Day of Atonement (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

by Faye Kellerman

Hardcover, 1991

Status

Pulled section

Call number

F KEL DAY

Publication

William Morrow & Co (1991), Edition: 1st, 359 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: Peter Decker of the L.A.P.D. never dreamed he'd be spending his honeymoon with his new wife, Rina Lazarus, in an Orthodox Jewish enclave in Brooklyn, New York�??or that a terrible event would end it so abruptly. But a boy has vanished from the midst of this close-knit religious community, a troubled youth fleeing the tight bonds and strictures he felt were strangling him. The runaway, Noam, is not traveling alone. A killer has taken him under his wing to introduce Noam to a savage world of blood and terror. And now Decker must find them both somewhere in America before a psychopath ends the life of a confused and frightened youngster whose only sin was to want something more.

User reviews

LibraryThing member debs4jc

I'm really enjoying reading through the Decker/Lazarus series. In this one, Decker and Rina have just married, but their honeymoon is far from ordinary. They go to New York to visit with some of Rina's family and suddenly Decker is involved with a family crisis involving a missing teenage boy and a

possible psychopath. I love the blend of the relationship between Decker and Rina that continues to develop and the actual thrill of the chase as Decker hunts down the bad guy. Rina asserts herself and want to help out and even tote a gun, to which Decker does not react well. Yet having Rina along may be a lot better idea than he thought. And the stuff about the Jewish culture/religion that comes out in these books is really fascinating. Highly reccomended for fans of gritty mysteries and good relationship stories.

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LibraryThing member -Eva-

Peter Decker and Rina are spending their honeymoon in Brooklyn with the inlaws when a boy disappears and Decker volunteers to track down not only the boy, but his psychopathic companion as well. Even though the crime-part is seriously creepy, perhaps the creepiest in the series so far, this

installment in the series is also one of the funniest. Decker trying to be comfortable while being hosted by his wife's deceased husband's family in cramped quarters in Brooklyn makes for some interesting situations. There are also a few surprises when it comes to family relations that put a different spin on the story. A high-stakes mystery with some interesting insight into Orthodox Jewish life.

It's been a few years since this book's original publication, but the series is turning out to be remarkably undated, perhaps because it partially takes place in the Orthodox Jewish world which, let's be honest, doesn't change very much. Ever. The only time I noticed anything amiss was when Decker promises to buy tickets to Disneyland and agonizes over the fact that they cost $21.50. $21.50? Really? Last time I went (end of February this year), they were $80.00!! Well, what can you do, it is the Happiest Place on Earth after all. :)

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LibraryThing member libraryman_76021

Of the Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus novels I've read, I think this one is definitely the best. Many novels that blend a personal character story for the protagonists into a crime story rarely end up being successful, but this one definitely accomplishes what Faye Kellerman intended.

Peter & Rina are

newly married and honeymooning in Brooklyn with her first husband's family. (Yes, that's a recipe for success, isn't it?!) When he suddenly recognizes that friend of the family and neighbor is the woman who gave him up for adoption, Peter experiences a strong desire to get the hell out of Dodge. But professional responsibilities intrude when his expertise is needed to find a missing boy, who just happens to be his nephew---even though no one other than Rina knows it.

From Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Peter follows the breadcrumbs the missing boy leaves behind. The resolution is both heartbreaking and uplifting.

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LibraryThing member raizel

One big coincidence at the start of the book---which is perfectly acceptable: Peter's birth mother just happens to be a friend of his wife's former in-laws. Also typos and one mistake: Peter says there's a full moon during Rosh Hashanah when he and Rina make love---yes, I know, that's not what I'm

supposed to be paying attention to. And lots of curse words and some major unpleasantness. But the book also deals with secrets and how keeping them diminishes you, but how sharing them risks ruining your life.

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LibraryThing member AnnieMod

Peter and Rina are now married (the author can fit a full book in between each of her books - so many things happen and just get mentioned) and they will spend their honeymoon in New York - with her family (her dead first husband parents) - noone said that this is an easy relationship. And as

little fun as such honeymoon is, a boy disappears and there went the honeymoon. The action soon moves to LA (how convenient - after all Peter is a detective there.. seriously though the explanation why LA is pretty good :) ) and the police thriller is in full swing again. But not before Decker meets his biological mother (and talk to her) - in a totally strange way.

Nice and enjoyable read.

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LibraryThing member lbswiener

Day of Atonement is a book that is heartbreaking. The young men who were involved in the story made bad decisions. One of the young men used the remainder of his life to atone for his sins. There was a reminder of how life changed through the years with the severe restrictions as to what one could

carry on an airplane. The religious life of a Jew does not preclude the outside world from inhabiting the cloistered world of a religious person. Heartbreaking story that received four stars in this review.

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