast doubt on traditional views of early Mormonism and were potentially embarrassing to church leaders who purchased them. The leaders were in contact with Hofmann just prior to the murders, which were an attempt to prevent discovery and financial ruin. Hofmann killed an associate andto divert suspiciona stranger. Both books about this complex and fascinating case are well researched. The Mormon Murders is scathing in its criticism of the Mormon hierarchy for trying to cover up its involvement with Hofmann. The authors, both attorneys, believe that the prosecutor, a Mormon, was pressured to plea bargain in order to avoid a trial. Salamander, published in Salt Lake City by writers familiar with Mormon society, is a more matter-of-fact report, and while it is less dramatic, it is detailed and intelligent. The Mormom Murders may attract more readers, but both books can be recommended. Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., Davis\ \
