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Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus #21
The Beast
Throughout his years with the LAPD, Peter Decker has handled a number of tough cases and strange killers. But few of his previous assignments compare to his latest case. When Hobart Penny is found dead in his apartment, the cops think that his pet cat—an adult female tiger—attacked the reclusive elderly billionaire. But it soon becomes clear that the beast that killed the eccentric inventor is all too human. Digging into the victim's life, Decker and his colleagues discover that Penny was an exceptionally peculiar man with exotic tastes, including kinky sex with call girls.
Following a trail of clues that leads from a wildlife sanctuary in the San Bernardino Mountains to the wild nightlife of Las Vegas, the LAPD detectives are left juggling too many suspects and too few answers. To break open the case, Decker wrestles with a difficult choice: turning to Chris Donatti, the dangerous man who also happens to be the father of Decker's foster son, Gabriel Whitman.
As their work and intimate worlds collide, Decker and his wife, Rina, find themselves facing tough questions. And when all these shocking truths comes out, exactly how well will Decker and Rina cope, and survive?
Following a trail of clues that leads from a wildlife sanctuary in the San Bernardino Mountains to the wild nightlife of Las Vegas, the LAPD detectives are left juggling too many suspects and too few answers. To break open the case, Decker wrestles with a difficult choice: turning to Chris Donatti, the dangerous man who also happens to be the father of Decker's foster son, Gabriel Whitman.
As their work and intimate worlds collide, Decker and his wife, Rina, find themselves facing tough questions. And when all these shocking truths comes out, exactly how well will Decker and Rina cope, and survive?
371 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2013
673 people are currently reading
2175 people want to read
About the author
Faye Kellerman
179 books2,022 followersFaye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She earned a BA in mathematics and a doctorate in dentistry at UCLA., and conducted research in oral biology. Kellerman's groundbreaking first novel, THE RITUAL BATH, was published in 1986 to wide critical and commercial acclaim. The winner of the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American, THE RITUAL BATH introduced readers to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, termed by People Magazine "Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around." The New York Times enthused, "This couple's domestic affairs have the haimish warmth of reality, unlike the formulaic lives of so many other genre detectives."
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews
August 10, 2017
Every once in a while it is comforting to take a break from reading classics, nonfiction, and literary fiction and return to a familiar series. I have been with Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus since her debut book The Ritual Bath and followed the story of their lives until present. I had taken a break from the series as I had gotten too emotionally invested in the characters, especially because Peter and Rina share my orthodox religious lifestyle by choice so by default I felt an affinity with them. Summer vacation is the best time as any to catch up with old 'friends' so I decided to pick up where I left off with The Beast, a later book featuring Peter, Rina, family, and friends as they have come to a crossroads in their lives.
Longtime detectives Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver have been called to investigate the suspected death of ninety year old billionaire Hobart Penny. A recluse who chose to live in a sparcely furnished apartment, Penny kept an adult female Bengal tiger as a pet and called on massage artists young enough to be his great granddaughters to service him. To everyone who had contact with him, he was viewed as an old creep, and his children and ex-wife were not sorry to see him dead. At first glance, the tiger was an easy suspect in this heinous crime, a trained pet who could not stay tamed. Yet, when Decker, Dunn, and Oliver enter the crime scene, they find that the cat was an innocent bystander, and Penny's death is now registered as murder. If the tiger did not maul Penny to death, then a murderer is lurking somewhere. With the crime in his jurisdiction, Lieutenant Decker and his division take on the case.
At home, Rina is as busy as ever. With all of their children out of the house, she still teaches at the local girls high school and finds time to learn and cater on a regular basis. Plus, the Deckers have agreed to be the foster parents of one teenaged Gabriel Whitman, the child prodigy of none other than Chris Donatti, the forever thorn in Decker's side. Yet, Gabriel is only living with the Deckers temporarily as he is due back at Julliard in six weeks time. Meanwhile, Koby, Cindy, and their family are looking to move east for school and work, with the Deckers other three adult children already located in the New York area. As the horrendous crimes and work load at the LAPD become as busy and brutal as ever, and even Peter looks toward the future, a future that does include his job as Lieutenant that he has become synonymous with. As the detectives canvass the western United States to bring the murderer to justice, all three ponder if maybe this case is their last hurrah.
With Kellerman giving more attention to Rina and to Marge's personal life, the case quickly advances. The tiger out of the picture, the detectives work to find out whodunit. We meet a usual large cast of characters including Penny's children, a director of a large animal refuge, and the owners of the massage parlor who Penny serviced on a regular basis. There are even cameo appearances made by Jonathan Kellerman's Dr. Alex Delaware and none other than Chris Donatti himself, who other than being a thorn in Decker's side, is always intriguing to read about. As these multiple storylines unravel, the case unfolds at rapid speed, reminding me why I have always enjoyed reading these detective stories that are a mix between the cops' work and personal lives.
In The Beast, Kellerman has given readers a gruesome case to wrap up Decker and Dunn's careers as LAPD cops. Yet, with the Deckers due to move back east to be closer to their children, and Peter not one to sit and twiddle his thumbs, there are sure to be more cases albeit in a relaxed setting. With at least four more books left in this series, I am sure that I will be returning to Peter and Rina's lives as they settle down to easier lives as more devoted grandparents, away from the rigors of the LAPD. I will miss the rapport between Lieutenant Decker and his team of able homicide detectives because this is partially what drew me into the series in the first place. Yet, with Kellerman's adept writing and multiple storylines, there is no telling what this series will bring as I revisit the Deckers in the future.
3.5 stars
Longtime detectives Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver have been called to investigate the suspected death of ninety year old billionaire Hobart Penny. A recluse who chose to live in a sparcely furnished apartment, Penny kept an adult female Bengal tiger as a pet and called on massage artists young enough to be his great granddaughters to service him. To everyone who had contact with him, he was viewed as an old creep, and his children and ex-wife were not sorry to see him dead. At first glance, the tiger was an easy suspect in this heinous crime, a trained pet who could not stay tamed. Yet, when Decker, Dunn, and Oliver enter the crime scene, they find that the cat was an innocent bystander, and Penny's death is now registered as murder. If the tiger did not maul Penny to death, then a murderer is lurking somewhere. With the crime in his jurisdiction, Lieutenant Decker and his division take on the case.
