Sacred and Profane

This is the second installment in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. While out camping with Peter, one of Rina's sons finds two skeletons. Decker starts to investigate and soon finds himself in the nightmarish world of drugs, prostitution and snuff films. He can't help but think of his own teenage daughter and the stress from the case makes it difficult for him to concentrate on his conversion to orthodox Judaism. He questions whether he's doing it only for Rina or if he has found a path to true belief. Rina's continued relationship with Peter has placed her into a difficult position in her community and she struggles with how to raise her sons. Can she continue to bring them up orthodox if she doesn't hold the man in her life to the show more same standard?

I really love the balancing act in this series between the chaos of the outside world and the stillness of the orthodox community. There are no cut-and-dry absolutes and Peter and Rina are swimming in gray. I always find challenging love stories to be the most rewarding but I also find Peter's internal struggles to be satisfying as well.

There are some especially dark moments in this book. I certainly will continue to read Kellerman but I hope the whole series is not quite this intense. show less

I enjoyed this second book in the series - but it covers some disturbing material, and is not for the faint-hearted. Having said that, the disturbing material exists in real life, and perhaps we shouldn't avoid thinking about it. There were aspects of the story which were disappointing, but also reflect real life. The story is well written and the characters well-observed.

I really enjoyed reading Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman. I enjoyed the mix of Jewish religion and philosophy juxtaposed to the horrible crimes committed.

Peter Lazarus, police detective was taking the sons of his orthodox Jewish girlfriend on a camping trip in a Los Angeles park. One of the boys, Sammy wanders off and finds two skeletons in the woods. He of course worries about the reactions of the two little boys. He feels responsible for whatever happens to them.

Peter really wants to marry Rita. He is taking classes so that he can convert and marry Rina. Peter is having trouble learning Hebrew but there are several differences of belief and opinions that arise later in this book. He has some interesting discussions with the show more Rabbis. I thought that information about Orthodox Judaism added depth to this book.

One of the murder victims was identified as a normal and pretty but not wild girl of sixteen. The girl reminded Peter of his own daughter from his first marriage. He made the decision to stick to the case instead of going back to Juvenile Division, his usual assignment. Peter has to go into the seamy underside of Hollywood, to uncover the tragic and obscene acts of the underworld that portrayed with short descriptions and are reflected by Peter Lazarus’ visceral reaction to them. At the same time as his investigation, his relationship with Rina encounters serious obstacles. Since I cared about this couple, I was really hoping that things would work out.

I highly recommend this police mystery that is doesn’t dwell on the violence but poses important religious and philosophical issues.

I received this book as a win from GoodReads but that in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are my own. show less

I recently had read Faye's latest book and was trying to remember how Rina and Peter got together in
the first place. I read this book many, many years ago but it still holds up. It's funny to see how things have changed since this book was written - so much smoking, having to find a phone to make a call, sharing computers... We've come a long way in some things but Peter's detective work is as dedicated as ever.
As a whole this is a great murder mystery. On top of that is the love story and the issue of the religious differences between Rina and Decker.They are two strong characters who stand up for what they believe and their relationship is what elevates this about your standard murder mystery.

Read a Faye Kellerman a few years ago, and didnt like it, much preferring her husband's style, so have avoided reading this one for a while.[return][return]However, did enjoy it more than I thought I would![return][return]Synopsis: "While on a camping trip, Detective Peter Decker and his two young charges come across the charred remains of two teenage girls. Embroiled in a disturbing case, Decker's only unifying thread in a network of violence and corruption is the deaths of the two apparently very different young girls."[return][return]It's early in the series, so Decker is single, and is also struggling with his imminent conversion/acceptance into Judaism

In the second book in the series, Decker has been lent to Homicide and is investigating a gruesome torture murder, so the dichotomy between his life as a police officer and a Torah student (and, by extension, a possible future with Rina) is coming to a head. As the title suggests, along with a really nauseating crime, the main thrust of this installment is Decker's problems with merging a "normal" police life with the somewhat secluded religious life that Rina and her boys live. I'm familiar with the Jewish terms being discussed in this book, but I wonder if most people are and, if they are not, if they will follow in the discussions on that topic. The mystery part is absolutely worth the read, especially if you like your mysteries well show more creepy, but an interest in the Jewish aspects of the story is needed as well. show less

Ein schauriger Fund bedeutet das abrupte Ende eines Campingtrips. Dabei wollte Detective Peter Decker einfach nur einmal richtig ausspannen und ist mit den beiden Söhnen seiner Angebeteten, Rina Lazarus, über die Feiertage in die Berge gefahren. Doch dann entdecken sie in einem Laubhaufen zwei verkohlte Skelette. Die anschließende Obduktion ergibt, dass es sich um zwei junge Mädchen handelte. Eine davon muss die 16jährige Lindsey sein, die vor drei Monaten spurlos aus dem Haus ihrer wohlhabenden Eltern verschwunden ist. Unvermutet gerät Peter Decker in eine dunkle Welt voller verdeckter Leidenschaften und schwelender Gewalt.