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Abe Lieberman #10
The Dead Don't Lie
The Dead Don't Lie is the latest in Edgar Award winner and MWA's Grand Master Stuart Kaminsky's Abe Lieberman mystery series. Lieberman and his partner, Bill Hanrahan, are hell or heaven bent on making the mean streets of Chicago just a little safer.
As usual they have their hands full. Three prominent members of the Turkish community are all brutally murdered and Lieberman must find out what, if anything, ties these murders together. It doesn't help that the key to the puzzle might be an event that took place over a century ago.
Bill Hanrahan finds himself assigned to a case where a hospitalized chef claims to have been beaten by two people and shot by a third, a bespectacled Chinese man. As Bill digs deeper he finds himself at odds with an old nemesis, a man who has an unusual affinity for Bill's wife.
Both Lieberman and Hanrahan struggle to do the right thing even if it means bending the letter, not the spirit, of the law.
As usual they have their hands full. Three prominent members of the Turkish community are all brutally murdered and Lieberman must find out what, if anything, ties these murders together. It doesn't help that the key to the puzzle might be an event that took place over a century ago.
Bill Hanrahan finds himself assigned to a case where a hospitalized chef claims to have been beaten by two people and shot by a third, a bespectacled Chinese man. As Bill digs deeper he finds himself at odds with an old nemesis, a man who has an unusual affinity for Bill's wife.
Both Lieberman and Hanrahan struggle to do the right thing even if it means bending the letter, not the spirit, of the law.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2007
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky
162 books217 followersStuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films including ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, ENEMY TERRITORY, A WOMAN IN THE WIND and HIDDEN FEARS. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards including one for his short story “Snow” in 1999. He won an Edgar for his novel A COLD RED SUNRISE, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France. He was nominated for both a Shamus Award and a McCavity Readers Choice Award.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 26, 2017
This, the 10th of the Lieberman series, offers an enjoyably complex plot with enough twist to provide a surprise right up till the end. Just as one doesn't need to be Jewish, or to have grown up in Chicago, New York, or similar environs replete with an authentic Jewish Deli to appreciate a really good bagel, lox, & creme cheese, you needn't have that background to enjoy an Abe Lieberman series book-- but it couldn't hurt!
Detective Lieberman (aka "the Rabbi") and his Irish-Catholic partner, Bill Hanrahan (aka "Father Murphy"), typically work cases in tandem. However, in this episode, they each have their own "tsuris" (troubles), what with a string of murders for Abe to solve while his partner is attending to his Chinese wife, Iris Chen, who is in labor with their first child, along with dealing with a murder case of his own. Both Lieberman and Hanrahan are tough as nails Detectives with years of experience, yet they have tremendous reserves of tenderness and love, particularly for their families and one another. Lieberman takes no b.s., but would prefer to use his wisdom and patience rather than his weapon. He questions many things others take for granted, and prefers justice over a strict adherence to the rules on occasion. This character trait endears him to many, including a rather crazy, scary gang leader, El Perro, with whom Abe typically interacts and cooperates in each novel, to our reading delight. Such richly drawn characters populate these stories that I want to go to the deli, owned by Abe's older brother, and kibbutz along with the "alter cockers" (old people) who insist on engaging in verbal matches with one another and anyone else who happens to be dining at the time. Kaminsky pens these hilarious interactions so believably that anyone who has ever been to the neighborhood deli, or belonged to a synagogue and sat on a board or participated in a committee, can only reel with laughter and nod in sympathy for the ever patient and put-upon Lieberman, as his wife ropes him into one meeting / responsibility or another, while simultaneously preventing him from indulging in various sources of cholesterol, such as about any of his favorite foods.
In all, this is a well crafted murder mystery, but more so, a lovely, often bittersweet character study with one of Kaminsky's most satisfying creations.
