Los Angeles Police Detective Peter Decker had grown very close to Rina's young sons, Sammy and Jake, as he had to their mother, and he looked fo... read full description
reviews
Sep 29, 2011
Tess
rated it: 
This is the first Faye Kellerman book I have read, and I enjoyed.
The main character is Peter, a homicide cop who is converting to Judaism to marry Rina. While camping with her sons, he stumbles upon two burned corpses.
The book follows the forensic investigation of the murders, and well as Peter's journey to find his true faith calling.
I liked the twists and turns of the mystery, as well as the confliction Peter felt for the love of a woman who would only have him if he became an More...
The main character is Peter, a homicide cop who is converting to Judaism to marry Rina. While camping with her sons, he stumbles upon two burned corpses.
The book follows the forensic investigation of the murders, and well as Peter's journey to find his true faith calling.
I liked the twists and turns of the mystery, as well as the confliction Peter felt for the love of a woman who would only have him if he became an More...
Jul 01, 2011
Shireen
rated it:
Sacred and Profane is one of those infrequent books with a perfect title. The title tells you exactly what the book is about; even better, it is lifted out of a dialogue in which this concept is emphasized.
Titles are tricky. I've always liked the process of coming up with titles. Sometimes, it's like pulling hen's teeth and makes one want to scream. Even so, I was astonished and horrified to learn that publishers -- not authors -- choose or have the final say on book titles. Giving fee More...
Titles are tricky. I've always liked the process of coming up with titles. Sometimes, it's like pulling hen's teeth and makes one want to scream. Even so, I was astonished and horrified to learn that publishers -- not authors -- choose or have the final say on book titles. Giving fee More...
Apr 29, 2010
Saskia Marijke
rated it: 
The idea of a Jewish detective that doubts about his religion is an interesting one, especially if his girlfriend is an orthodox young and very pretty girl that will not have him unless he believes anew and converts whole heartedly in Judaism again. The cop has other distractions that keep his feet on the ground, like a horrid murder of a teenage girl who has a goody goody two shoes record. Somehow the clues take him into the underworld of sadomasochism and porn movies. The story felt a bit too
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Jun 16, 2010
Marcia
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This is the second book in the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series. In this one, there is less interaction between Peter and Rina. Peter is attempting to convert to Orthodox Judaism so that he can be with Rina, but has trouble reconciling religious belief with the dark world he sees everyday at work. There's a lot of fighting between Peter and Rina, and Peter is really kind of a jerk. Still, their relationship is very real, and if I cringed when they were arguing, it was because I truly felt li
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May 18, 2010
Lenore
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This is the first Faye Kellerman book I've read, and I'm pleasantly surprised. The plot was compelling enough and the characters likable. But the thing that surprised me most is the deftness with which she, within the genre of detective/crime fiction, addressed issues of faith. Made more palatable to the reading public, no doubt, by the fact that the faith in question is orthodox Judaism, and so enough outside the majority Christian religion to be comfortable in our pluralistic proselitism-ph
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Nov 04, 2011
Read a Faye Kellerman a few years ago, and didnt like it, much preferring her husband's style, so have avoided reading this one for a while.[return][return]However, did enjoy it more than I thought I would![return][return]Synopsis: "While on a camping trip, Detective Peter Decker and his two young charges come across the charred remains of two teenage girls. Embroiled in a disturbing case, Decker's only unifying thread in a network of violence and corruption is the deaths of the two apparen
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Jul 31, 2011
Smitha
rated it:
this is the second in series involving Detective Peter Decker and his sweetheart Rina Lazarus, who are stumped in their relationship by their religious believes. Decker comes across two charred skulls in his camping trip with Rina's two young sons. From there the investigation picks up and ugly truth rears its head. This book deals with violent subject matters - hard core porno, snuff film etc. and has a few gory details and is not for the faint hearted and the young. Still, I enjoyed the slow u
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Jun 03, 2011
Hoyt
rated it: 
I really had trouble getting into this one, perhaps because I didn't read the first one in the series. (This book was orphaned at my house after a visit by a family member ;) All of the dialogue felt very forced and fake, and the religious elements of the plot felt very forced. I know the author is very Orthodox and is perhaps trying to expose readers to her religion, but you really need reference book or a dictionary to know what some of the characters are talking about in some scenes.
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Apr 05, 2011
Genia
rated it:
It's a cute enough schlock series, I suppose. As brain candy reading goes, it's not horrible, nor brilliant. For me, the extraneous digressions into Judaism here, there and everywhere were very offputting; I felt that, as a literary coup, they were poorly done. And that is a pity, because I would have loved to see more orthodox authors and themes written for outside audiences, and the complex life of Jewish Orthodoxy, which very few people on the outside are actually familiar with, reflected in
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May 18, 2010
Frank
rated it:
Way too much Jewish teachings. I thought I was headed to the local Synagogue. Were the characters believable? No. Decker sits at a bar and is picked up instantly....yeah right. He has a gorgeous Jewish girlfriend who wont put out. If women were that easy he has no need for a girlfriend who wont go to bed. Ms Kellerman's book is obviously from a womens point of view.