At home, Rina is as busy as ever. With all of their children out of the house, she still teaches at the local girls high school and finds time to learn and cater on a regular basis. Plus, the Deckers have agreed to be the foster parents of one teenaged Gabriel Whitman, the child prodigy of none other than Chris Donatti, the forever thorn in Decker's side. Yet, Gabriel is only living with the Deckers temporarily as he is due back at Julliard in six weeks time. Meanwhile, Koby, Cindy, and their family are looking to move east for school and work, with the Deckers other three adult children already located in the New York area. As the horrendous crimes and work load at the LAPD become as busy and brutal as ever, and even Peter looks toward the future, a future that does include his job as Lieutenant that he has become synonymous with. As the detectives canvass the western United States to bring the murderer to justice, all three ponder if maybe this case is their last hurrah.
With Kellerman giving more attention to Rina and to Marge's personal life, the case quickly advances. The tiger out of the picture, the detectives work to find out whodunit. We meet a usual large cast of characters including Penny's children, a director of a large animal refuge, and the owners of the massage parlor who Penny serviced on a regular basis. There are even cameo appearances made by Jonathan Kellerman's Dr. Alex Delaware and none other than Chris Donatti himself, who other than being a thorn in Decker's side, is always intriguing to read about. As these multiple storylines unravel, the case unfolds at rapid speed, reminding me why I have always enjoyed reading these detective stories that are a mix between the cops' work and personal lives.
In The Beast, Kellerman has given readers a gruesome case to wrap up Decker and Dunn's careers as LAPD cops. Yet, with the Deckers due to move back east to be closer to their children, and Peter not one to sit and twiddle his thumbs, there are sure to be more cases albeit in a relaxed setting. With at least four more books left in this series, I am sure that I will be returning to Peter and Rina's lives as they settle down to easier lives as more devoted grandparents, away from the rigors of the LAPD. I will miss the rapport between Lieutenant Decker and his team of able homicide detectives because this is partially what drew me into the series in the first place. Yet, with Kellerman's adept writing and multiple storylines, there is no telling what this series will bring as I revisit the Deckers in the future.
3.5 stars
November 5, 2021
In this 21st book in the 'Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus' series, Detective Decker confronts a crime scene demolished by a confined tiger. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Eighty-nine year old eccentric, Hobart Penny, is found dead in the apartment he shares with a full grown Bengal tiger.
Penny has been bludgeoned and shot, but clues are hard to find since the apartment has been torn up and befouled by the frustrated, hungry tiger.
When LAPD detective Peter Decker and his colleagues Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver investigate the homicide.....
....they find that Penny - who was not a nice guy - harbored a slew of dangerous pets such as venomous snakes, deadly spiders, poisonous fish, and more.
Suspects include Penny's ex-wife and children, call girls that visited Penny regularly, the manager of an animal refuge, and anyone else in regular contact with the old man.
A side story involves the foster son of Peter and his wife Rina, 17-year old piano prodigy Gabriel Whitman.
Gabriel courts trouble by meeting up with Yasmine, the girl he loves whose parents have forbidden her to see him.
A good part of the book is devoted to describing the ins and outs of keeping exotic animals: what they eat, what kind of supplements and medications they need, treating their wounds, and so on.
To me the plot was not riveting and the character interactions were relatively mundane. In previous books we saw a lot going on with Peter and Rina's biological children, which added interest to the stories. This isn't a terrible story if you're in the mood for a mystery but Faye Kellerman has written much better books.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
October 1, 2013
I adored the beginning of the Peter/Rina series. I really did. But let’s deconstruct why I loved it:
First, Peter was changing, evolving. Trying to cope with his past and overcome it, and forge a new future.
Second, Rina was dynamic and interesting, involved in Peter and in the cases
Third, Orthodox Judaism is cool and a different perspective on how to integrate religion into a cop’s life.
Basically, Faye took that entire construct and just. . . did away with it. Peter basically gets told by every single character he meets that he’s just the coolest. Even by his teenage wards/sons/daughters. I mean, literally in every scene with his child, they tell him just what an amazing person he is. Show, don’t tell, Ms. Kellerman.
So Peter doesn’t do much besides for act like a detective, rather than a Lieutenant, and bask in everyone’s adoration and get amazing suppers virtually every night. (What is UP with all the lamb chops?) No growing, no changing.
Rina is boring. I mean, really really boring. She makes the aforementioned amazing suppers, shows up to be the calm voice of reason –yet is STILL ignored (no one ever tells HER how cool she is), and then gets a perfunctory “you’re the greatest for acting like a domestic servant and calming me down whenever I get all testy, especially because I never bother to come home” from Peter. She just shuffles off to the kitchen to make another round of lamb chops and just lets her husband do whatever he wants. She gets a little blurb in this novel about how she’s got all these sorts of extracurricular activities to balance out the fact that she no longer has anything but a brief relationship with her Ultra Cool Husband, but again, show, don’t tell.
Judaism? Nope. Not only does Peter not keep the Sabbath any longer, (“Um, this phone call at 10pm on the Sabbath might be REALLY IMPORTANT. . .but it isn’t. But must do my JERB!”), he also doesn’t keep kosher (“Hey, this doesn’t have lard or anything in this burrito, right?”) or do anything remotely related to Judaism other than being affectionately called “Rabbi” by his colleagues. See? Even his EMPLOYEES love him! No one is this popular.
And in the end of the book, he basically informs Rina that he'd like to move to the Northeast. He comes to this decision for no discernible reason. I mean, none. Even his excuse that he wants to live close to his kids doesn't make sense, because he basically pulls a town out of his hat that's a THREE HOUR drive from all his kids. Oh, and from anyone remotely Jewish, but Rina will just have to adapt, because its not like he religion is in anyway important to her, and she'd just adore being isolated from her entire community and family! That Rina, so supportive.
