"This story takes you to heaven and hell and back. You read it in a day and then catch your breath and want a cigarette--and then you remember you don't smoke. Brother Brigham is a subversively sensual journey to the edges of Mormon possibility, a weirdly cathartic purging of the darkest fantasy in the Mormon psyche."

--C.L. Hanson, blogger

"Jack London once made my heart pound, but Michael Martindale is the first writer to rock me back in my chair in wide-eyed amazement. LDS readers will not be able to get through Brother Brigham without a test of inner character. Whether they like what they learn about their own loyalties depends on who they are before they pick it up."

--Preston McConkie, journalist

"Brother Brigham is one of the wildest rides I've ever enjoyed in a novel, Mormon or otherwise. Like Stephen King, Martindale captures the earthy rhythms of daily life as the characters get caught up in bizarre, harrowing events. Outrageous and yet chillingly plausible within the LDS belief system, this gutsy, expertly rendered story breaks new ground in Mormon entertainment."

--Christopher Kimball Bigelow, author and editor

"Wow! Outrageous, provocative, insightful, courageous and thoughtful. Michael Martindale reminded me of the sensitivities of Orson Scott Card in his novel Saints. Martindale does an amazing job of following his own inner process through some very rough imaginary territory and eventually bringing it to a promising conclusion. Bravo!"

--Eugene Kovalenko, blogger

"I was compelled to read the book, feeling like Sean Connery's character, William Forrester, in Finding Forrester, when he scrawls a note to a budding writer: "Where are you taking me?" The book is a quick read, not presuming to literary depth, but rather driven by plot and character. It's a fascinating story. Martindale has taken a step back from Mormon beliefs in visions, revelations and cultural myth and asked, "What if?" He paints a scenario at once believable and shudderingly delusional. As a reader you can't quite figure out which side of the fence you're on."

--Kim Madsen, readers group coordinator

I didn't want to put it down. D. Michael has an incredible talent for writing. I was utterly wowed by his characters' inner thoughts. I was able to connect to every one of them, and then impressed even further when their thoughts went even deeper."

--Brian Sheets, graphic designer

"In many ways the novel is a morality tale. A warning against sin. Yet don't expect some syrupy, cliched piece of propaganda here. It is skillfully written, creating a realistic, complex, difficult world where everything is not as it initially seems. It's a page turner, the novel is a real heavy weight. Brother Brigham is a significant, thought provoking, faith affirming, intelligently written novel."

--Mahonri Stewart, playwrite

"I tend to be suspicious, or at a minimum cautious, of first novels.There have been some real turkeys that have passed through my hands over the years. Fact is, I think Brother Brigham is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I have read in a long time. One of the things that a novelist, especially one who writes fantasy fiction, is required to do, is get the reader to suspend disbelief, and then sustain that suspension. More than anything else, this is where first-time authors fail, and this is where Martindale succeeds hands down. You will have that little bug in the back of your brain saying, 'Of course that couldn't really happen--could it???' 4.7 of a possible 5 stars."

--David Birley, reader

"I had a hard time putting it down, and as a result I read it surprisingly quickly. I had to know how the whole mess was going to end. It's deep, well thought out, and opens up some interesting and thought-provoking ideas."

--Lee Penrod, systems analyst

"D. Michael Martindale's Brother Brigham is likely to split Mormons into two groups: those who think he told his fictional story well and those who think he shouldn't have told it at all. Martindale's frank sensuality (well, frank for an overtly religious book) is not salacious; it's simply a matter of fact. A lesser book would have found a way to ignore it completely. It is frustrating when people, in life and in fiction, say what they think should be said instead of what they feel. In that light, Martindale's relative profundity is refreshing."

--Sam Vicchrilli, In Utah This Week Magazine

"Reading this fast-paced and quickly changing story is like embarking on a river rafting trip that starts out in placid shallows, never suspecting that around the next corner whitewater rapids wait, anxious to engulf you. The ride never slows down until the last few pages. Martindale uses effective detail to create a convincing LDS environment. That is the genius of this book."

--Jonathan Neville, reader

"Martindale spins an absorbing cautionary tale about what could happen, given our sincere but stumbling human foibles, in the context of LDS lore about spiritual experiences. His captivating storytelling keeps the plot moving without being predictable or trite. His descriptions ring true, whether he writes about a haggard young mother, a busy bishop, a wistful teenager, or a disaffected rebel."

--Ms. Neville, reader

"Brother Brigham is a fascinating take on the LDS concepts of angels and revelation."

--Dave Sharp, writer and consultant

"At first this book starts out kind of quirky and funny, but quickly grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until it's done. It will surprise you in so many ways."

--Kathy Tyner, reader

"I was scandalized by the book, but I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened next."

--Alan Palmer, webmaster

"A fantastic read here--a Mormon Spiritual Horror Story with continually intensifying drama and action."

--Steve White, reader

"If one of the earmarks of quality fiction is that it discomfits the comfortable, Brother Brigham is quality fiction--on so many levels. I really enjoyed the book. More than I think I have enjoyed a Mormon novel in ages. What a hoot!"

--Lisa Downing, author