Total Points -- 96 out of 100 -- 5 starsTaunt psychological thriller that keeps the reader on pins and needles.1. Plot -- 19 out of 20 PointsThe interwoven stories of various characters mesh with the psychological twists and turns in a thriller that keeps readers guessing. Unpredictable, tense drama unfolds in the life of Lt. Peter Decker's family, sucking him into an abyss from which there is no real safety net for all the peril. Unofficially working a case that involves his barely known half-brother, Decker doesn't have his normal law enforcement resources to work the case. Hamstrung, he's forced to hobble along, even as he has his doubts on the wisdom of making the effort to find a missing girl. Rejected by the victim's family, stonewalled as he tries to follow the scant clues, Decker, a man of conscience, has little choice but to stay on the case, lest he spend the future wrestling his demons.2. Characters -- 19 out of 20 PointsOffering a glimpse into differences between Jewish sects, their philosophies, and even practices, the characters contrast on many levels. Some sexual predators hide behind their cloak of respectability; others are brazen in their embrace of criminal enterprise and flaunt their bad behavior, boldly inviting trouble. For Peter Decker, it must be like always walking on egg shells, navigating that difficult landscape where desperate people do desperate things. Wife Rina is a good partner for the burdened police lieutenant, offering him sanctuary from the grim realities of his work. When she is forced into contact with a very dangerous man, Rina manages to find her footing by using her wits and her knowledge of human behavior. Perhaps one of the best of the more minor characters in the book is the beleaguered rabbi, Decker's half-brother, Jonathan, because he plays the role of the decent man in over his head, forced to recognize the ugly truth about human nature again and again, even as he struggles to keep the faith. But the real villain of the book, Christopher Donatti, is Decker's nemesis. His pleasure in torturing the cop with a conscience, physically and emotionally, and deliberately (and sometimes menacingly) meeting with Decker's wife, puts the reader on edge as Donatti's intentions vacillate between helping and hurting the lieutenant he blames for destroying the only relationship that ever mattered to him.3. Setting -- 19 out of 20 PointsOut of his normal California operating terrain, Lt. Decker must not only find transportation to and from crime scenes and witness locations in an unfamiliar state, sometimes relying on civilians, he's forced to deal with emergencies without his normal backup team. Some local cops are hostile to outsiders, others corrupt, but Decker still has to track down leads as he tries to cross a psychological mine field ready to explode as the tragedies pile up. Inclement weather just adds to his burden. As Decker's discomfort rises when he's forced to operate outside his comfort zone, it adds a jagged tension and unpredictability to the story.4. Pacing -- 19 out of 20 PointsThe non-stop drama moves rapidly through the pages, with no real down time. Constantly switching back and forth between character perspectives actually broadens the scope of the story, connecting the dots on a very human plane. At one point, the author writes in the "I" for a minor character. This simple change draws an important zigzag to one of the most dangerous characters in the book, that somehow makes him almost human, even at his most ruthless.5. Tone -- 20 out of 20 PointsFaye Kellerman's strength is found in her ability to make readers connect to a very "unpretty" story of betrayal and brutality, through a variety of characters, good and bad, weak and strong. Decker's initial reluctance to take on the case shows his intelligence -- he knows that somewhere, somehow, this will end badly. And yet, the tone of the story always keeps the reader hoping that somehow, some way, Decker will at least manage to control the collateral damage, even as events spin out of his control. We trust this policeman to find some semblance of justice for the victims, even as we understand just how close to impossible that will be.
