Kellerman, Faye Books

The Mercedes Coffin: A Decker and Lazarus Book (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Billionaire genius Genoa Greeves never got over the shocking death of her favorite teacher, Bennett "Dr. Ben" Alston Little, murdered execution-style and stuffed into the trunk of his Mercedes-Benz. No arrests were ever made, no killer charged for the brutal crime. Fifteen years later, the high-tech CEO reads about another execution-style murder; this time the victim is a Hollywood music producer named Primo Ekerling. There is no obvious connection, but the case is eerily similar to Little's and Genoa feels the time is right to close Dr. Ben's case once and for all—offering the L.A.P.D. a substantial financial "incentive" if justice is finally served for Little.

Lieutenant Peter Decker resents having to commit valuable manpower to a fifteen-year-old open case simply because a rich woman says "Jump!" Still, the recent murder of Primo Ekerling does bear a disturbing resemblance to Little's case, even though two thug suspects are currently behind bars for the Ekerling murder. Decker can't help but wonder about a connection. His first phone calls are to the two primary investigators in the Little case, retired detectives Calvin Vitton and Arnie Lamar. Lamar is cooperative, but Vitton is not only reluctant to talk, he winds up dead of a suspicious suicide twelve hours later. Plunging into this long-buried murder, Decker discovers that even though the two slayings are separated by a decade and a half, there is still plenty of greed, lust, and evil to connect the dots.

Decker's team of top investigators not only includes his favorite homicide detectives, Scott Oliver and Marge Dunn, but also his newly minted Hollywood detective daughter, Cindy Kutiel, whose help proves to be invaluable. His wife, Rina Lazarus, continues to be his backbone of support, offering a cool, rational outlook despite her growing concern for her husband's welfare and safety. Rina's worries and fears begin to build at a fevered pitch as past and present collide with a vengeance, catapulting an unsuspecting Peter Decker closer and closer to the edge of an infinite dark abyss.

A relentlessly gripping tale spun by a master, Faye Kellerman's The Mercedes Coffin races through a dangerous urban world of fleeting fame and false dreams, making heart-pumping hairpin turns at each step of a terrifying journey, where truth and justice are fine lines between life and death.

The Burnt House

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The return of Peter and Rina 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Although I'm sure I'm incorrect in most of the details, I sometimes picture the writing careers of Jonathan and Faye Kellerman as being sort of like A Star is Born. Jonathan was the first to be an established writer, and soon, Faye would follow. For a while, he was the star, but now--despite his continued bestselling numbers--his quality has faded considerably, and Faye is now clearly the better of the two. Within the past month or so, I've read one book from each of them. Jonathan Kellerman's Compulsion was another dud, and Faye Kellerman's The Burnt House is another good work.

The title residence is actually an apartment building in which a commuter plan has crashed into shortly after its takeoff from Burbank heading towards San Jose. The accident has occurred very close to the Granada Hills home of Peter and Rina Decker, and even closer to the school of their daughter Hannah. Fortunately, all are fine, but Peter, a police lieutenant who oversees homicide investigations, finds that there is still much to be done after the fires have been put out.

In particular, Roseanne Dresden, though listed as one of the crash victims, is alleged by her step-father to have never been on the flight. She has disappeared, however, and the step-father suspects her philandering husband. Decker and his detectives try to determine if she was on the flight, but the airline refuses to disclose any information and there are no remains found at the crash site that belong to her.

A body is found, but it is not Rosanne; instead, it is a much older corpse apparently stashed in the apartment building decades ago and exposed after the crash. This leads to a second mystery, in trying to determine who the victim is and who killed her. Sadly, the resolution of this second plot will hinge on an incredible coincidence that Kellerman doesn't really even try to justify.

This coincidence hurts The Burnt House, but not irreparably; overall, this remains a good book. Why does Faye Kellerman continue to succeed while her husband slides downhill? As much as anything, it has to do with characters: Faye has created a world with a bunch of well-defined characters who have grown over time (in fact, my one continued gripe with the series is that is marketed as a Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mystery, when Rina has not used that last name in over a decade of fictional or real time). It's been a little while since Kellerman has written a book in the series, but for her fans, it is worth that wait.

Editorial Review:

L.A.P.D. Detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina, are profoundly shaken by this terrible "accident" that has occurred frighteningly close to their daughter's school. And an irate call from the unaccounted-for flight attendant's stepfather further tangles an already twisted mystery. The man insists twenty-eight-year-old Roseanne Dresden was never on the doomed flight, but was probably murdered by her abusive, unfaithful husband—a revelation that propels Decker down a path of tragic history and deadly lies toward an unimaginable evil that will challenge his and Rina's cherished beliefs about guilt and innocence and justice.

