Hmm, a diamond is a girl's best friend? Maybe so, but the wheelings and dealings behind said diamond can be deadly! Another great read by Faye Kellerman, so many characters to learn about, plus the diamond industry and of course Judaism. These books are definitely a learning experience for me. The case starts out in LA, then branches out across the Atlantic to Israel with a glimpse at New York City. Rina plays a bigger role as intepreter and investigator in what is foreign to Decker. Lots of twi...

Good read. Peter and Rins’s lives continue. Enjoyed the foray into the diamond business and the travel to Israel. The story line flowed, but too much depended on luck, not evidence.

In this latest installment featuring Peter and Rina Decker, we see diamond dealer Arik Yalom and his wife Dalia murdered and his sons fleeing the country. Meanwhile, one of Rina's former school friends Honey Klein has come to visit with her children. Klein appears distressed and her children forelorn, causing Peter to question if this was a pleasure visit or an escape. This book appears to me as a transition book in the series. Peter and Marge have a new position in homicide under a lieutenant w...

One of the author's best. Diamond-associated murders. The action turns from southern California to Chasidic New York to South Africa, Antwerp to Israel to North Africa. Very well crafted and enjoyable.

Stunning story revolved around diamonds... what does religion and diamonds have in common... A lot when you involve the Jewish diamond sellers, buyers and cutters and the country of Israel and South Africa. Brilliant, witty writing from Faye, of course, I learn something new every time I dive into her series with Peter Decker and Rina. Love that I learn about history, religion and crime solving with rich characters. Suspense wrapped up into a package of dynamite when the PLO is involved. The sad...

I think this book was my favorite in the whole series so far. A good mix of religious knowledge, connection to Rina dn her family/community AND a good detective story.

I love this series, so far, but this was not my favorite story. It was well written, just person preference that you like some better than others. Love the main characters as usual, but didn't dig the secondary characters as much as usual. Did love the cameo from detective Sturgis. On to the next one.

Two mysteries for the price of one....I loved this story and I am really enjoying this series. I have been in a reading funk and not sure what the problem is. I have been working my way through many series, this one included. When I return to this series I always enjoy myself and loose myself in the world of Decker, his wife Rina, and his partner Marge. I also loved the shout out that Faye Kellerman gave to her husband when Decker gave a call to a West LA cop named Sturgiss (for those who haven'...

I appreciated this book for the look into Jewish culture. I liked the main characters, too. However, to me it lacked something as a mystery. The detectives' main method seems to be throwing wild theories around and hoping something ends up making sense. I just didn't find this believable.

I've read many of the books written by Faye Kellerman, but somehow missed this one. Even though it is an earlier book, the writing and story line(s) are just as strong and hold together as her later books. I was taken in by the fact this book dealt with an industry that few, if any, other authors place their mysteries in...the diamond industry. Learning about the monopoly that one major company has over the other smaller ones (of course DeBeers wasn't mentioned in the story), learning how the bu...

A very intricate set of stories-within-the-story with some overlapping elements to connect them. Had to work to keep up with all the characters and their different issues! A huge amount of information about Jewish culture, societal norms, and some of the ultra religious Jewish sects, and all of this information played a major role in the book. If you have no knowledge of Jewish culture, it would make it a little more challenging to read, understand and enjoy Sanctuary..

After reading a very large intense book, I chose Sanctuary as my “in between” read, thinking it would be easy and light. I was pleasantly surprised to have really enjoyed it. In the beginning I thought it was a little hokey with just too much Jewish background, but I soon came to realize it was all an integral part of the entire plot. This murder-mystery deals with the diamond industry, and takes the reader from Los Angeles to Israel. When dealing with billions of dollars, there’s bound to be th...

Taking place nine months after the end of "Grievous Sin," Peter and his partner, Marge, have been transferred from the Foothills Division into homicide at another precinct and are still very much needing to prove themselves. Marge is less than thrilled when they are assigned to a missing persons case - the entire Yalom family has disappeared - instead of a homicide. But things change when diamond dealer Mr. Yalom along with his wife are found dead, and the prime suspects, their two teenage boys

Years ago I was a huge Faye Kellerman fan. I read approximately eight of her earlier books, but not all in order. The first one is THE RITUAL BATH which I have since re-read and it is one of my fave books ever and definitely my favorite of hers. In the past few years I decided to go back, start the series again, and read them in order, continuing through the end of the series - since I have missed most of them. To my surprise, I have been struggling through each one, finding them dull and ploddi...

Cutting a Window to See How the Grain Runs“…when Honey asked if she and the kids might spend a week with Rina and her family in Los Angeles, Rina thought it strange.“ p 3 Rina Decker’s former classmate Honey Klein married to an ultra-religious Leibbener Chasidic and they rather maintained a very sporadic contact. Now out of the blue, she wants to drop by for a week with only two days‘ notice. The two women’s lifestyles are different: In Honey’s world, there are no TVs or private phones in the ho...

In this one, the Deckers both went to Israel at their own expense, as Peter was following his hunch, in search of 2 teen~aged boys whose parents were murdered... Rina was to interpret and aid her clueless but determined husband and Peter was just doing his job. The boys, both Jewish and Americans, sought refuge in separate yeshivas as was instructed by their mother as their contingency plan. A many layered plot that involved 2 sets of Jewish families with different degrees of religiosity... the

I read this book for my mystery book club, it is the 7th in the Peter Decker / Rina Lazarus series by Faye Kellerman. Rina is an Orthodox Jew and her husband, Peter, converted to Judaism, which I’m thinking must have happened in the previous books. I had a hard time reading this book since there were so many Hebrew words used throughout, which slowed down the pace and understanding of exactly what was going on. There were 2 mysteries going on, one involving Rina’s high school friend, Honey Klein...

I was really hoping that I would like this book, since so many people I know had recommended Kellerman as a master of the mystery genre, but I was quite disappointed with this novel. This will likely be the last Faye Kellerman book I read. First, it was about 100-150 pages too long. I have no issue whatsoever with lengthy books with the level of detail and scope that justifies their length (The Golden Notebook and Dune are both favorites of mine). While I can't point to specific characters or su...

Great read. Loved the excursion to Israel. Loved the conversation about gets, but not necessarily the story line of it. I mean the conversation they had about it while in Israel was fantastic. However, watching the story line play out was unsettling. Both murders fell in that gray area where I'm not really sure how I feel. There just isn't an easy answer to either of the situations. Was it right or was it condoning? And was there enough closure? My second favorite in series so far.

Another great entry int the Decker/Lazarus series by Faye Kellerman. Like the first 6, I had to adjust to the reality that this book was written a quarter century ago, and that the technology we take for granted today did not exist at the time of this writing. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable read. With each volume I enjoy more and more the insights of Jewish religious and social practice that Kellerman weaves into the story of Peter and Rina.Turning 180 degrees from the last book which foc...