THE HUNT

3.5 stars out of 5

That this reportedly is the final book in the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker series makes me sad; after all, I don't think I've missed a single one since the first 26 books ago and have always looked forward to whatever's next. But what makes me sadder is that it just wasn't very satisfying. Yes, it wraps up things like Peter's last still-open case as a detective with the small-town Greenbury Police Department (New York) before the long-married couple embark on a previously announced phase of their lives. It's a leftover from an earlier book, but it's been too long since I read that one so I never quite reconnected.

But mostly, the focus is on recurring character Chris Donatti, the near sociopath and sex-addicted birth father of the Deckers' musically talented foster son Gabe. His birth mother, a wacky physician named Terry, is missing; Peter ends up calling in Chris, who apparently never stopped loving his ex-wife (insofar as he's capable of loving). He finds her with her daughter, on the lam from her current husband in India - but her son seems to have been kidnapped and even though she claims to hate Chris, she tells him she'll do anything it takes to get him back. And what it takes, it seems, is catering to Chris's incessant sexual demands.

And therein lies one of my issues; given Chris's addiction, I "get" the incessant part, but the graphic descriptions that accompanied each and every encounter were over the moon (probably the only place they didn't do the nasty). Don't misunderstand - I'm no prude, and read nothing that I've never heard of before; I understand the relevance of sex to the complex relationship between Chris and Terry. But to my eyes it was more than a little too explicit more than a little too often.

Adding to my discontent is that while both Peter's investigation and Chris's attempts to rescue Terry's son and win her back, Rina's contributions are mostly missing; when she shows up - which isn't very often - it's mostly to hug and feed her kids and reassure her husband that retiring is the right thing for him to do. Peter swears he won't retire until he and his partner Tyler McAdams get to the bottom of the case they're working on, but even he seems to not have his heart in his work. In any event, way more time was spent on speculating what might have happened than on the actual investigation.

Peter's long-time LAPD partner, Marge, makes an appearance, as do all the Decker kids, grandkids and even their mothers (bless their nonagenarian hearts). As such, the ending brings closure to just about everything in mostly expected ways; the only question left in my mind is whether Gabe and/or others from the Decker family might find their way into a new series of their own. All in all, it's worth reading, but I just wish it had left me with a more upbeat attitude toward all those books I've read over the years.

The Hunt by Faye Kellerman (William Morrow, August 2022); 492 pp.

THE LOST BOYS

 4 stars out of 5

Not one but three plots take place simultaneously in this, the 26th book featuring former LAPD detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus. I've followed them from the beginning, right through their not-so-long-ago move from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to the far more laid-back community of Greenbury in upstate New York. There, missing the challenges of detective work but the day-to-day danger not so much, Decker has joined the local police.

The first plot centers on Bertram Lanz, a thirty-something man with social disabilities, who disappears from his local residential group home. The second involves a body that turns up, literally, in a remote woods and appears to be connected to the decade-old disappearance of three college students. The third hits closer to home as Gabriel, Peter and Rina's foster son and a successful classical pianist, returns home to say his on-again, off-again birth mother is in trouble and needs help.

Decker and his partner, Tyler McAdams, land the assignment to find the missing man. Soon, it becomes apparent that he had help disappearing - perhaps from a former nurse at the residential facility. That angle takes a strange turn, though, when the nurse seems to have vanished as well, possibly not of her own accord.

The case of the dead college student, of course, has long gone cold; but it's a good bet his death was a homicide, so Decker and McAdams begin to unearth clues that might lead investigators to find the other two young men. Readers follow along as the detectives locate and interview parents and others who may have information that will reveal what happened all those years ago.

Gabe's situation, for the most part, ends up in Rina's hands. As his foster mother, he trusts her - and she's well acquainted with his wacky birth mother and dangerous (somewhat estranged) father, a mobster who oversees a prostitution empire and is well known for killing people who get in his way. 

If there's an issue, it's that only one of the three plots comes full circle to a conclusion; the other two are pretty much left swinging in the wind (one more than the other, and no, my lips are sealed). Besides that, a new twist on the future of Rina and Peter's life is introduced - no doubt signaling a new direction for future books. Overall, though, it's another enjoyable entry in a favorite series. 

The Lost Boys by Faye Kellerman (William Morrow, January 2021); 366 pp.

WALKING SHADOWS

4 stars out of 5

"Old friends, old friends,
Sat on their parkbench like bookends..."

--Paul Simon

After so many years of reading and enjoying the books in this series, the words to that song popped into my head as I started this one. I've followed the adventures of Detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, from the time they met, fell in love and married (beginning, if I recall correctly, with The Ritual Bath in 1986). I loved watching their blended family grow and the interactions between Peter and Rina as she guides their Orthodox Jewish household and offers sage advice to him as he works to solve crimes.