Grievous Sin (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This book is the very definition of BORING! 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Could this book have been any more boring? I doubt it. I'll give it 2 Stars just on the basis of the description of what the story is supposed to be about, but I was never able to get that far. I had the unabridged audio format and, after listening to 10 chapters of absolutely NOTHING happening except for some relatively unbelieveable, repetitive, and sophmoric dialog between the lead character (Peter Decker) and some doctors, nurses, and family members following his wife's childbirth, I wanted to die or throw the tapes out of my car window. I opted for the latter. Real people neither talk nor act the way these characters do, so you find yourself saying "Huh?" alot. Some examples? When a Nursery Room Nurse is hateful and rude to Decker's daugher for absolutely no reason, his response is to chastise his daughter and tell her to do a better job of getting along with the Nurse. Huh? Not the response I (nor any man I know) would have had when it comes to my daughter. When Decker's daughter innocently asks to be allowed to hold and feed the new baby (since Decker's wife is incapacitated at the time and Decker doesn't want to hold the baby), both a Nurse and a Doctor admonish Decker for allowing his daughter to "become too close to the baby." Decker agrees to speak with his daughter and make sure she doesn't get too attached to the baby. Huh? What is this, the 15th Century?! The characters were simply too stupid for me to want to spend anymore time with. If you have patience, lots of patience, you might be able to stick with this book until something interesting happens or until the plot actually materializes, but, if your time has any value, you'll want to read something that moves at a pace more quickly than this glacier.

Editorial Review:

The birth of their baby girl has filled Rina Lazarus and her husband, LAPD Homicide Detective Peter Decker, with joy mingled with sorrow, since complications have ensured that they can have no more children. But the situation is grim at the hospital, which has been devastated by severe budget cutbacks and staff shortages. And when a respected nurse vanishes along with a newborn from the nursery, Peter and Rina fear for the safety of their own precious child—especially when the missing nurse's car is found at the bottom of a cliff . . . with a corpse inside.

A most grievous sin has been committed. In pursuit of justice, Decker—with the help of his tough-as-nails partner, Marge, and an able assist from his teenage daughter, Cindy—follows a twisted path that winds through a sinister maze of hospital politics, misplaced passions, and torturous mind games that can all too easily lead to murder.

Sacred and Profane (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

NARRATOR AND LEAD CHARACTER A PERFECT MATCH 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Every once in a while, for this listener, an audio comes along on which the book's lead character and the audio narrator seem as one. In other words, the voice perfectly replicates the way I imagine a character would and should sound. Such is the case with Mitch Greenberg's reading of Sacred and Profane, another in Kellerman's popular Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novels.

Greenberg's voice is deep, strong, mature. And, I discovered in listening that "mature" was important to me. After all LA Police Detective Decker has seen a lot (some of it very unsavory) and done a lot. He's no longer the new kid on any block, and Greenberg captures him perfectly.

Set in Los Angeles during the holidays, we hear Decker say, "Hell, here it was the day of Christmas Eve and he was out camping in the foothills, isolated from civilization, playing big brother to two little boys with yarmulkes. Christmas had never been a big deal to him but still it felt strange. Some habits were hard to shake."

Decker may have gotten more than he bargained for when he became involved with Rina - she is an orthodox Jew and the mother of two young sons. Yet, he can't deny what he feels in his heart and has grown close to all of them. It's his vacation and he's decided to take her two boys, Sammy and Jake, on a camping trip - peaceful, relaxing, and fun.

Their adventure is none of the above as Sammy discovers a hideous sight - the charred remains of two young girls. Decker is a homicide cop through and through as well as being the father of a 16-year-old daughter, so he finds himself involved both professionally and emotionally.

He's an intrepid tracker the trail that he follows leads him into one of the worst parts of his city - the drug hangouts that line Hollywood Boulevard and the children who try to live there. Descriptions of this area and its denizens are frightening.

Again Kellerman has crafted a suspenseful story, gritty and real.

- Gail Cooke

Editorial Review:

Los Angeles Police Detective Peter Decker had grown very close to Rina's young sons, Sammy and Jake, as he had to their mother, and he looked forward to spending a day of his vacation camping with the boys. A nice reprieve from the grueling work of a homicide cop-until Sammy stumbles upon a gruesome sight...