Then, to cap it all off, we get some ridiculous plot about a Tiger that has somehow lived in an apartment locked up, and no one else has figured that out, and this tiger never ever escapes except for the one time when his owner is hurt. Because tigers are like loyal little golden retrievers. What is it, Lassie? Did your owner get shot AND have his head bashed in?
And then, somehow Peter has this HUGE MAFIA BOSS MAN on a tight leash. Here, Fido! Get this information for me! For free! No Problemo, Peter! You’re so cool, you have your very own Pet Mafia.
I’m actually somewhat interested in Gabe, because he must be phenomenally screwed up, but just like little Jake (“Yonkie” is somehow over 30. That’s all the information we get in the last three books. And his older brother, despite possibly being married for about 15 years by now, has no children? Only precious Cindy gets an honorable mention with her twins. Named after her own father, OF COURSE.), his issues are somehow overcome BY TWOO LOVE!!!
In closing, what started off as a much loved series has degenerated. That’s probably true of any series that has gone on this long, but it’s a sad, sad observation.
First, Peter was changing, evolving. Trying to cope with his past and overcome it, and forge a new future.
Second, Rina was dynamic and interesting, involved in Peter and in the cases
Third, Orthodox Judaism is cool and a different perspective on how to integrate religion into a cop’s life.
Basically, Faye took that entire construct and just. . . did away with it. Peter basically gets told by every single character he meets that he’s just the coolest. Even by his teenage wards/sons/daughters. I mean, literally in every scene with his child, they tell him just what an amazing person he is. Show, don’t tell, Ms. Kellerman.
So Peter doesn’t do much besides for act like a detective, rather than a Lieutenant, and bask in everyone’s adoration and get amazing suppers virtually every night. (What is UP with all the lamb chops?) No growing, no changing.
Rina is boring. I mean, really really boring. She makes the aforementioned amazing suppers, shows up to be the calm voice of reason –yet is STILL ignored (no one ever tells HER how cool she is), and then gets a perfunctory “you’re the greatest for acting like a domestic servant and calming me down whenever I get all testy, especially because I never bother to come home” from Peter. She just shuffles off to the kitchen to make another round of lamb chops and just lets her husband do whatever he wants. She gets a little blurb in this novel about how she’s got all these sorts of extracurricular activities to balance out the fact that she no longer has anything but a brief relationship with her Ultra Cool Husband, but again, show, don’t tell.
Judaism? Nope. Not only does Peter not keep the Sabbath any longer, (“Um, this phone call at 10pm on the Sabbath might be REALLY IMPORTANT. . .but it isn’t. But must do my JERB!”), he also doesn’t keep kosher (“Hey, this doesn’t have lard or anything in this burrito, right?”) or do anything remotely related to Judaism other than being affectionately called “Rabbi” by his colleagues. See? Even his EMPLOYEES love him! No one is this popular.
And in the end of the book, he basically informs Rina that he'd like to move to the Northeast. He comes to this decision for no discernible reason. I mean, none. Even his excuse that he wants to live close to his kids doesn't make sense, because he basically pulls a town out of his hat that's a THREE HOUR drive from all his kids. Oh, and from anyone remotely Jewish, but Rina will just have to adapt, because its not like he religion is in anyway important to her, and she'd just adore being isolated from her entire community and family! That Rina, so supportive.
Then, to cap it all off, we get some ridiculous plot about a Tiger that has somehow lived in an apartment locked up, and no one else has figured that out, and this tiger never ever escapes except for the one time when his owner is hurt. Because tigers are like loyal little golden retrievers. What is it, Lassie? Did your owner get shot AND have his head bashed in?
And then, somehow Peter has this HUGE MAFIA BOSS MAN on a tight leash. Here, Fido! Get this information for me! For free! No Problemo, Peter! You’re so cool, you have your very own Pet Mafia.
I’m actually somewhat interested in Gabe, because he must be phenomenally screwed up, but just like little Jake (“Yonkie” is somehow over 30. That’s all the information we get in the last three books. And his older brother, despite possibly being married for about 15 years by now, has no children? Only precious Cindy gets an honorable mention with her twins. Named after her own father, OF COURSE.), his issues are somehow overcome BY TWOO LOVE!!!
In closing, what started off as a much loved series has degenerated. That’s probably true of any series that has gone on this long, but it’s a sad, sad observation.
September 13, 2017
I did not like -- I did not like -- I did not like at all.
This was truly a gruesome experience.
And yet I read it. From beginning to end.
That's what happens when you're trapped in hospital waiting rooms, waiting for the shoe(s) to drop. You read garbage. You read each page twice and thrice. And you read to the very end. And you wonder why. And you wished you still belonged to that religion you once believed in, just so you could go to confession and absolve yourself/get absolution for the (chargeable) offence of having read this.
Needless to say, I won't be reading anymore Kellerman based on this experience.
This was truly a gruesome experience.
And yet I read it. From beginning to end.
That's what happens when you're trapped in hospital waiting rooms, waiting for the shoe(s) to drop. You read garbage. You read each page twice and thrice. And you read to the very end. And you wonder why. And you wished you still belonged to that religion you once believed in, just so you could go to confession and absolve yourself/get absolution for the (chargeable) offence of having read this.
Needless to say, I won't be reading anymore Kellerman based on this experience.
August 11, 2013
First of all a HUGE thanks to Kate for sending me a copy of this book for review. And because I love the Kellermans!
This instalment of the Decker/Lazarus series begins with a body in an apartment building. Well, they think there is a body...trouble is there is also a Tiger. A very large and rather hungry looking Tiger..perhaps one of the most entertaining openings to this series yet.
As Decker investigates it becomes apparent that a tiger is not going to be the only problem...the dead man was wealthy and eccentric...and not at all a nice person to know. As the team find out more about him a dark secret emerges...and the suspect pool will be large.