"Stone Kiss" by Faye Kellerman is a Jewish murder mystery. I enjoyed it. FYI, I am an Orthodox Jew but not a Haredi (Black Hat) so I understand the conflict in the novel but unless you are Jewish, I'm not sure who else would understand it. You might get the wrong impression.This is another murder mystery in the series of Peter Decker (Los Angeles detective) and Rina Lazarus (Orthodox Jewish woman) as they make their marriage work while trying to solve crimes.The story: A member of the family in New York is murdered and another is missing. The family calls on Rina to get her husband, the detective, to come to New York to help. The problem is that some of the family are Conservative Jews and others are Black Hat (Haredim, Orthodox). It's an insular mess. It is clear that someone is feeding information to the killers so Peter calls upon an old nemesis for information.Warning: This is an adult book. It deals with sick subjects so if anyone was expecting to learn about Judaism by reading this novel, forget it. The Jewish information is minimal. (This book is NOT like the Harry Kemellman "Rabbi Small" murder mysteries where the "Rabbi" is expounding upon Jewish Law throughout.) Women are demeaned in terrible ways. Bad people appear to be good. Good people appear to be bad... prostitution, sexual perversity, murder, lies. It all makes sense in the context of the story but it's not something I'd want kids or even teenagers to read.If you really want to read a novel that discusses Judaism in the midst of a murder mystery, read "The Ritual Bath" by Faye Kellerman or "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late" by Harry Kemellman (made into a movie, as I recall). You could even read one of the Chaim Potok novels through they aren't murder mysteries. "The Chosen" and "The Promise" were made into movies. They cover Judaism as it existed in the 1940s and 1950's.Other than that, I thought the novel was OK... not her best work. It furthers the story of Rina Lazarus and it ties up a very loose end left from the Ritual Bath novel. Other than that, I could have skipped this one.
Do You like book Stone Kiss (2003)?
Peter Decker is a Lieutenent from LA, in NYC, to help find his half-brother's brother-in-law's murderer and missing niece. Eventually, he has to work with Chris Donatti, a mobster/gangster who is a pathologic murderer and even more! But, it turns out that Chris actually has a soul and isn't all bad. The writing was good but at times I was confused as to who/what -- esp when it seemed as if words or paragraphs or large sections had been omitted -- we'd be in someone's house, talking, eg, and the next paragraph had us driving down some dark road -- but, the ending was sad enough, actually, the entire story was sort of sad, or even worse -- it seemed "empty" at times. I would not recommend it!
—Judy
Both Kellermans have great characters. I like them both for different reasons. Stone Kiss is similar to another Faye Kellerman book I have read - or I read this one before, but long enough ago that I don't remember the details of the story. Decker is called to NYC to help solve the murder of a relative. One of the many things I like about THIS Kellerman is the details of Jewish life that she provides. In this case, we are knee deep in Chassidic culture, while partially immersed in the life of a Conservative rabbi and his family. When I can learn culture and religion from a page-turner, I am happy. When Decker makes it out alive - once again, and by the skin of his teeth, I am happy. So . . . I am happy and the Faye Kellerman story arc has returned Peter and Rena to ground zero once again.
—Betsy
One of Faye's weaker (confusing) plots, heavy on Judaism...With more than a dozen entries in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, certainly each new book by Faye Kellerman is anxiously awaited by her fans. We have learned to tolerate a good deal of "discussion" (promotion?) of the Jewish faith as part of her stories because we love her characters, especially the lead couple, and the suspenseful mysteries which normally surround them. However, "Stone Kiss" left us a little cold on two fronts.First, the illumination of Orthodox Judaism, this time especially the very strict Chasidic practices, is so dominant in this story it gets tiresome and annoying. The mystery involves a number of relatives and half-brothers and so on, but at times we began wondering if Kellerman was taking up for, or trying to demean, the lives and mores of this group. Before it's all over, various of the Chasidic men turn out to be smugglers, dopers, customers of prostitution, etc. If this was meant to suggest "we're all human", it was lost on us.Secondly, the story is dark and confusing. Rina has such a small part she might as well have just been on vacation -- we could have saved several pages of her shopping and mixing with the family and so forth while she visits the old homesteads in NYC. The co-star (with Decker) is really a porno-king criminal named Chis Donatti, whose role and relationships with Decker are reprised from Kellerman's earlier book "Justice" (and we suggest you read that story first if you missed it). While Decker is trying to help the family find a missing teenager and niece of the murdered brother, Donatti keeps showing up at one location after another throughout every section of the book. Eventually one thinks he must be superman to get around as fast as he does, and to just conveniently know where everybody's going to be about five minutes after they themselves decide. The tension between Decker and Donatti is probably about the only thing that saves an otherwise plodding and confusing plot, with which we found ourselves caring little about the outcome.Kellerman is a good writer and seems to publish at a pace adequate to maintain quality. But to us, she needs to temper her proselytizing a little and draw a clearer and more compelling mystery line to preserve or improve her reputation.
—Jerry