Detective Lieberman (aka "the Rabbi") and his Irish-Catholic partner, Bill Hanrahan (aka "Father Murphy"), typically work cases in tandem. However, in this episode, they each have their own "tsuris" (troubles), what with a string of murders for Abe to solve while his partner is attending to his Chinese wife, Iris Chen, who is in labor with their first child, along with dealing with a murder case of his own. Both Lieberman and Hanrahan are tough as nails Detectives with years of experience, yet they have tremendous reserves of tenderness and love, particularly for their families and one another. Lieberman takes no b.s., but would prefer to use his wisdom and patience rather than his weapon. He questions many things others take for granted, and prefers justice over a strict adherence to the rules on occasion. This character trait endears him to many, including a rather crazy, scary gang leader, El Perro, with whom Abe typically interacts and cooperates in each novel, to our reading delight. Such richly drawn characters populate these stories that I want to go to the deli, owned by Abe's older brother, and kibbutz along with the "alter cockers" (old people) who insist on engaging in verbal matches with one another and anyone else who happens to be dining at the time. Kaminsky pens these hilarious interactions so believably that anyone who has ever been to the neighborhood deli, or belonged to a synagogue and sat on a board or participated in a committee, can only reel with laughter and nod in sympathy for the ever patient and put-upon Lieberman, as his wife ropes him into one meeting / responsibility or another, while simultaneously preventing him from indulging in various sources of cholesterol, such as about any of his favorite foods.
In all, this is a well crafted murder mystery, but more so, a lovely, often bittersweet character study with one of Kaminsky's most satisfying creations.
May 3, 2024
I wish I could give this book more than a 3 since it was the last of the series. But I can’t. I wonder if the author was suffering while writing this book. He died just a couple years after this book was published.
I have had difficulty staying on top of all the mini plots and characters of this series. And this one was just like the rest of them.
The book was about the Turkish in Chicago. A Turkish doctor is killed supposedly for a journal that, if true, may change the history of the relationship between the Turkish and Armenians. This is a key point since Turkey so desperately wants to become part of the European Union. But, because of the historical depiction of the massacre of Armenians by the Turks during WWI, membership is off the table. This journal could change everything.
Then you have Elsie and Jamie. They want to get ahead in life, so they decide to become muggers. They choose a sharp dressed man with a briefcase. But the attack goes terribly wrong when an insomniac approaches right before the planned attack. This storyline is not related to the Turkish one. But somehow this indirectly involves Bill.
The continued story line of the main characters is interesting
Bill is a new father.
Abe’s daughter Lisa is pregnant.
Maish wants to leave the synagogue
I don’t think the plan was for this to be the last book of the series. There seemed to be more to the story. I did enjoy this series. Some books were better than others. I may try some of the other books by this author….
RIP Mr Kaminsky
I have had difficulty staying on top of all the mini plots and characters of this series. And this one was just like the rest of them.
The book was about the Turkish in Chicago. A Turkish doctor is killed supposedly for a journal that, if true, may change the history of the relationship between the Turkish and Armenians. This is a key point since Turkey so desperately wants to become part of the European Union. But, because of the historical depiction of the massacre of Armenians by the Turks during WWI, membership is off the table. This journal could change everything.
Then you have Elsie and Jamie. They want to get ahead in life, so they decide to become muggers. They choose a sharp dressed man with a briefcase. But the attack goes terribly wrong when an insomniac approaches right before the planned attack. This storyline is not related to the Turkish one. But somehow this indirectly involves Bill.
The continued story line of the main characters is interesting
Bill is a new father.
Abe’s daughter Lisa is pregnant.
Maish wants to leave the synagogue
I don’t think the plan was for this to be the last book of the series. There seemed to be more to the story. I did enjoy this series. Some books were better than others. I may try some of the other books by this author….
RIP Mr Kaminsky
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
So ends the best Kaminsky series, IMHO. Abe has a case that is embedded in history of the Armenian genocide in Turkey. Of course, amongst other myriads of crimes and events occurring for multiple fallouts in the present (mid 1990's) Chicago.
It held just as much repetition as #9 did which is always a detriment for me. But I read briskly and it held my interest in nearly every section of overlook. Almost. Some of the long past Turkish interludes were so violent and yet at the same time seemed "distant"- to the point of my having to reread. Something I never did in a Kaminsky novel before this. That felt like another book in a slant that nearly didn't belong.