Two human skeletons, charred beyond recognition, are identified by a forensic dentist as teenage girls--and for Decker, the father of a sixteen-year-old daughter, vacation time is over. Throwing himself professionally and emotionally into the murder case, he launches a very personal investigation: a quest that pulls him deep into the crack dens of Hollywood Boulevard and painfully close to the children of the streets and a nightmare world he must make his own.

Justice (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

cool book to check out 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

i enjoyed this book,it was okay it had interesting twists.... i figured most of them out which was a bit of a dissapointment but other that it was good. I liked how she connected religon racism and what was it called before... police politics... yeah thats it its all connected in there. and i wish there was a lil openin to ter and chris but i guess thats the mystery of it.

what really happens at prom night ? 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Having read this book I still don't know what the main theme was. Is it a love story, a crime novel which follows a serial killer, a disturbing look on how teens spend their time on prom night, an inside look into a mafia family, or just a chilling detective story?

Nevermind, it's up to detective Peter Decker to unravel the complex murder of a girl that was strangled on prom night. There is a nice balance between action and suspense(multiple murders) and the private life of Peter Decker when he talks to his wife Rina Lazarus about his hard and difficult life as a LAPD detective. This gives us a little time to relax, before the suspense starts all over again.

Faye Kellerman is also great in describing Jewish rituals, which is interesting if you don't know anything about the Jewish religion. Another case for Peter Decker to solve, hopefully many will follow !

Editorial Review:

The cruel and bizarre slaying of a beautiful teen leads Detective Decker into the dark heart of an exotic subculture: the seamy, sometimes violent world of Southern California's rootless, affluent youth. But even the confession of a disturbed kid with cold "killer eyes" cannot soothe Decker's inner torment. For he knows in his gut this crime goes much deeper and higher than anyone expects -- and that true justice, brutal and complete, has yet to be done.

Milk and Honey (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Just keep getting better and better! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

If each new installment of this series continues to surpass the one before it, we're gonna need more stars. This is the third entry in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Series and I thoroughly enjoyed this one on all levels. The first one (The Ritual Bath) was, I thought, a little too heavy on the religion, although, the crime took place at the Yeshiva (Jewish School), so it was understandable. The second one (Sacred and Profane) was better, but still a little in your face with the religious stuff. This one, though, perfectly balances the religion and the mystery/crime plot - there was nothing to distract me.

The reason the religion enters into the series is because Rina is an Orthodox Jew, and very serious about it. Decker now knows that his biological parents were Jewish, but he was raised Baptist by his adoptive parents, so Rina's world is all new to him. He is determined to stick with his studies and convert to Orthodox Judaism - at first, mainly so he can marry Rina, but as he gets into it and learns more, his faith begins to offer some comfort for him in his life as an LAPD Police Detective. (His colleagues have begun calling him "Rabbi," much to his chagrin).

Anyway, this story starts with Decker finding a toddler wandering around alone one night in the middle of a new suburban community where no one will admit to ever having seen the little girl. She is so cute and friendly, that she captivates Decker and the fact that she was found wearing a blood-soaked sleeper makes this a potentially tragic case in the offing. Decker doggedly pursues it - after all, there is nothing for him to go home to, since Rina packed up and moved to New York - and he has no one else to blame, since it was he who suggested they needed breathing room. (But he didn't mean 3000 miles worth!)

While Decker hunts for the girl's parents (hoping to find them alive, but afraid they won't be), he also tries to help out an old Army buddy of his. He and Abel Atwater went through Basic together and then fought side-by-side in Vietnam together. Abe lost a leg (and something else more important to him, as you'll find out later in the book) in the war and has never come to terms with it - he's an embittered man who frequents prostitutes on a regular basis. He's in trouble now because one of those prostitutes has accused him of brutally raping, beating and stabbing her. He denies the whole thing. Decker wants to believe him, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he's not altogether sure the man his friend has become isn't capable. He is determined to find out, though, so he makes some discreet inquiries - something that could very well come back and bite him in the [...] because a police detective isn't supposed to be working for the defense.

So, Decker is balancing all this while trying to get back together with Rina which makes things pretty tense all the way around. Lots of history for Decker in this one - we discover the defining moment of his life in Nam that shaped the man he is today. Even though he's a wee bit too perfect sometimes, Rabbi Schulman is one of my favorite characters (I often wonder if he is based on any one real person), and we see more into his past as well in this one. Good character development. I hope we see more of Atwater in the future - he's a very intriguing character too. There are plenty of tear-jerking moments as well as funny moments (the fight between Decker and Atwater is just hilarious!), so don't miss out on this one. (The background is laid out at the start, so you don't have to read the first two in order to enjoy this one, but why not go ahead and read them too?)

