Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.
Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.
Featured in: Highlighting Australia
As a proudly Australian initiative, we’re excited to showcase a collection of Australian stories, music, tributes and more.
A new Baha’i-inspired crime novel has recently been published by my dear friend, Alan Manifold, and to be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a novel of this kind being released, so I’m so excited to share this everyone!
Alan Manifold is the author of Consulting Detective, a murder mystery set in contemporary United States, and it’s centred around a Baha’i character whose actions are guided by principles and teachings of the Baha’i Faith. We eagerly chatted with Alan about his new crime novel, and here is our conversation:
Consulting Detective is quite possibly the first murder mystery to feature a Baha’i detective. Police Detective Mihdi Montgomery is called to investigate the murder of a Jewish Rabbi in a synagogue in his Chicago suburb. Montgomery works to find the murderer amongst all those with a motive and opportunity. Mihdi questions people to determine how and to what extent they are involved, but he also uses the Baha’i process of consultation with multiple groups to tap into the power of collective experience and wisdom.
I read lots of mysteries, and my wife, Lorraine, and I enjoy watching mysteries on television. But the detectives are frequently thoroughly dislikeable. Most can’t maintain any balance in their lives, and have one failed relationship after another. Some are so self-absorbed that they are cruel and insensitive to others. They often break the law and use violence to get what they want. Many are heavy drinkers and/or highly prejudiced. I get tired of watching them destroy themselves and their investigations through these flaws.
We all struggle with how to live an upright life in the face of the realities of life. A detective who sees death, violence, and criminality at every turn might have a harder time than most. But I think that a Baha’i detective might turn to prayer, friendship, relationship-building, trust, and respect, rather than to violence or self-destructive behaviours. And I imagine that a Baha’i would rely on the strong bonds of family and the Baha’i community ties to carry them through difficult times. I believe that most police choose that profession because they are highly motivated to help people – to protect and serve – but that doesn’t always show through in the detective fiction I’ve read.
The first draft of the book, really just a short story, was written more than 15 years ago. I dragged it out occasionally and made a few tweaks, but I didn’t really work on it very often or very regularly. Then I read Steven Pressfield’s short book called The War of Art, which talks about how all artists face what he calls “resistance”: a thousand obstacles to doing and completing art. The solution to resistance is just to “do the work.” So, I finally sat down and pushed myself to write on a very regular basis for specified periods of time. With that discipline, I overcame the resistance and produced a manuscript that was ready to submit to a publisher. The importance of continuing to do creative work has really stuck with me.
Advice that writers often hear is to “write what you know.” So, writing about virtues, principles of the Baha’i Faith, and interfaith dialogue is no problem for me. I’ve been a Baha’i now for more than 40 years, my wife is a Virtues Project facilitator, and I’ve been involved in interfaith work in multiple communities in two countries. Those are things I know.
It’s the murder and crime part that I don’t really know so much about. So, in writing about Mihdi Montgomery, my fictional detective, I steered clear of too much emphasis on things I don’t know and instead concentrated on interpersonal relationships, analytical thinking, religious history and principles, and other areas where I felt more confident. I have no idea if a criminologist or police officer reading the book will scoff at some of my descriptions, but I hope that people will find Mihdi to be a real and interesting character, surrounded by other real and interesting characters.
Thinking of Mihdi’s methods of investigation calls to mind how Baha’is, within the framework of the global plans, are trying to be in a learning mode. We assess the reality of our lives and our communities, evaluate our resources, try out different approaches, determine what works and what doesn’t, and make adjustments based on our experience. We do this in a cyclical fashion, alternating periods of intense activity with periods of consolidation, followed by reflection and planning. And we do all of this in community, never thinking that we are alone in the work of bettering the world.
It doesn’t seem like such a stretch to think about applying those principles to solving crimes or with just about any profession. I’d like to think that Baha’is, looking at the world with clear vision tinged with compassion, would be terrific detectives, but also make great librarians, engineers, doctors, educators, athletes, or lawyers. What profession couldn’t use people like that?
Baha’u’llah stated that “Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation.”1 The Universal House of Justice wrote that “the arts are powerful instruments to serve the Cause.”2 While we’re studying, conversing, and acting to build community, we will be well served to remember the efficacy of the arts to aid the work. For me, that includes choral music and writing, as well as dabbling in other arts. Each person has their own reality, but for a fuller and more effective life, the arts should definitely be part of it.
You can purchase a copy of ‘Consulting Detective’ here on Amazon, from BahaiBookstore.com, or from your local Baha’i bookstore.
"*" indicates required fields
Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.
Horizons is an online magazine of news, stories and reflections from around individuals, communities
and Baha’i institutions around Australia
Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.
We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their cultures; and to elders both past and present.
The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent authoritative views of the Baha’i Faith.
Visit the site of the
Australian Baha’i Community
and the Baha’i Faith Worldwide
Congratulations to Alan! And thanks, Naysan! How wonderful to see Baha’i-inspired fiction featured. I’ll definitely get a copy!
We’ve had music, of course, and children’s books, etc but rarely see fiction from other genres. I’m not a fiction writer by trade or training name but was inspired to write The Windflower Saga trilogy under the pen name Aleksandra Layland. It’s a blend of romance, fantasy, inspiration, and social themes (racism, women’s roles, the role of education in uplifting society, corruption in government, the preservation of indigenous cultures, and more) set in a medieval-like secondary world with an indigenous herding culture. It’s been reviewed in Booklist Magazine (for librarians) and won several medals in the Florida Authors and Publishers book contests.
Kimberlee J Benart (July 7, 2018 at 8:29 PM)
Thanks so much for your encouragement and for letting us know about your book! It’s so true, we really don’t see much Baha’i-inspired fiction. Well done!
Naysan Naraqi (July 7, 2018 at 10:17 PM)
Thank you, Kimberlee! Our lives are touched and changed by the Faith, so it’s only natural that it should come out in whatever we do, whether that’s music, visual arts, crafts, or writing. Good luck with your trilogy.
Alan Manifold (July 7, 2018 at 5:01 AM)
Wonderful article and interesting concept ! I look forward to reading it and any future books written by Alan.God bless
You !
mazyar mohadjer
Bahai Los Angeles
Maz jasbi (July 7, 2018 at 7:45 AM)
We (Baha’i Publishing) are very pleased to be the publisher of Alan’s wonderful new book, “Consulting Detective”. It really is breaking new ground in a number of ways, and the reaction to it has been extremely positive.
Baha’i-inspired fiction, as noted, is a relatively new area for writers and Baha’i Publishing. Sales, feedback and book reviews will help us determine the demand for this type of literature going forward.
Currently, and perhaps to the surprise of some, we have number of fiction titles available (print and eBook formats) — including “Consulting Detective” — for all ages at BahaiBookstore.com. We hope you check them out. And, please, if you have read, or when do read, “Consulting Detective” please be sure to leave a review for it on its product page (bit.ly/cdstbds) at BahaiBookstore.com so other readers know what you thought about it. Just click on the “Reviews” tab and follow the prompts. Thank you!
Baha'i Distribution Service (July 7, 2018 at 4:38 PM)
Naysan, Thank you for sharing this interview with the author. Interesting
Nat Yogachandra (July 7, 2018 at 3:31 PM)