Customer Reviews

Blues in the Night

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Rochelle Krich has created a new series protagonist and this first book in that series is a delight! Molly Blume has everything I seek in a character; she's serious about her work, but has a great sense of humor, is resourceful, and seemingly at the top of her form in her profession. What's more, she interacts with a coterie of compelling characters, and they bring out the best in her.
The story begins when Molly, the crime writer for an L.A. newspaper, learns that a woman in a nightgown is a hit-and-run accident victim. Drawn to learn what brought the woman out to the dark road, Molly goes to her bedside. The woman, Lenore, whispers the names of three people. Molly and the reader are hooked!
Delving into the case with Molly is only part of the draw. The contrast between Lenore's bleak history and Molly's own loving Orthodox Jewish family life is part of the attraction of this book. Unlike Jessie Drake, Rochelle Krich's other serial protagonist, Molly is not grappling with her religious identity. Her spiritual life glows with a steady light that illuminates the world around her. I found myself yearning for a fragment of the inner peace and sense of continuity that Molly's family life gives her. I needed to remind myself that Molly is a fictional character, so realistically were some scenes and interior monologues drawn.
Krich has a splendid way of building suspense and propelling the plot to its conclusion, in this case a most surprising yet seamlessly fitting one. I thoroughly enjoyed Blues in the Night, and, while I miss Jessie Drake, I hope to see much more of Molly Blume in the future.

BLUES IN THE NIGHT is the first entry in a new series by Rochelle Krich. The protagonist, Molly Blume, writes true-crime books and works as a free-lance reporter who collects data from the LAPD for local newspapers to use for their "neighborhood crime" sections. As the book opens, she comes across a police report that warrants special attention: an unidentified woman, wearing a nightgown, was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. As Molly says, "It was the nightgown that hooked me."

Molly wants to know why a woman would have been out on Laurel Canyon, in the middle of the night, in a nightgown. Luckily she has a friend in the LAPD, Detective Andy Connors, but Connors can't tell her much this time, because the police don't know much. That doesn't stop Molly, though, any more than Connors' importuning does. Molly's inquisitive nature can't let this drop, even when it becomes apparent that her investigating is putting her in danger.

Molly is a likeable, believable character. In fact, all the characters in BLUES are believable and fully drawn. Molly and her family are Modern Orthodox Jews and Krich weaves that seamlessly into the story; there's nothing gimmicky about it, nor are the explanations of their religious practices didactic.

Krich's skill isn't limited to fully-developed characters. Her deft touch makes Los Angeles and its environs come alive. Her plotting is exquisite. Calling BLUES IN THE NIGHT a page turner may not do it justice, because so often books described that way are plot-driven to the exclusion of everything else. But this is a page-turner in the best possible sense; it's a hard book to put down because the reader is soon as obsessed as Molly with unraveling the backstory on the woman in the nightgown.

Besides, who could resist a book by an author with the sense of humor to have this Molly quoting that other Molly's soliloquy from Ulysses?

"It was the nightgown that hooked me." Meet Molly Blume, modern Orthodox Jew, true crime writer, and freelance reporter for the local crime sheet throwaway you find at supermarkets and drug stores. She's tough, wise, independent, sassy, and now intrigued by the hit and run blurb she's just written up. What was a twenty-something woman, with no identification, doing in Laural Canyon near Lookout Mountain at two in the morning, dressed only in her nightgown? Who was she running from, and why was she left, seriously injured, in the road to die? Like an itch that just has to be scratched, Molly is determined to find out. As she begins investigating, the pieces of the puzzle don't quite fit together, and the deeper she digs into the victim's, Lenore Saunders, life, the more she finds that secrets, lies, and maybe even murder from the past, led to that fateful night..... Award winning author, Rochelle Krich introduces a new and captivating heroine, and readers who enjoy her marvelous Jessie Drake series won't be disappointed. Ms Krich's compelling story line is tight and tense, and filled with wit, vivid scenes, and clever twists that keep the reader off balance and guessing to the end. But it's her brilliant characterizations that make this novel sparkle. These are real people, sometimes heroic and well meaning, but often flawed and chasing internal demons, and Ms Krich has a talent for breathing life into even the most minor character as the story comes alive on the page. With its stunning climax and satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends, Blues In The Night is the first of what promises to be a terrific new series, and a book that belongs at the top of every mystery lover's "must read" list.