Editorial Review:

In the silent pre-dawn city hours -- alone with his thoughts about Rina Lazarus, the woman he loves, three thousand miles away in New York -- LAPD detective Peter Decker finds a small child, abandoned and covered in blood that is not hers. It is a sobering discovery, and a perplexing one, for nobody in the development where she was found steps forward to claim the little girl. Obsessed more deeply by this case than he imagined possible, Decker is determined to follow the scant clues to an answer. But his trail is leading him to a killing ground where four bodies lie still and lifeless. And by the time Rina returns, Peter Decker is already held fast in a sticky mass of hatred, passion, and murder -- in a world where intense sweetness is accompanied by a deadly sting.

The Ritual Bath (Peter Decker / Rina Lazarus)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good mystery, even better romance 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

In this, the first Pete Decker book, Faye Kellerman displays deft proficiency in both characters and settings-two of the most important facets of a detective novel. It's not only the first Decker book, it's also Kellerman's debut, a truly amazing fact when evaluating how sure-handed she is.
The story centers around Detective Decker investigating a rape at a mikvah at an Orthodox Jewish School (yeshiva) in Southern California. Concurrently, there are a series of rapes being committed nearby and it's not clear if they are connected. From the beginning, Decker finds himself drawn to Rina, a teacher at the school whose strict religious convictions won't allow her to even entertain the notion of dating a goy like Decker. But she, too, finds herself attracted to the unattainable in Decker. The book plays out as much about the mystery as the subtle love story between the two who can never consummate despite their mutual feelings. Best of all, it's satisfying in both aspects. The mystery is suitably filled with possible suspects though no obvious red herrings and the love story plays out slowly and realistically. Helping things along dramatically is the setting of the yeshiva, an environment most will find quite foreign. But Kellerman understands this and through the Decker character, makes understandable and even beautiful. The love affair is extremely satisfying, despite the book ending without real resolution between the two, making the reader want to follow the couple in their next moves. Something I will surely do.

Editorial Review:

Detective Peter Decker of the LAPD is stunned when he gets the report. Someone has shattered the sanctuary of a remote yeshiva community in the California hills with an unimaginable crime. One of the women was brutally raped as she returned from the mikvah, the bathhouse where the cleansing ritual is performed.

The crime was called in by Rina Lazarus, and Decker is relieved to discover that she is a calm and intelligent witness. She is also the only one in the sheltered community willing to speak of this unspeakable violation. As Rina tries to steer Decker through the maze of religious laws the two grow closer. But before they get to the bottom of this horrendous crime, revelations come to light that are so shocking that they threaten to come between the hard-nosed cop and the deeply religious woman with whom he has become irrevocably linked.

False Prophet (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Slow to start, but still a great book 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The other reviewers seem to be mixed about this one. It's understandable. We've now read quite a few of these things (is this book 5 already?) and the honeymoon between Kellerman and the readers is definitely over. We're now reading the books not because they're as fantastic as the first one, but because we have time and emotion invested in Peter and Rina.

First, it's unfair to compare any of the Rina and Peter books to the first one. The first one was simply the best.

One of the reviewers gave a good plot summary, so I'll refrain from doing that here. Instead I'll say that the book is a little slow to start, but about midway, picks up at a tremendous pace. The characters become wonderfully complicated and Kellerman pulls quite a few tricks out of her hat which caught me by surprise. This book has its twists and turns!

One last comment. Some of Kellerman's books focus more on Peter and Rina's personal relationship, and some focus less. This one is less, for better or worse.

If you've made it to this book, chances are you'll read the next one. See you there! :-)

Editorial Review:

L.A.P.D. Detective Peter Decker doesn't know quite what to make of Lilah Brecht. The beautiful, eccentric spa owner and daughter of a faded Hollywood legend, Lilah was beaten, robbed, and raped in her own home -- and claims to have psychic powers that enable her to see even more devastating events looming on the horizon. With his heart and mind on his pregnant young wife, Rina Lazarus, at home, Peter finds it hard to put much credence in the victim's outrageous claims, or to become too deeply involved with her equally odd brothers and aging film star mom. But when Lilah's dark visions turn frighteningly real, Decker's world will be severely rocked -- as the "false prophet's" secrets and obsessions entrap the dedicated policeman ... and point a killer toward Decker's own vulnerable family.

Day of Atonement (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus Mysteries)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Terrific Mystery & An Absolutely Refreshing Read! 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Away for the weekend recently, I picked up a copy of Faye Kellerman's "Day of Atonement" in the guest bedroom's book basket, (nice touch), and found it to be an intriguing and refreshingly delightful mystery. I really do like noir, but have, perhaps, been reading too much of fiction's dark side lately. This is a terrific change of pace. Although Ms. Kellerman's novel has its share of gruesomeness - a boy's disappearance, a psychopathic killer, etc. - the ethnic/cultural aspect of the story is as unusual as a sleuth series which focuses on family values.

"Day of Atonement" is the fourth in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novels. However, one can easily get to know the characters and their history without having read the prior books. Peter Decker, a detective with the Los Angeles police, and his new bride Rina Lazarus are spending their honeymoon in Boro Park, Brooklyn, at the home of Rina's ex in-laws. Rina, an Orthodox Jewess had been widowed early in her first marriage and has two small sons. The couple and their boys are visiting for the High Holy Days, allowing the grandparents time with their grandchildren while Peter is still on vacation. Although Peter's birth mother was Jewish, he was raised as a Baptist and recently converted.

During the New Year dinner celebration, Peter is shocked when he comes face-to-face with a family secret, a bizarre coincidence which shakes him to the core. He has to put on his detective hat, however, even if he is discombobulated. As the meal begins, and then ends, it becomes apparent that a fourteen year-old boy is missing. Noam Levine, a relative of the family they are visiting, is a troubled youth, a real loner. Decker is called upon to use his best investigative skills to find the boy, who is in serious danger. Suspense builds as clues are discovered which show just how perilous Noam's situation is. Subplots involve Peter's past, along with his relationship with his new wife, sons and the community he has inherited through marriage. As Yom Kippur nears, (the holy Jewish Day of Atonement, a time for reflection and for forgiveness), all the narrative's various threads come together for a riveting climax.

Along with a compelling mystery, Ms. Kellerman provides a fascinating look inside an insular religious community trying to live according to the dictates of their faith. The three-dimensional characters come to life on the page. Both Rina and Peter grow individually, and as a couple, within the story. The chemistry between them is palpable. Rina is a particular appealing character. After a secular upbringing, she chose to become Orthodox. Her newly found independence, (a result of her relationship with Peter), her time as a single parent, and coping with terrors from her past combine to make her an individual well worth meeting. The novel's setting, and background are factual and handled with respect.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the humanity of the story and the characters, and details of the Orthodox Jewish customs and lifestyle. As a matter of fact as I finish this review I am about to pick up another book in the series.
JANA

Editorial Review:

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.

Sanctuary (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels)

Faye Kellerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Diamonds are a detective's best friend 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Peter Decker and his wife Rina are enjoying family life with her sons and their new baby daughter when Rina's old friend Honey Klein asks to come visit. Rina is surprised because they hasn't been in close contact with Honey in recent years, but she agrees to the visit. Meanwhile Peter works with his partner Marge on a case involving an entire family who have suddenly vanished. The husband is a diamond dealer, and there are many motives for a possible murder, most of them having to do with money. Coincidentally, after Honey comes to the Lazarus home, her husband, also a diamond dealer, is mysteriously killed. Peter's quest for the truth in these matters eventually takes him and Rina to Israel where they pursue missing persons from both of these cases. As usual, author Kellerman weaves interesting facts about the orthodox Jewish religion as well as Peter and Rina's evolving family life. The trip to Israel adds an extra dimension to the story, and the total package is very satisfying for a mystery reader.

Editorial Review:

A diamond dealer and his entire family have mysteriously disappeared from their sprawling Las Angeles manor, leaving the estate undisturbed and their valuables untouched. Investigating detective Decker is stumped--faced with a perplexing case riddled with dead ends. Then a second dealer is found murdered in Manhatten, catapulting Decker and his wife, Rina, into a heartstopping maze of murder and intrigue that spans the globe...only to touch down dangerously in their own backyard.A diamond dealer and his entire family have mysteriously disappeared from their sprawling Los Angeles manor, leaving the estate undisturbed and their valuables untouched. Investigating detective Decker is stumped--faced with a perplexing case riddled with dead ends. Then a second dealer is found murdered in manhattan, catapulting Decker and his wife, Rina, into a hearstopping maze of murder and intrigue that spans the globe. . . .only to touch down dangerously in their own backyard.