Given that expectation, then, I was a bit disappointed with this book, in which Rina plays what to me is a very insignificant role. Yes, she offers some coffee and sympathy when he gets bogged down in as-yet-unsolvable details of the case he's working on, but most of what little on-page time she gets is spent making kosher sandwiches. In all honesty, though, I've said the same for all the other books written since the empty-nesters and grandparents moved from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to Greenbury, New York, a small, upstate college town (I believe this is the fourth). 

For both Peter and Rina, that move was supposed to put them in a relatively quiet, relaxing world; but bored with doing nothing, Peter joined the local police force, not really expecting much action. Needless to say, no sooner than he signed on, homicides started happening. This one - the body of a badly beaten young man - is discovered by Peter himself. In part because he lived in nearby Hamilton, there's some clamor over territorial rights, and the Hamilton police chief insists that his daughter, Lenora Baccus ("Lennie") be assigned temporarily to assist Decker and his Greenbury team. As sort of an aside, Lennie formerly worked for the Philadelphia police, specifically with Decker's grown daughter Cindy. Coincidence? Of course not; since Lennie has no idea that Peter is Cindy's father, it adds a couple of pages to the book by allowing him to call Cindy to check up on Lennie's performance since he really doesn't fully trust her or the reason her father lent her to Greenbury.

Peter doesn't trust her father's motives, either (nor, for that matter, those of most of the police teams of Hamilton or Greenbury). Some of that distrust may be well-earned; early on, the supposedly squeaky clean victim, Brady Neil, turned out to be involved in criminal activities. Then it was learned that his father, Brandon Gratz, is in jail for the murder of two owners of a local jewelry store. That link, in turn, leads to possible connections to members of the Hamilton police, whose detectives - including Lennie's father - were the lead investigators in the jewelry store murders. The trail also leads Peter and Rina to Florida, where they can spend a few paragraphs visiting both their aging mothers (Ida Decker, Peter's mom, is a spry 94).

Actually, the story itself is quite engrossing, but there are way, way too many characters to keep straight; about halfway through, I totally gave up trying, figuring things would sort themselves out in the end (which they did, for the most part). But keeping them all straight was made even more difficult because just about everyone in the cast had a name beginning with a "B" - either first or last. Finally, although most of the loose ends are tidied up by the end, there were a couple of stragglers; I can only assume those will become fodder for the plot of a future book (and yes, I'll be among the first in line to get it). That's because even after my kvetching about this one, Peter and Rina still feel like old friends and people with whom I'd love to sit on a park bench and chat. Oy, the stories we could share!

Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman (William Morrow, August 2018); 384 pp.

THE BONE BOX

3.5 stars out of 5



Don't get me wrong. I've never not enjoyed a book in this wonderful, long-running series, and this one is no exception. But from the git-go, things just seemed a bit "off" to me - not the least of which is the interaction between former Los Angeles Police Department detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus. Maybe it was because they're both semi-retired now, living in the lovely upstate New York community of Greenbury, home to the Five Colleges of Upstate consortium. Rina works at the consortium, and Peter for the local police department - lots of fodder for stories, I'd think - but Peter, at least, appeared to be more annoyed than excited when a new, clearly complicated case came along that required his attention.

It all started with Rina, who found some unearthed human bones while walking along a trail in the nearby woods. Instead of hopping on the investigation bandwagon, though, Peter immediately flies off the handle and berates Rina for taking a walk by herself. Now, as I approach 55 years of living with a husband of my own, I do get that we both have become a bit more on edge with each other (a psychologist most likely would have a field day ferreting out the reasons for that, I'm sure). But for gosh sake, Rina is a fully grown, intelligent woman, Greenbury isn't even close to a high-crime area and the bones were buried there long before Peter and Rina arrived. Put another way, Peter's hissy fit just didn't fit the "crime," at least at that point.

Later is another story. As other human remains turn up in the same spot, suspicions turn to the real possibility that a serial killer may be on the loose - with the possibility that he, or she, could strike again. The search for more bodies, and of course whoever put them there, intensifies as Peter and his super-capable (and very likable) partner, Tyler McAdams, start digging. As clues lead to faculty, staff and students at the Five Colleges, Peter asks for Rina's help; please tune in, he says, to what's being spread through the campus grapevine. At one point, the investigation takes the couple back to Los Angeles, where they lived for the bulk of their married life - and a reunion with and help from Peter's former LAPD partner, Marge (making me yearn for the good-old days, I might add).

Throughout, Rina must find time and energy for her role of maintaining the family's strong Jewish heritage - an even tougher job now that Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is upon them. Prepare a buffet for 150 students? No problem. Another one to wrap up the first? Piece of cake (or more likely, apple strudel). Rina does get offers of help - even from Peter, who mostly grouses about the cost and enormity of the undertakings - but generally speaking, she's on her own to pull off the events successfully while still trying to help with the investigation.