Sep 27, 2011
Walter
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A solid murder mystery, although Kellerman took a while to get to the pace I was expecting. Also, the psychological analysis of the culprit(s) was a bit dated. Kellerman showed Decker having a values-conflict while studying Judaism in order to marry a traditional Jewish woman. But this romantic/interpersonal aspect of the story I found kind of boring. Not sure if I'll read another book in this series, but you never know. Maybe in time I'll give these characters another shot.
Nov 28, 2010
Linda
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I look forward to continuing this series. Kellerman's character development seems very realistic, and there is enough suspense to keep me interested. Decker's doubts about his faith ring true, and just when I started to think Rina was too good to be true, well, she wasn't.
Dec 08, 2010
Linda
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The relationship of two of the characters is as interesting as the crimes being solved. The relationship started in book one of this series, The Ritual Bath, and I'll look for more. I listened to this on my MP3 while on the treadmill or long car rides.
Oct 30, 2010
Cathy
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Kellerman's books really do pose the sordid against the sacred and here Decker finds himself trying to reconcile the sordid underworld sex-for-sale world against the yeshiva world which he has entered in order to be able to marry Rina.
Jul 07, 2009
Margaret
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2nd in a series our Mystery Book Club is reading. This is a long running series so it will be ineresting to see how the religion/mystery aspect of the novels will be handled.
I did not like it as well as the first. I believe that it is a transitional book in the series.
I did not like it as well as the first. I believe that it is a transitional book in the series.
Jul 22, 2011
Kenny
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I was a good story, but I'd consider it very heavy Jewish reading. The first book in this series was really good as an introduction to some Jewish beliefs and rituals I was unfamiliar with, but this book was (more than) a little bit too much for me. I doubt that I'll ever pick up book three.
Jan 24, 2012
Susan
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The second Decker-Lazarus book I've read. Good, solid who-dunnit with the D-L romance going as a side story. The case is quite complicated, set in the coarse underworld of L.A, and pretty gory. If you don't mind all that, you'll enjoy a good murder mystery.
Jan 03, 2011
Louisa
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Actually, this is the second of the series and Milk and Honey is the third, but who really cares, right. I think that for the time being, three in this series is enough of "Predictable, mindless" but enjoyable.
Dec 22, 2009
Lauren
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I enjoyed the investigation in this book much more than that in The Ritual Bath. While there is less story time given to Rina and Peter, the investigation twists and turns and kept me very involved the entire time. Looking forward to reading the next one!
Jul 11, 2011
Lesli
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Good book! The language is dated; but that doesn't stop it from being a good story. Interesting characters. I noticed that more of the Hebrew is actually explained in this book than the first on. I'm glad of that.
May 17, 2011
Rhonda
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I have read most of the Faye Kellerman Lazarus/Decker series, but I missed this one. It was fun to go back and remember how this relationship started, and I like reading about the Orthadox Jewish religion.
Nov 15, 2011
Jessi
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Another great Decker book. I read this after reading a few of the older books, and its very interesting to see the relationships growing. Very suspenseful, and great characters as always!
Jun 19, 2011
Ray
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This was the first book I've read by this author, and I will try more. Cop/Detective/Private Eye-type mysteries are one of my two or three kinds of mind candy.
Sep 29, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
An interesting mystery. A little gore, a little porn, but lots of suspense and a little Judaism thrown in. Very suspenseful. I plan on reading more books by this author!
May 18, 2009
Campbell
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The leading character being a detective, is quite deep and complex-more than any man can be in real life i believe. i enjoyed it immensely anyway.
Dec 20, 2011
Jerrilynn
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An interesting, though very violent book. I liked the combination of the religious thought with solving the mystery.
Nov 19, 2011
Elaine
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A camping trip with Rina’s boys is cut short after Samuel stumbles upon bones in the woods and Peter is quickly swept up in a double homicide case. This case leads him to L.A.’s most morally defunct of people and the seediest of L.A.’s locales where he uncovers one of pornography’s basest forms – snuff-porn.
His relationship with Rina is put to the test along with his burgeoning Jewish faith conversion, made more difficult by at least two different women coming onto him.
T More...
His relationship with Rina is put to the test along with his burgeoning Jewish faith conversion, made more difficult by at least two different women coming onto him.
T More...
Sep 19, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
I would dearly love to know Peter Decker and Rina. Faye Kellerman makes them seem so real to me.
Sep 05, 2011
Julie
rated it:
Ok. This series seems to be more romance than mystery. I probably won't continue it.
Nov 27, 2010
Tracey
rated it:
This is about a detective who finds 2 skeletons. He is trying to be jewish.
