Kellerman, Faye

Faye Marder Kellerman (born July 31, 1952) is an American writer of mystery novels, in particular the "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series as well as three non-series books, The Quality of Mercy, Moon Music andStraight into Darkness. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended UCLA where she earned a B.A. in mathematics in 1974. Four years later she received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree. At that time she "fully intended to pursue a career as a dentist". Despite her intention, she has never practiced dentistry and was a housewife before publishing her first novel. In a 1997 essay she says she can't pinpoint the metamorphosis from oral hygienist to writer of detective fiction, but several factors that steered her toward mystery writing were: "a desire for justice, a suspicious nature, an overactive imagination, and, of course, a penchant for the bizarre. Kellerman is a practicing Orthodox Jew, as are her husband and son, the novelists Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman, respectively. Her writing frequently deals with Jewish themes and characters, incorporating them into the framework of the traditional mystery. The Peter Decker books, for example, center on a police detective raised as a Southern Baptist who returns to his Jewish roots after falling in love with Rina Lazarus, an Orthodox Jew, while investigating a rape that took place near a yeshiva. The Kellermans are the only married couple ever to appear on the New York Times bestseller list simultaneously (for two different books).

My Opinion: As best I can remember, I have never previously read any of her books but just finished The Ritual Bath. Unless you are Jewish or a student of the Hebrew language, you will be frequently lost with the use of Hebrew words and phrases. It had a good plot, reasonable detective process but very little cop language. I will skip any more of her books.

• 1. The Ritual Bath (1986) (Winner of the 1987 Macavity award for Best First Novel, nominated for the 1987 Anthony Award in the same category)^[5][6]

  2. Sacred and Profane (1987)

  3. Milk and Honey (1990)

  4. Day of Atonement (1991)

  5. False Prophet (1992)

  6. Grievous Sin (1993)

  7. Sanctuary (1994)

  8. Justice (1995)

  9. Prayers for the Dead (1996)

  10. Serpent's Tooth (1997)

  11. Jupiter's Bones (1999)

1. Stalker (2000) X

   1. The Forgotten (2001)

   2. Stone Kiss (2002)

   3. Street Dreams (2003)

   4. The Burnt House (2007)

   5. The Mercedes Coffin aka Cold Case (2008)

   6. Blindman's Bluff (2009)

   7. Hangman (2010)

   8. Gun Games (2011) aka Blood Games (2012)

   9. The Beast (2013)

   10. Murder 101 (September 2014)

Other novels[edit]

• • The Quality of Mercy (1989)

  • Moon Music (1998)

  • Double Homicide (2004) – written with Jonathan Kellerman

  • Straight Into Darkness (2005)

  • The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights (2006)

  • Capital Crimes (2006) – written with Jonathan Kellerman

  • Prism (2009) – written with Aliza Kellerman

If you would like to know more about this author, go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faye_Kellerman