"Prayers for the Dead" is book 9 of the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker Jewish murder mysteries by Faye Kellerman. She continues with her good writing, interesting plots and Jewish characterization. I'm Jewish myself and while it's not necessary to be Jewish to enjoy her novels, it helps. The author no longer goes into deep explanations about Jewish law and Hebrew words as she did in the earlier books of the series. The story: a famous surgeon is found brutally murdered and Lt. Peter Decker is called in to handle the press and coordinate the investigation. The deceased doctor has a new drug in development that might net him millions so it could have been done for the money but the way he died was so viciously cruel, it's apparent there was a lot of emotion involved. And Decker's wife, Rina Lazarus, knew one of the suspects. Knew him very well. Very, very well.OK... any problems with the novel? I already mentioned the abbreviated explanations of Jewish law and Hebrew. It seems that Rina is getting a little resentful that her husband, Peter, is spending so much time at work instead of with the family. That is not a spoiler since it is mentioned in the first couple of paragraphs. There is cursing in the book and adult subjects are discussed as is true of the entire series. Although religious subjects are covered in the novel and especially Catholic religious subjects in this particular novel, this is about a murder investigation in Los Angeles conducted by the secular police department and they tend to curse at times. It is all in context.There is some mention of computer hacking. It is treated only briefly. The author explains a term and does so incorrectly, but it is not essential to the plot. By context the reader will understand what happened. I am a computer expert so I recognize when an idea is being used imprecisely so it irked me but it was so brief that I fell right back into the novel again without much trouble.Sexual content is not described but it is discussed in detail in the sense of its moral implications and the ten commandments. Homosexuality is discussed. Rather strange sado/masochistic sexual practices are mentioned. Pornography is described. It is not prurient but if you don't like a frank discussion of these issues in an adult manner then skip this novel.Is this a book for kids or teens? Heck no.Over all it was a good read and I'd read the book again.
The ninth in the Decker/Lazarus series.Back Cover Blurb:Dr Azor Sparks is a genius - and his genius saves lives. A celebrated heart transplant surgeon, he's set to revolutionise his patients' survival chances. He's also a pillar of the local evangelical church and a committed family man. So who could want to murder him in a dirty restaurant backyard? The answer, Lieutenant Peter Decker soon concludes, is a lot of people.Sparks, he discovers, was obsessive, about his career, his church, his private life - and about an oddly unconventional hobby. His formerly devoted team of scientists is engaged in vicious academic battles whilst his family, not the harmonious unit they appear, is crumbling under the pressure of his death. Only Bram, the Catholic priest son, seems able to stop them tearing each other apart. But Bram, Decker discovers, is someone his own wife Rina had been mysteriously close to years before.....
What do You think about Prayers For The Dead (1997)?
Revisited the mid-point of the extensive Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus saga. Started as an audiobook, but the library's CDs skipped so much that I switched to print.As with many authors, I like the middle of this long-running series best. The fledgling author kinks are behind us. We and the author have had time to become familar with the characters and develop shared experiences to serve as touchstones. Yet the series is still new enough to be fresh and not overwhelmed by the flashbacks to previous books. I do recommend reading this series in the order it was written.
—J L's Bibliomania
I really enjoyed this entry in Kellerman's Peter Decker/Rina Lazerus series. The twists and turns of the story, how she interweaves the personal and professional lives of the detective and his family is very skillful. In this one she also manages to balance the intricacies of religion; the Deckers' Orthodox Judaism, the victim and his family's Fundamentalist Christianity and one of the victim's son's Catholicism without missing a beat. The complexities of the plot in this one centers on the complexities of relationships. Very well done and very entertaining.
—Darlene