I very much enjoyed this addition to a series I have followed from its humble beginnings...when Pete Decker first met his wife Rina Lazarus and they became an enthralling literary partnership. Pete solves the crime, Rina solves the domestic issues...and it works out for all concerned. Pete and Rina often have as much drama in their own lives as Pete has in his working one...especially since they took on the care of yet another young man, one whose parents are not exactly model citizens.
The mystery elements are well done here as always - it will keep you guessing and also might induce some chills - Tigers are not the only thing to be discovered here and I did occasionally have a little shiver. Mrs Kellerman's trademark characterisation is not notch as always. My favourite character (since he first appeared a few books ago) Chris Donnatti makes a short but sweet appearance and Mr Jonathan Kellerman's protagonist Alex Delaware has a cameo role. Other well loved characters you know will also be around doing their thing - so as usual a satisfying, enthralling and entertaining read that will not disappoint you.
If you have yet to begin this series well, terrific you have a wonderful journey to start...and to do so you need "The Ritual Bath".
Happy Reading Folks!
This instalment of the Decker/Lazarus series begins with a body in an apartment building. Well, they think there is a body...trouble is there is also a Tiger. A very large and rather hungry looking Tiger..perhaps one of the most entertaining openings to this series yet.
As Decker investigates it becomes apparent that a tiger is not going to be the only problem...the dead man was wealthy and eccentric...and not at all a nice person to know. As the team find out more about him a dark secret emerges...and the suspect pool will be large.
I very much enjoyed this addition to a series I have followed from its humble beginnings...when Pete Decker first met his wife Rina Lazarus and they became an enthralling literary partnership. Pete solves the crime, Rina solves the domestic issues...and it works out for all concerned. Pete and Rina often have as much drama in their own lives as Pete has in his working one...especially since they took on the care of yet another young man, one whose parents are not exactly model citizens.
The mystery elements are well done here as always - it will keep you guessing and also might induce some chills - Tigers are not the only thing to be discovered here and I did occasionally have a little shiver. Mrs Kellerman's trademark characterisation is not notch as always. My favourite character (since he first appeared a few books ago) Chris Donnatti makes a short but sweet appearance and Mr Jonathan Kellerman's protagonist Alex Delaware has a cameo role. Other well loved characters you know will also be around doing their thing - so as usual a satisfying, enthralling and entertaining read that will not disappoint you.
If you have yet to begin this series well, terrific you have a wonderful journey to start...and to do so you need "The Ritual Bath".
Happy Reading Folks!
September 1, 2013
Third lackluster outing in a row for Lazarus and Decker:
We’ve read every entry in the now 21-book set that are basically police procedurals starring LAPD Homicide Lt. Peter Decker. Wife Rina Lazarus has increasingly taken a filler role – in the early days she was used to illuminate, sometimes blatantly, the strict practices of conservative Judaism. In more recent novels, she is basically the mother image holding things together. And when the Decker nest was finally empty, they took in a teenaged foster kid of sorts, Gabe; and so the last three books, including “Beast” are filled with Gabe’s “forbidden” affair with Yasmine and other teenaged angst – all of which has zero to do with the crime plots at hand.
In the mystery story, an 89-year old reclusive man has been found murdered in an apartment complex, but retrieving his body is overly exciting as he was hiding and housing a Bengal tiger in his room – and as it turns out, poisonous snakes and insects in other rented units adjacent to his main one. He also had weird sexual gigs going on with “escort” women, two of whom revealed by some nearby video cameras are virtually the only suspects, plus maybe the woman who they found out helped take care of the tiger. In this 350-page+ book, very little happens thereafter until near the end when the actual perps start falling over each other to spill the beans (sans lawyers, which is hardly realistic), and eventually all is wrapped up with a nice Hollywood ending. Incidentally, a brief "cameo" by Alex Delaware, the leading man in Faye's husband's novels, was gratuitous -- and silly.
For the third straight outing, our two-star reaction reflects boredom and disappointment. Earlier entries were significantly better, even with the religious information sometimes “in your face.” And with almost all the main characters talking about retiring and changing up their lives, we would kindly suggest our once admired author may be considering those same steps in person.
We’ve read every entry in the now 21-book set that are basically police procedurals starring LAPD Homicide Lt. Peter Decker. Wife Rina Lazarus has increasingly taken a filler role – in the early days she was used to illuminate, sometimes blatantly, the strict practices of conservative Judaism. In more recent novels, she is basically the mother image holding things together. And when the Decker nest was finally empty, they took in a teenaged foster kid of sorts, Gabe; and so the last three books, including “Beast” are filled with Gabe’s “forbidden” affair with Yasmine and other teenaged angst – all of which has zero to do with the crime plots at hand.
In the mystery story, an 89-year old reclusive man has been found murdered in an apartment complex, but retrieving his body is overly exciting as he was hiding and housing a Bengal tiger in his room – and as it turns out, poisonous snakes and insects in other rented units adjacent to his main one. He also had weird sexual gigs going on with “escort” women, two of whom revealed by some nearby video cameras are virtually the only suspects, plus maybe the woman who they found out helped take care of the tiger. In this 350-page+ book, very little happens thereafter until near the end when the actual perps start falling over each other to spill the beans (sans lawyers, which is hardly realistic), and eventually all is wrapped up with a nice Hollywood ending. Incidentally, a brief "cameo" by Alex Delaware, the leading man in Faye's husband's novels, was gratuitous -- and silly.
For the third straight outing, our two-star reaction reflects boredom and disappointment. Earlier entries were significantly better, even with the religious information sometimes “in your face.” And with almost all the main characters talking about retiring and changing up their lives, we would kindly suggest our once admired author may be considering those same steps in person.
November 15, 2018
My first and last by this author. The writing is baby-food bland. The sub-plot is annoying in its sheer irrelevance. The main plot has the tension of a limp rubber-band. It is ludicrously described as a "crime thriller". Any random episode of Seinfeld would deserve that title better than this soggy mess of mashed-potato.
