The Butcher's Theater [Large Print] [Paperback]

Jonathan Kellerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

They call the ancient hills of Jerusalem the  butcher's theater. Here, upon this bloodstained stage,  a faceless killer performs his violent specialty:  The first to die brutally is a fifteen-year-old  girl. She is drained of blood, then carefully bathed  and shrouded in white. Precisely one week later, a  second victim is found. From the sacred  Wailing Wall to the monasteries where dark secrets  are cloistered, from black-clad bedouin enclaves  to labyrinthine midnight alleys, veteran police  inspector Daniel Sharavi and his crack team plunge  deep into a city simmering with religious and  political passions to hunt for a murderer whos  insatiable taste for young women could destroy the  delicate balance on which Jerusalem's very survival  depends.

A brilliant novel by a master of  the genre, a vivid look at the tortured  complexities of a psychopath's mind, a rich evocation of a  city steeped in history -- this, and more, is  The Butcher's Theater.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his fourth mystery, Kellerman leaves Los Angeles and Alex Delaware, child-psychologist hero of When the Bough Breaks and Blood Test, for the richness of Jerusalem and the subtle complexities of Chief Inspector Daniel Sharavi. The latter is a Yemenite Jew, a quiet and intense war hero with a California-born wife and three young children. When the extensively mutilated body of a young Arab girl is found, Sharavi assembles a group of assistants whose varied ethnic origins represent the composition of the city and state. After a second Arab girl is similarly killed, the case is given political significance in the press, leading to an Arab-Jewish riot and more bloodshed. As the investigation intensifies, Kellerman intersperses chapters that reveal the development of the killer's psychopathology, but not his identity. A third murder focuses Sharavi's attention on Amelia Catherine, the city's U.N.-run hospital, where finally he and the killer meet in a prolonged and graphic fight to the death. Dense with the textures of life in modern-day Jerusalem, Kellerman's story is both police proceduralit is dogged investigation, international and high-tech, that puts the last pieces in placeand penetrating psychological suspense-thriller. Panoramic in geography, layered in history, the novel is powered by close attention to the interior lives and motivations of its major characters, one of whom, a psychologist, may well be the author in guest appearance. This is a major novel, Kellerman's most ambitious and strongest to date. 100,000 first printing; $150,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Mystery Guild selections; author tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

The horribly mutilated body of a young womanthe first of a grim seriesis discovered in Jerusalem, and Chief Inspector Daniel Sharavi takes charge. The ambitious scope of this extensively detailed and forcefully written novel, however, encompasses much more than mystery. Kellerman immerses the reader in the cultural ambience of Jerusalem and delves deeply into character and motivation; he creates well-drawn images, a vicious and unnerving psychopathic villain, and a chillingly gruesome confrontation scene. A stunning work from the author of When the Bough Breaks . REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 888 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Pub Inc (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568953429
• ISBN-13: 978-1568953427
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,508,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a clinical psychologist to more than thirty bestselling crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher's Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted,and True Detectives. With his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored the bestsellers Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. He is the author of numerous essays, short stories, scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes of psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children, as well as the lavishly illustrated With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and has been nominated for a Shamus Award.

Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California and New Mexico. Their four children include the novelist Jesse Kellerman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent serial killer book, December 29, 2002

By 

RachelWalker "RachelW" (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Butcher's Theater (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a brilliant serial killer novel, not just for it's plot (which is actually somewhat run of the mill) but mainly for it's engrossing setting, Jerusalem. I've not read a fictional book set here before, and i found this new experience thoroughly engrossing and interesing. The descriptions about the culture were informative, and again very interesting, and gave a sharp edge of realism to the novel.

The characters a great, each one is developed well, and their trypes are many and varied. The writing is fresh and pulls you in, although sometimes Kellerman does go off on a tangent a bit when he puts in a rather long paragraph about Israeli history, which while some of it is interesting, some of it is also unnecesary and dull.

I didn't find the political tone too distracting, as some appear to have done. I admit, he does have slightly biased leanings, but you can't exactly blame him. He is Jewish, after all.

This is a big book, but it speeds along quickly. It's compelling, and grows dull very little, which is surprising considering it's length. The plot is adequate, the psychology is great, the insights into foreign culture marvellous, and the finale is excellent.

the immense scope of this book is as large as the view from the top of Mount Scopus.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of JK's best, November 1, 2004

By 

L. Yang (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Butcher's Theater (Mass Market Paperback)

Having read most of this author's books, I found this to be one of, if not the best, of them. It is not part of the established series, which was refreshing to read. I enjoyed it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB!, February 27, 2002

By 

Kelleigh Nelson "Kelleigh Nelson" (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Butcher's Theater (Jonathan Kellerman) (Audio Cassette)

Kellerman has become one of my favorites, but of all his books, this one with Daniel Sharavi as the investigator has been the most riveting. I really enjoyed the history of Israel's landmarks....Jonathan has had to spend time in Israel to get so many things so clear for his readers. What an amazing read. I'd highly recommend it. You won't put it down till you've hit the last page! I do wish Daniel Sharavi would appear in more of Kellerman's novels. I love Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis...but Daniel Sharavi and family are wonderful characters as well.