“The Ritual Bath,” by Faye Kellerman

FM's ratings:


          1. Premise 6
          2. Prose 5
          3. Plot 7
          4. Characters 6
          5. Overall 6


Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This author is a “New York Times Bestselling Author according to the cover.  She is credited with 13 other books on the page before the title page, so she’s not a newbie.  I can name several worse authors that can claim the same distinction, and to be fair, this was her first novel.  The most grating aspect of this one, for me, was that many passages read almost like an infomercial for Judaism.  The ritual bath referred to in the title is itself is one the Jewish traditions that is hundreds of years old, which apparently gives it more credibility.  The book seemed to be an attempt to educate us “goys” (yes, the word was a constant reminder of how us non-Jews are looked down upon) about the wonderful world of Jewish orthodoxy.  I’m not anti-Semitic, but enough is enough.  Having a love interest as a component of a detective story is not unusual and can spice up a plot very nicely, but when the author seems to forget – for many pages – that the story isn’t a Romance, then our interest wanes rapidly.  The hero, Peter Decker is admirably portrayed and isn’t overly “damaged” by his deep, dark past as so many heroes seem to be these days.  The heroine, Rina Lazarus, exhibits too many weaknesses to command our respect.  Someday I’ll try another book by this author; one of the later ones that should show some aesthetic maturity as a writer.  In the meantime, there are lots of great books by lots of great authors out there!

Here’s the April line-up! 

“Ashley Bell,” by Dean Koontz [4-2]

“The Lunatic Café,” by Laurell K. Hamilton [4-9]

“Grave Surprise,” by Charlaine Harris [4-16]

“Adrenaline,” by Jeff Abbott [4-23]

“Born in Death,” by J. D. Robb [4-30] 

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)