Salamander

Linda Sillitoe, Allen Dale Roberts

Mark 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.