Rochelle Krich has, temporarily I hope, abandoned Jesse Drake for a new series featuring young, divorced Molly Blume (with requisite literary references) who is a journalist covering the crime beat in the Los Angeles area as well as writing true crime books under another name. "Blues in the Night" begins when a young woman in a nightgown is seriously injured by a hit and run driver late at night, Molly is intrigued. She visits the woman in the hospital, but she is under sedation and mutters a few words, including names, that Molly finds incomprehensible at first. A message from the woman on her answering machine sends Molly back to the hospital where she discovers that the woman has supposedly committed suicide. Molly doesn't buy it and begins to dig deeper. Was Lenore a victim or a manipulative predator? Molly finds many conflicting opinions and then another murder raises the stakes. This is a great start to what promises to be an intriguing series. Molly's Orthodox Judaism is a very important part of who she is and I found the rituals, etc. fascinating without ever losing anything from the plot of the book. I do want more Molly. "Blues in the Night" is highly recommended.

The writing is confident, poised, intelligent and crisp, punctuated with humor, wit and Yiddish bon mots. The plot, with its serpentine twists and turns, is a page-turner. Molly Blume is an extremely likable heroine you can easily cozy up to and she will most likely join the pantheon of the female detectives we know and love so well like Kinsey Milhone and Stephanie Plum. Particularly commendable is Krich's realistic rendering and respectful portraiture of the modern orthodox Jewish world. Kudos to Krich for navigating the tricky divide between loyalty to her craft and integrity to her community, a delicate balancing act she pulls off exceptionally well.
All around, a terrific read!

She is a woman blessed with great parents and good friends. Her faith in the Jewish Modern Orthodox religion sustains her and perhaps that is why Molly Blume is a true crime writer and a columnist for Crime Sheets for the local independent papers. One police report catches her interest concerning Lenore Saunders who was out in the middle of the night miles from her house wearing only a nightgown.

Molly is so curious that she visits Lenore in the hospital where she blurts out three names to her: Robbie, the ex-husband, Max, the two month old son she killed while in a post partum depression and Nina, her best friend. Further investigating leads Mollie to learn that Lenore was visiting Robbie because she was afraid and wanted to spend the night. She also called Molly telling her she was afraid before she hung up and visited Robbie. Molly is convinced that Lenore was murdered in her hospital room and she wants to find out who did it, not realizing that by her actions she is putting herself in danger.

BLUES IN THE NIGHT is an excellent novel that gives readers a glimpse into the customs and culture of the orthodox Jew. The mystery is well crafted and exciting but the protagonist is the star of this work. She is strong-minded yet flexible and willing to help a person in trouble. Although she wants to write a book about Lenore, her main goal is to see justice done.

Harriet Klausner

This novel introduces Ms Krich's new series, with sleuth Molly Blume leading the action. Molly writes True Crime books under a pseudonym and she's a reporter for Crime Sheet, a weekly throwaway (Molly's term) based in Los Angeles.To do this she collects data from the LAPD. However, Molly is not always content to just report the facts, she gets involved in following clues. Molly is a divorcee, and a devout modern orthodox Jew. One of the very interesting elements in this novel is that Ms Krich not only mentions some orthodox Jewish customs and terms, she explains them, without interfering with the story.

In this story, Molly is intrigued by a report of a young woman who is the victim of a hit and run accident in the middle of the night that has left her unconscious and seriously injured.Most intriguing was the fact that she had been wearing a nightgown.

Molly is soon involved in Lenore Saunders story, even managing to get in to see her in the hospital, which results in her receiving a phone call from her later. But when Molly tries to see Lenore again, she is greeted with the news that the young woman is dead, an apparent suicide.