The ending, too, was a bit puzzling to me. I reread it more than once, and I'm still not certain who did the dirty deeds (not even whether it was just one person). Yes, a few supposedly involved individuals are in jail and another is in the hospital, but specifically who did what and when continue to elude my comprehension. My only choice is to assume that was done on purpose - a set-up for the next book, perhaps - but all things considered, it just didn't sit well with me.

My verdict? Peter and Rina are like old friends to me, so no matter what this book's shortcomings, I was sad when I got to the final page. That means that even if it's not one of the best of the bunch, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

The Bone Box by Faye Kellerman (William Morrow, February 2017); 432 pp.

THE THEORY OF DEATH

3.5 stars out of 5

My feelings about this, the 23rd book featuring former LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, are somewhat mixed. I admit I haven't totally adjusted to their move from California to a far less hectic life in upstate New York, although they seem to be handling it fairly well at this point (the second book set in their new location). When I finished the previous book, Murder 101, I had hopes that Rina would take a stronger role on the crime-solving end from then on. And to a certain extent, in this one she does - but it still seems she's much more valued for making sure lunch and dinner are on the table and soothing her overworked husband's ego. 

This one begins when Peter, who now works at the Greenbury Police Department, is called in when the nude body of a young man is found in the woods. Killed by a single gunshot to the head with the gun near the body, at first blush the death is considered to be suicide. Peter gets some help from Tyler McAdams, a former Greenbury police colleague who's back in the area prepping for Harvard Law School finals (he earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard, is quite wealthy and, as readers are reminded many times over, isn't worried about passing his exams and therefore is able to help with the investigation despite Peter's insistence that he pay more attention to studying).

The body turns out to be a student in the Mathematics Department of Kneed Loft College, where he's considered a prodigy - working on (officially and unofficially) projects with real-world applications that could be worth millions. This is where things start to get a bit jumbled, at least to my totally math-challenged mind. No matter how  - or how often - the concepts are explained in "layman's" terms, I didn't really grasp a word anybody said (with one notable exception that I can't reveal without spoiling it for others).

In the end, though, understanding really isn't all that important, except that it does give Rina a chance to show that her brain is capable of cooking up more than a great brisket. In fact, it appears she majored in math in the brief time she spent in college (a bit too conveniently, perhaps) and thus, with a tiny bit of brushing up, is able to explain what the math students and professors are about. There's even a suggestion that she should return to school and get a degree in math (aha - do I smell the basis for another book)?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but when that next one comes to pass, count me among those who will be reading it. I'm still a big fan and I don't see that changing anytime soon; I've followed this couple from the time they first got together, and they're almost like family to me. Yasher koach!

The Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman (William Morrow, October 2015); 384 pp.

MURDER 101

4 stars out of 5

It's almost hard to believe this is the 22nd book in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series - if I missed any, I'm not aware of them, so you could say I've been around from the git-go. I "watched" as they got hitched, Peter struggled early on with becoming a practicing Jew, they dealt with teenage sons and a new baby and now, a new life in a new place. 

In her most recent book, "The Beast," the author hinted that the couple might be thinking about moving from Los Angeles to be closer to their children and grandchildren. And that's exactly what they've done here, relocating to a small community in upstate New York where Peter is working for the Greenbury Police Department. 

Wen I finished the first couple of chapters, I had a vague feeling that something was "off." Both Peter and Rina seemed a bit unsure of how they feel about the change (Peter more so), and somehow it didn't feel quite right to me, either. Of course, going from a fast-paced big-city department to one where rescuing kittens from trees provides the big excitement of the day would make me question my decision as well.

Peter has partnered up with fairly recent Harvard grad Tyler McAdams, who's got money, a lousy attitude and a totally obnoxious personality. He's also got friends in high places, so like it or not, Peter's stuck with him (adding to Peter's trouble adjusting to the new surroundings). But then, a real crime is reported: valuable Tiffany panels have been stolen from a family mausoleum and replaced by fake versions. Not long thereafter, a female student from the local consortium of five liberal arts schools is murdered, and it seems there could be a connection to the theft. 

Since Peter has 30 years of experience in the homicide field, he's tapped to lead the investigation. That, in turn, leads to forays and encounters within the halls of academia and the world of ancient works of art, including pieces that may have been stolen by the Nazis. I must say the ins and outs were a little hard for me to follow - there was almost too much historical information and too many characters. I found myself re-reading pages here and there just to make sure I remembered who was who.

The move wasn't the only noticeable change, either; Rina takes on a much larger role here than usual. That's not a bad thing, mind you - in a couple of the older books, I actually wondered why her name was even in the book title. In a couple of spots, in fact, she actually outshines her husband in the sleuthing department. My guess? This will be the trend for future books, with Rina becoming as much a partner in Peter's career as she is in their marriage.

Murder 101 by Faye Kellerman  (William Morrow, September 2014); 389 pp.