Regardless, the outcomes all around do not have complete closures at all, but do have some considerable definitive events and summation denouements. Yet all the characters remain ultimately only themselves. Which doesn't always happen in any series nowadays. Not a one that I can recall. Hallmark or Massacre endings are far more common. This is far more real and actual human life change.
High body count. And in conclusion, the laughs were fewer. So I do think quite a few Lieberman novels in the middle of this series were better balanced. Best IMHO, definitely the superior series to the others he accomplished. Chicago done very well too.
It held just as much repetition as #9 did which is always a detriment for me. But I read briskly and it held my interest in nearly every section of overlook. Almost. Some of the long past Turkish interludes were so violent and yet at the same time seemed "distant"- to the point of my having to reread. Something I never did in a Kaminsky novel before this. That felt like another book in a slant that nearly didn't belong.
Regardless, the outcomes all around do not have complete closures at all, but do have some considerable definitive events and summation denouements. Yet all the characters remain ultimately only themselves. Which doesn't always happen in any series nowadays. Not a one that I can recall. Hallmark or Massacre endings are far more common. This is far more real and actual human life change.
High body count. And in conclusion, the laughs were fewer. So I do think quite a few Lieberman novels in the middle of this series were better balanced. Best IMHO, definitely the superior series to the others he accomplished. Chicago done very well too.
January 31, 2026
There were things I really liked about this book. The mystery itself really wasn't one of them.. because the author chose to show us the background actions of the bad guys. There were a couple of moments of mystery, but most of the secrets were revealed really early on as the reader watched the bad guys.
That wasn't really all that bad-- for the bad guy characters were all interesting characters. As was the manic victim of one of their crimes.
One part of the story is about Turkish history and the author writes this portion of the story with a lot of good and interesting information.
Lieberman is an interesting and eccentric character. He's well educated-- often quoting literary giants. He speaks in an odd manner, with a great deal of odd rhythms and eccentric references.
Scenes with Lieberman are among the best portions of the book. He is just fun to read.
That wasn't really all that bad-- for the bad guy characters were all interesting characters. As was the manic victim of one of their crimes.
One part of the story is about Turkish history and the author writes this portion of the story with a lot of good and interesting information.
Lieberman is an interesting and eccentric character. He's well educated-- often quoting literary giants. He speaks in an odd manner, with a great deal of odd rhythms and eccentric references.
Scenes with Lieberman are among the best portions of the book. He is just fun to read.
November 10, 2023
This is the lowest rating I’ve ever given a book. I cannot say that this is one of the authors better works, because it truly fell short of even a three star rating. It had too many inconsistencies with the rest of the series. Too many to ignore in fact. a huge disappointment for a finale to a series!
November 11, 2020
Another great installment in the life and struggles of Abe Lieberman and his partner Bill Hanrahan as they seek to solve a series of murder on Chicago's North side. Kaminsky's ability to capture the feel of the city and variety of cultures that mix together there is a treat.
July 3, 2021
This is an old fashioned police procedural, with very human characters, very well drawn. There is pathos and humor, and if you like these kinds of books (I do, I have bookshelves and bookshelves of them), it is definitely worth a couple of hours.
May 10, 2015
I thought I’d read all of Stuart Kaminsky’s Lieberman series and was pleased to find one I’d missed. The Dead Don’t Lie has all the familiar touchstones that make this series so enjoyable—the interplay between Abe, a Jewish cop, and his partner, Bill Hanrahan, a Roman Catholic recovering alcoholic, the alter cockers’ table at Abe’s brother’s restaurant, the problems at the synagogue, the underworld ‘friend’ who can make things happen. One of the strongest suits in this series is the tension between Abe and his wife and their daughter. It’s not very prominent in this novel, but I find it more emotionally compelling than the main plot, which involves a series of murders in the Turkish community, and the subplot, in which a husband-wife boxing duo decide to start mugging people on the street.