Investigating Lenore's life in order to determine if Lenore really did commit suicide, and if so, why, Molly interviews friends and relatives including Lenore's ex-husband Robbie. It's not long before she becomes fairly certain that Lenore was murdered and determines to find out by whom. I'm not going to say anything more about the plot for fear of committing a spoiler, but I'll add that there are plenty of twists and surprises in the intricate puzzle at the heart of this well-written, perfectly plotted mystery.

Ms Krich is a wonderful writer. A great deal of likeable warmth comes through the character of Molly Blume and in her feelings about her grandmother Bubbie G, and also in the new feelings she's experiencing for attractive Zack Abrams, whom she'd loved and lost years ago, but who has just come back into her life, now a rabbi.

(note: This Zack is far removed from the Zack in my Charlie Plato series, but has a similar effect on Molly, that my Zack has always had on Charlie. Yes, I know it's bad form to do BSP in the middle of a review of someone else's book, but there it is! <g>)

It looks as if Zack is here to stay and it will be interesting to see how the romance between him and Molly develops. As it surely will develop. Molly's not only warm and compassionate, she's tough too, and fortunately there are men who love strong women. I'm already looking forward to the next Molly Blume story.

I picked up Krich's Blues in the Night because I was interested in the depression theme and the Orthodox Jewish protagonist. I came away satisfied. The descriptions of the Jewish community are especially fascinating, with family and traditions. Molly Blume is a true crime writer who is engaging right away. She's looking for a topic for her new book, but gets hooked on more than one level. Molly had a friend who was murdered and is working that out emotionally by examining other crimes. I wanted to hear more about this part of Molly's life.
Molly investigates a hit-and-run that turns into a suicide, that turns into a murder. The victim has a history of post partum depression. I won't say more, so the author can make the revelations. As Molly learns more about the woman, the information takes us on just enough twists. This is the beginning of a new series. I'll read the next one too.

In line with Fertile Ground and Fair Game, among others, Rochelle Krich has once again created a wonderful protagonist. The story revolves around a true-crime writer who gets her leads while writing the crime sheet for the local paper. This one caught Molly from the first line and it will catch you too. The sense of place is vivid and the ethnic background adds to the flavor of the story. While this book has a wonderful sense of place, it also gives an insight into the characters that brings them to life in a way rarely found in mystery fiction.

It takes a special author to keep me up reading all night. Ms. Krich has done it before and continues with this entry into her list of winners.

Rochelle Krich introduces a new character, Molly Blume, in her latest novel, "Blues in the Night." Molly writes short features and full-length books about true crimes, and she is fascinated by one in particular. A woman named Lenore Saunders is hit by a car while wandering around in her nightgown near Laurel Canyon in California. Why was Lenore wearing a nightgown and from whom was she running? Did the driver hit Lenore on purpose or was it an accident?

Molly starts to dig into Lenore's background, and she find out that it is a sordid one. Lenore's ex-husband, Robbie, is a shady businessman with political aspirations and a penchant for womanizing. Lenore's mother is a cold-hearted, selfish and materialistic person, who has always put her own needs ahead of her daughter's. Lenore, unsurprisingly, has a history of psychiatric problems and a desperate need to be loved and cared for.

Molly Blume, on the other hand, is lucky enough to be part of a large and loving Jewish family. Divorced from her own womanizing husband, Molly finds out that Zach Abrams, a former boyfriend, is back in town. Abrams has become a rabbi, and he seems interested in picking up where he and Molly left off years ago. Molly, however, is reluctant to trust Zach, since he has hurt her once before.

Molly methodically starts to interview all of Lenore's family, friends and acquaintances, to see if she can unearth some clues about what really happened to Lenore. Molly is nosy and tenacious, like all good reporters, but she also has a kind heart and the ability to put people at ease. Naturally, Molly puts herself in danger by asking too many people too many questions, as she gets closer to the truth about Lenore. I recommend "Blues in the Night." It is a workmanlike, fast-paced mystery, featuring a fresh new face in Molly Blume.