April 4, 2015
FINALLY! A mystery book club book selection that I've enjoyed! But not surprisingly, the rest of the book club was a bit "meh" on it.
I liked the setting in the San Fernando Valley. The murder victim deserved to be murdered, so I was fine with his death. Overall, a quick read with a satisfying procedural bent to it. Plus, who doesn't love when a tiger is part of the murder scene? (Okay, I know the answer - my book club. But they don't love much.)
I liked the setting in the San Fernando Valley. The murder victim deserved to be murdered, so I was fine with his death. Overall, a quick read with a satisfying procedural bent to it. Plus, who doesn't love when a tiger is part of the murder scene? (Okay, I know the answer - my book club. But they don't love much.)
August 14, 2013
I am a sentimental gal. The mystery aspect was not great, but not bad. Five stars for the update on the characters in the book. I just wish Faye would write a book about Peter and Rina, and not bother me so much with the mystery!!
April 17, 2015
Way too explicit in the beginning, no matter how intriguing. The ending was way too flat.
May 6, 2018
Decker is called into the death of 80ish Hobart Penny. When they arrive at his apartment they find a full grown female tiger which puts a hold on the investigation until animal control can come and remove it. They find that Mr. Penny has been bludgeoned and shot inthe back and the apartment is a disaster area. Thus begins a strange case filled with deadly creatures, a wildlife sanctuary and a murdered wealthy recluse with strange habits and activities. Decker and Lazarus are also dealing with their foster son Gabriel Whitman who going through the throes of young love and the animus of his girls mother. A good read all in all and this book introduces the change in decker's life as he contemplates the move to New York and a new life in a small college town police department.
May 12, 2014
What happened to Decker?
I used to love the series. He was a cool guy, an Orthodox Jew detective with an interesting wife, and he used to investigate crimes with odd circumstances, fantastic characters, and a good team - all while giving some glimpses of the exotic Jewish life and habits to his readers.
As the series went on, he grew and his family members and team grew. The characters of the people investigated in the books also grew to be more interesting and wilder.
But now it suddenly feels like you might feel in your life when your friends are on their 30s - what happened? They now have a 9 to 5 office job, mortgages, children... where did all the fun go? No one's laughing any more.
When did Decker become a lieutenant pencil pusher (I know - several books ago)... who yet tries to do all the detective work himself? When did his wife Rina become a wall flower for the books, when all her influence and actions are focused on cooking meat, listening to piano, and planning vacations with Peter? Did they all just suddenly grow... wait, I mean, quit growing? When Peter and Rina are boring, long for moving to the East coast to be around their grandkids (Cindy's twins - never mind the "problem kid" is never even mentioned in the books any more, and the other kid is over 30 and married, no kids and no mentions in the book... and Hannah's disappeared too). To have a bit of younger presence, the Deckers still have Gabe as an adopted or foster kid, the musical genius kid from Peter's pet mafioso friend Chris Donatti. And hence page after page of teenage drama with Gabe and his Persian princess.
So we have a graying lieutenant doing detective work (instead of what he should do), and he still has his core team of Marge and Oliver that hasn't changed since the beginning. Hey, time to add some new blood to the team perhaps? Add a new team member or a few - which should have happened about 10-15 books ago already.
In this one they investigate the murder of a 89 year old rich loner who had a full-grown tiger in his condo (I don't see how that would actually work. I did work in a zoo for a while ages ago). Add more venomous animals, odd children of the rich man, an animal sanctuary... there was just something missing. Quite a bit of it - the series was fantastic, and I don't want to lower my standards for the latest books in the series.
I used to love the series. He was a cool guy, an Orthodox Jew detective with an interesting wife, and he used to investigate crimes with odd circumstances, fantastic characters, and a good team - all while giving some glimpses of the exotic Jewish life and habits to his readers.
As the series went on, he grew and his family members and team grew. The characters of the people investigated in the books also grew to be more interesting and wilder.
But now it suddenly feels like you might feel in your life when your friends are on their 30s - what happened? They now have a 9 to 5 office job, mortgages, children... where did all the fun go? No one's laughing any more.
When did Decker become a lieutenant pencil pusher (I know - several books ago)... who yet tries to do all the detective work himself? When did his wife Rina become a wall flower for the books, when all her influence and actions are focused on cooking meat, listening to piano, and planning vacations with Peter? Did they all just suddenly grow... wait, I mean, quit growing? When Peter and Rina are boring, long for moving to the East coast to be around their grandkids (Cindy's twins - never mind the "problem kid" is never even mentioned in the books any more, and the other kid is over 30 and married, no kids and no mentions in the book... and Hannah's disappeared too). To have a bit of younger presence, the Deckers still have Gabe as an adopted or foster kid, the musical genius kid from Peter's pet mafioso friend Chris Donatti. And hence page after page of teenage drama with Gabe and his Persian princess.
So we have a graying lieutenant doing detective work (instead of what he should do), and he still has his core team of Marge and Oliver that hasn't changed since the beginning. Hey, time to add some new blood to the team perhaps? Add a new team member or a few - which should have happened about 10-15 books ago already.
In this one they investigate the murder of a 89 year old rich loner who had a full-grown tiger in his condo (I don't see how that would actually work. I did work in a zoo for a while ages ago). Add more venomous animals, odd children of the rich man, an animal sanctuary... there was just something missing. Quite a bit of it - the series was fantastic, and I don't want to lower my standards for the latest books in the series.
August 16, 2013
Opening a new Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus book always is accompanied by a bit of excitement - I've read them all (this is the 21st), and while some have been better than others, I've enjoyed every single one. This one, IMHO, is one of the best.
Any disappointment, if you can call it that, is that it seems Rina's role has diminished over time (as I mentioned in my review of last year's Gun Games. In the past, she's been more directly involved in her husband's murder investigations, and there's been more interaction between the two of them. Now, her life has taken a back seat, mostly serving as the chief family cook and mediator between Peter, an LAPD detective, and the high-strung musical prodigy they've taken in at least for the short haul.
Besides that, I've always enjoyed learning more about Orthodox Judaism (Peter came to that party when he married Rina many years ago, and in many books thereafter, explanations were common). But here, except for a mention or two of Peter's need to be home by sundown on Friday to observe Shabbat, the subject is virtually nonexistent. Then too, there's the matter of more than a couple of gramatical errors that should have been caught - but that's more on the head of copy editors than the author (and something, unfortunately, that's become quite common in all books I've read over the past few years).
As for the story, it involves a particularly gory murder of an old, and extremely eccentric and exceedingly wealthy recluse who keeps an adult tiger in his apartment and apparently enjoys kinky sex with ladies of the evening. Early on, Peter and his LAPD colleagues learn that the tiger's roar is much worse than her bite - and the chase is on to find the real killer. That leads the crew from a remote wildlife sanctuary to Las Vegas casinos and includes a consult with Dr. Alex Delaware, the lead character in books by Kellerman's husband, Jonathan.
Meanwhile, that teenage child prodigy is having problems all his own, creating tension at home. Everything comes together to present a dilemma (and possible major life change) for Peter and Rina which, I assume, will provide fodder for the next book.
I'll be waiting!
Any disappointment, if you can call it that, is that it seems Rina's role has diminished over time (as I mentioned in my review of last year's Gun Games. In the past, she's been more directly involved in her husband's murder investigations, and there's been more interaction between the two of them. Now, her life has taken a back seat, mostly serving as the chief family cook and mediator between Peter, an LAPD detective, and the high-strung musical prodigy they've taken in at least for the short haul.
Besides that, I've always enjoyed learning more about Orthodox Judaism (Peter came to that party when he married Rina many years ago, and in many books thereafter, explanations were common). But here, except for a mention or two of Peter's need to be home by sundown on Friday to observe Shabbat, the subject is virtually nonexistent. Then too, there's the matter of more than a couple of gramatical errors that should have been caught - but that's more on the head of copy editors than the author (and something, unfortunately, that's become quite common in all books I've read over the past few years).
As for the story, it involves a particularly gory murder of an old, and extremely eccentric and exceedingly wealthy recluse who keeps an adult tiger in his apartment and apparently enjoys kinky sex with ladies of the evening. Early on, Peter and his LAPD colleagues learn that the tiger's roar is much worse than her bite - and the chase is on to find the real killer. That leads the crew from a remote wildlife sanctuary to Las Vegas casinos and includes a consult with Dr. Alex Delaware, the lead character in books by Kellerman's husband, Jonathan.
Meanwhile, that teenage child prodigy is having problems all his own, creating tension at home. Everything comes together to present a dilemma (and possible major life change) for Peter and Rina which, I assume, will provide fodder for the next book.
I'll be waiting!
Read
September 17, 2013Each and every book in this series is a perfect stand-alone. I do think, however, that my reading pleasure is enhanced by knowing part of the history of the main characters, even if there are allusions to events and books that I have not yet read. But knowing the people involved in the story is like meeting old friends – and catching up with old friends is always fun! Especially when old friends from another series – Dr. Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis – written by Faye’s husband Jonathan Kellerman, evidently have met up with Lieutenant Decker and his entourage – it feels like a perfect match made in heaven. Now to find the book where the actual introductions were made! :-)
It is not only a thriller, but also a story about more or less real people, the banter between colleagues turned friends, family life, parenthood and raising children, and other normal daily life routines that make this book appealing to read. Especially in a series as you can follow the lives of the main characters as a real-life soap series.
The angle of the wild life sanctuary is an interesting one – as well as the idea and realities of keeping wild animals as pets. However, as to be expected, the real beast is often one of human nature, as this story also attest to. The question is: which human?
Faye has delivered another very well putt together story, with some unexpected twists and turns I have come to expect of her. I keep turning the pages, because it is a consistent quality of story telling with characters I can relate to and identify with, who draw me into their life stories so much so that I really want to know what happens to them next. The new characters make me curious to find out why they do what they do and how they are involved. It is authentic detective- soap-drama story telling in one! Highly recommended!
It is not only a thriller, but also a story about more or less real people, the banter between colleagues turned friends, family life, parenthood and raising children, and other normal daily life routines that make this book appealing to read. Especially in a series as you can follow the lives of the main characters as a real-life soap series.
The angle of the wild life sanctuary is an interesting one – as well as the idea and realities of keeping wild animals as pets. However, as to be expected, the real beast is often one of human nature, as this story also attest to. The question is: which human?
Faye has delivered another very well putt together story, with some unexpected twists and turns I have come to expect of her. I keep turning the pages, because it is a consistent quality of story telling with characters I can relate to and identify with, who draw me into their life stories so much so that I really want to know what happens to them next. The new characters make me curious to find out why they do what they do and how they are involved. It is authentic detective- soap-drama story telling in one! Highly recommended!
November 25, 2013
I don't know whether this one is a substitute writer, or a serious editing failure, but it's quite bad. Punctuation errors and word misusage (affective instead of effective, for example) are obvious, but the bad writing is the real sin. The dialogue is pretty unbelievable in many places, too - since when would a teenager refer to himself as a "dreadful actor"? He'd use 'awful' or 'terrible' but I don't think teenagers have used 'dreadful' in that sense anytime this past 70 years or so.
And 'manikin'? And 'plum nuts' instead of 'plumb'? Didn't anybody copy edit this at ALL?
The bad writing. Some egregious examples:
"'He told me his father's brothels patronized all sorts of men.'" Um, I suspect the men patronized the brothels, not the other way around.
And "The web site for the Cervical Dystonia Center was founded twenty-five years ago by Baroness Graciela Johannesbourgh.' I suspect this one should be that the web site /says/ that the /Center/ was founded twenty-five years ago. We didn't have a web 25 years ago, we had an internet with bulletin boards and email and forums and a few specialized portals, but we didn't have a web and web sites - HTML and things like URLs were invented in 1990, and even once we did have the web, I doubt the founder of the center created her own web site...
And the list of snakes, done in a random odd font, bold and enlarged, totally unnecessarily. And the gratuitous call to Dr. Delaware, Kellerman's husband's series character - not only unnecessary, but unbelievable, since it's a question not even faintly in his area of expertise, and the answers he gives are in totally unprofessional terms.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
And 'manikin'? And 'plum nuts' instead of 'plumb'? Didn't anybody copy edit this at ALL?
The bad writing. Some egregious examples:
"'He told me his father's brothels patronized all sorts of men.'" Um, I suspect the men patronized the brothels, not the other way around.
And "The web site for the Cervical Dystonia Center was founded twenty-five years ago by Baroness Graciela Johannesbourgh.' I suspect this one should be that the web site /says/ that the /Center/ was founded twenty-five years ago. We didn't have a web 25 years ago, we had an internet with bulletin boards and email and forums and a few specialized portals, but we didn't have a web and web sites - HTML and things like URLs were invented in 1990, and even once we did have the web, I doubt the founder of the center created her own web site...
And the list of snakes, done in a random odd font, bold and enlarged, totally unnecessarily. And the gratuitous call to Dr. Delaware, Kellerman's husband's series character - not only unnecessary, but unbelievable, since it's a question not even faintly in his area of expertise, and the answers he gives are in totally unprofessional terms.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
November 17, 2013
Its been a long while since I have read a Faye Kellerman book. Bad idea to pick up again with her latest! So much has happened to the characters it made me mad I had not read the books in between.
Can I say that I think Faye is a better writer than her husband?? I love them both but Faye has the edge.
Predator is another Decker and Lazarus thriller. An 89 year old recluse has been found dead....with a pet tiger in his apartment. It soon becomes clear he was murdered and as they delve deeper into the victims life, they find that he was far from perfect and may even have killed others himself.
Can I say that I think Faye is a better writer than her husband?? I love them both but Faye has the edge.
Predator is another Decker and Lazarus thriller. An 89 year old recluse has been found dead....with a pet tiger in his apartment. It soon becomes clear he was murdered and as they delve deeper into the victims life, they find that he was far from perfect and may even have killed others himself.
October 21, 2013
Two intense storylines. Peter Decker is called to an apartment building where a female Bengal tiger is angry and nobody has seen the tenant. After Animal Control tranquilizes the tiger, the old man is found murdered. Suspicion falls on his sanctuary friends although he has a kinky past and is regularly visited by masseuses. Meanwhile, Gabe Whitman, Peter and Rina's charge, continues to see his girlfriend Yasmine against her mother's wishes, leading to a nasty scene with the police. Marge and Peter seems ready for life changes.
July 13, 2018
This book is number 21 in a Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. Peter is a LAPD Detective and his wife Rina is Jewish and spends her time doing many community activities. The story centers around an elderly man found in his apartment dead with a bullet in his back, with a pet tiger as a pet in the apartment... Peter must not only find who the culprit is, but what this man was doing with a tiger in his apartment amongst other things...
It is a good read, it starts off with conflict between his foster son and his girlfriend, which were not introduced beforehand, and made the beginning somewhat confusing but as the story went along this side plot line was further explained and overall, I just love this series. I always know that when I pick up a book from either Faye Kellerman or her husband Jonathan Kellerman I will always get plenty of entertainment from their stories. Is this book worth a good read? I say absolutely... a resounding YES!!
Title: The Beast (peter Decker/ Rina Lazarus, #21)
Website:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Pages: 449
Summer Vacation: Book in a series
It is a good read, it starts off with conflict between his foster son and his girlfriend, which were not introduced beforehand, and made the beginning somewhat confusing but as the story went along this side plot line was further explained and overall, I just love this series. I always know that when I pick up a book from either Faye Kellerman or her husband Jonathan Kellerman I will always get plenty of entertainment from their stories. Is this book worth a good read? I say absolutely... a resounding YES!!
Title: The Beast (peter Decker/ Rina Lazarus, #21)
Website:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Pages: 449
Summer Vacation: Book in a series
January 21, 2017
Faye Kellerman is every bit as good an author as her more famous husband, Jonathan. In "The Beast", she brings back LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina, to unravel a very odd murder. Billionaire eccentric Hobart Penny is found murdered, with his pet Bengal tiger roaming loose in the apartment. As Decker and his team sort out suspects and motives, Rina is trying to settle things on the home front. Their teenaged foster son is leaving the nest and is romantically involved with a young girl whose mother strongly disapproves of the match. What I really like about Faye Kellerman is that she continues to move her characters forward, so they are continually evolving. The Decker kids are now grown, the Deckers themselves are nearing retirement, and their needs and interests are changing. All of this makes for a much more dynamic book. "The Beast" is entertaining and surprising. But it's also a very satisfying read.
August 1, 2017
I like Faye Kellerman's writing which I have read from the start. I think there is a good mixture of police investigation and family life with one complementing the other, although I missed Rina in this one as she didn't have a starring role. I also think that to get the best from the family angle you should read some of the preceding books first. The police investigation in Predator is a bit of a walk on the wild side as they find a rich eccentric murdered in his apartment and his pet tiger going berserk, probably through grief as it hadn't eaten the body. The plot is convoluted and has a great twist at the end and it certainly held my attention so it is well worth a read.
April 21, 2017
While the mystery in this one is one of the weakest in the series, I like these books for the life of Decker and his family, the police family, the real family, and the adopted family. This book was heavy on the adopted family (Chris Donatti and Gabe Whitman) and the police family.
I always enjoy the way Faye Kellerman describes the details and in this one the tigers and beast are interesting. This one was interesting enough I skipped the next book in the reading list for the next Decker book.
I always enjoy the way Faye Kellerman describes the details and in this one the tigers and beast are interesting. This one was interesting enough I skipped the next book in the reading list for the next Decker book.
September 27, 2021
Solid entry in the Decker/Lazarus series...While I'm almost completely up on the wonderful Alex Delaware series, I'm relatively new to this series, though I enjoy them both immensely, even reading them all out of order...In this one, a wealth, elderly man, who hoards deadly exotic pets is found murdered...It seems straightforward, but becomes much darker, as the Decker's team pursues its investigation...There's also some left over family drama, from another story, that becomes settled, as well as the talk of a future retirement and relocation...I'm a little disappointed that Rina Lazarus' role was diminished here as her observations and inputs provide a loving look into Jewish religious orthodoxy...But, still GOOD STUFF!!!
August 30, 2020
Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my! Scorpions, and Lion Fish,and Gaboon vipers! Oh my, again. Eccentric, elderly pervert found dead! Who or what did it! Another great installment in the ongoing series of Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus murder mysteries.
December 12, 2018
Two-haiku review:
Elderly man dead
In apartment with tiger
Who'd kill rich old guy?
Interesting plot
Lots of possibilities
Love the detectives
Elderly man dead
In apartment with tiger
Who'd kill rich old guy?
Interesting plot
Lots of possibilities
Love the detectives
April 26, 2021
Another great episode in the Lazurus/Decker series.
October 25, 2024
Another fun Decker novel. Change is coming in the next installment.
May 31, 2022
Previous Decker/Lazarus novels I have read included interesting cultural details from Jewish life, but they were almost totally missing from this one.
No lack of salacious plot details, however.
No lack of salacious plot details, however.
November 3, 2016
Predator is the UK title for Faye Kellerman’s The Beast, the 21st book in the Peter Decker series. In this book Lt. Peter Decker and his team of detectives investigate the suspicious death of Hobart Penny, an 89 year old billionaire who was murdered in his apartment. What makes this case unusual is Hobart's pet, an adult female tiger that lived with him.
Let me start by saying I have been such a great fan of this series when it started more than a decade ago. Therefore it’s so extremely hard for me to conclude this, but, I think it’s time for Faye Kellerman to either change editor or stop entirely with writing because it’s been a while since I felt so disappointed with a book. Her last 3 to 4 Decker books haven't been up to par either. I don’t recognize the good plotting, the witty dialogues from before. I didn’t connect because the great characterization was simply missing. There was none of the sharp writing that I remember was there before.
This was such a poor and repetitive storyline, with uninspired dialogues, I couldn’t wait for this book to end.
Honestly, over the years I've become attached to the Decker family (wonderful Peter Decker who converted to judaism for Rina way back in the Ritual Bath), and of course I want to know where they are in their lives at this point. They often felt like family. Well, now it seems that Peter Decker plans to move east and explore a law enforcement job in a quieter college town. I love that evolution. I just hope and pray that the stories and the writing gets better for my beloved Decker!
Let me start by saying I have been such a great fan of this series when it started more than a decade ago. Therefore it’s so extremely hard for me to conclude this, but, I think it’s time for Faye Kellerman to either change editor or stop entirely with writing because it’s been a while since I felt so disappointed with a book. Her last 3 to 4 Decker books haven't been up to par either. I don’t recognize the good plotting, the witty dialogues from before. I didn’t connect because the great characterization was simply missing. There was none of the sharp writing that I remember was there before.
This was such a poor and repetitive storyline, with uninspired dialogues, I couldn’t wait for this book to end.
Honestly, over the years I've become attached to the Decker family (wonderful Peter Decker who converted to judaism for Rina way back in the Ritual Bath), and of course I want to know where they are in their lives at this point. They often felt like family. Well, now it seems that Peter Decker plans to move east and explore a law enforcement job in a quieter college town. I love that evolution. I just hope and pray that the stories and the writing gets better for my beloved Decker!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2013
The Peter Decker/Rkna Lazarus series has alwaus been one of my favorites because from the beginning Kellerman created interesting stories with well developed characters combined with information about Judaism. And it all worked to create compelling books that I would read as quickly as possible.
The last few books were less detailed and a lot less interesting, but it was still interesting to read about beloved characters including new characters like Gabe and Kobe. Familiar characters like Hannah, Jacob, Samuel, and Cindy would actually appear in the novels, even if just briefly.
This book had none of the familiar secondary characters. The writing was horrible with the story jumping around abruptly from unrelated plots. I don't know why Gabe's story was included since it didn't fit and it was just thrown in with little to no connection to anything. And I didn't care about any of the characters connected to the mystery. The Dr. Deleware tie in was awkward and stilted, not at all like the character from Jonathan Kellerman's series.
Kellerman should have ended this series a few books ago so it never got to this point.
The last few books were less detailed and a lot less interesting, but it was still interesting to read about beloved characters including new characters like Gabe and Kobe. Familiar characters like Hannah, Jacob, Samuel, and Cindy would actually appear in the novels, even if just briefly.
This book had none of the familiar secondary characters. The writing was horrible with the story jumping around abruptly from unrelated plots. I don't know why Gabe's story was included since it didn't fit and it was just thrown in with little to no connection to anything. And I didn't care about any of the characters connected to the mystery. The Dr. Deleware tie in was awkward and stilted, not at all like the character from Jonathan Kellerman's series.
Kellerman should have ended this series a few books ago so it never got to this point.
August 13, 2013
It's a credit to the author that she can still bring the suspense after 21 books following the same couple. Rina and Peter are talking about moving to live closer to their grandchildren, but in the meantime, there's still one more weird murder case for Peter and his crew to solve. I must admit, I was kept guessing until nearly the end about the "whodunit" details, and stayed up late reading.
The novel was also highlighted by appearances by the Decker's foster son, Gabriel Donatti, and a phone call or two with Gabe's father,the rather sociopathic Chris Donatti in Vegas. Good times with dysfunctional families!
Naturally, this book will be a must read for Kellerman fans, but those who've never read the series are recommended to begin with the first novel, The Ritual Bath.
The novel was also highlighted by appearances by the Decker's foster son, Gabriel Donatti, and a phone call or two with Gabe's father,the rather sociopathic Chris Donatti in Vegas. Good times with dysfunctional families!
Naturally, this book will be a must read for Kellerman fans, but those who've never read the series are recommended to begin with the first novel, The Ritual Bath.
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