March 22, 2013
Not the best that Kaminsky has written in the Abe Lieberman series, but very entertaining.
His strength, in this police procedural, lies in the characters. We know the personal problems and challenges of Abe and his partner. Those are present and make a masterful counterpoint to proliferation of murders in the plot. The plot has a "MacGuffin" that drives much of the action, and I won't spoil any of that for you.
If you haven't read any of the series, start elsewhere with something like, Lieberman's Thief. If you are already into this series, enjoy!
His strength, in this police procedural, lies in the characters. We know the personal problems and challenges of Abe and his partner. Those are present and make a masterful counterpoint to proliferation of murders in the plot. The plot has a "MacGuffin" that drives much of the action, and I won't spoil any of that for you.
If you haven't read any of the series, start elsewhere with something like, Lieberman's Thief. If you are already into this series, enjoy!
January 21, 2008
This is a mystery series I follow because of the likable, well-developed characters. The setting is contemporary Chicago. Abe is a Jewish cop, tough, moral, a devoted family man. His partner Bill Hanrahan is Catholic, a recovering alcoholic, and as this book begins, his Chinese-American wife gives birth to their daughter. Meanwhile Abe is investigating a complicated case that goes back to the Turkish-Armenian conflict in 1913.
November 1, 2019
The prologue harks back to Turkey during the First World War — during the era that witnessed the Armenian holocaust in Anatolia —where we Aziz recover a mysterious document as he flees to America. In modern day Chicago, the document has surfaced in the Turkish community and people are dying. Iris is having her baby. A pastry chef stumbles into an attempted mugging. Lisa is pregnant.
This was book #26 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
This was book #26 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
October 17, 2013
Chicago cops Abe Lieberman and Bill Hanrahan investigate a series of murders in the Turkish community. But the case is almost secondary to the private lives of the partners. Lieberman is mired in problems at his synagogue, and Hanrahan is focusing on his sobriety, his new marriage, and the birth of his child. The likeable, though flawed, characters are what makes this series worth reading.
June 17, 2014
I am a great fan of Stuart M. Kaminsky, a fellow Chicago area native who sadly passed away in 2009. His Abe Lieberman character evokes memories of M.A.S.H. guest actor Alan Arbus who played psychiatrist Sydney Friedman and Abe Vigoda of Barney Miller. Vigoda's (Sgt. Fish) hangdog expressions mirror the what I imagine the "Rabbi's" would look like.
I recommend all the different series he created.
I recommend all the different series he created.
June 1, 2008
Quick, absorbing read. I adore the lead characters of this series, Abe Lieberman and Bill Hanrahan, and their relationships with their loved ones. I also liked the details of Turkish and Armenian history and culture that are woven into this mystery.
October 21, 2011
Enjoy this series, can't help but like Abe Lieberman and his slow, methodical way of solving crimes. He also sometimes trades off crimes for information, but he makes sure the really guilty get what's coming to them, even if the pay-back is sometimes unconvential.
September 13, 2007
Great police procedural. North Chicago locations and the Judiasm of detective Lieberman add flavor nicely.
March 17, 2009
Another very good "Rabbi" and "Father Murph" tale of multiple investigations with interesting twists. Well worth the read.
December 8, 2009
Abe and Bill solve Turkish murders and birth of Bill's daughter.
February 17, 2010
Abe Lieberman's 10th novel, set in Chicago.
June 13, 2010
Another Chicago mystery. Nice twists on ethnic identity issues. Relevant to Turkish, Armenian, Kurdish, Greek historical entwinements and the European Union.
June 19, 2010
I have read several of the Lieberman Mystery series and this was the poorest of the bunch. It was slow and obvious.
November 2, 2014
No comment.
January 26, 2016
Like al Kaminsky's books, this one keeps you in your seat until you've turned the last page.
March 25, 2016
My second book in the Abe Lieberman series and I am a huge fan of the characters, the plots and especially the humor.
September 27, 2020
Good detective story from Kaminsky...like always.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews