Customer Reviews

Fax Me A Bagel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a former resident of Austin, TX and its Jewish community, I found this book true to life in the details of living in a small Jewish community far from the East coast. Eternal, TX may be fiction, but it's also true! True, some of the characterization seems a bit extreme, but this is a fun read. Ruby's perspective is funny, yet realistic as a new widow struggling along. The narrative zips along and before you know it, you're finished, hoping that Kahn is writing quickly to keep you up-to-date on Essie Sue, the new Rabbi, and, of course, Ruby herself.

Not since I discovered Anne George ("Murder on a Bad Hair Day") have I enjoyed a mystery so! Ruby entertained me with her descriptions of the characters surrounding her. She knows her bagels (and now so do I!). I enjoyed the past history of the Aboud feud and her trips to NYC. Having lived there, it was easy to picture the rent controlled apt. the uncle lives in and the bagel bakery downtown.

This is a light-hearted, fast-paced murder mystery and I hope it's not long before Sharon Kahn has another "Ruby" mystery. I look forward to another visit to Eternal, TX!

With a title like Fax Me a Bagel, you know you're in for a treat. So meet Ruby - computer consultant and widow of a well-respected Rabbi. Ruby seems to have a fairly uneventful and normal life in the small town of Eternal, Texas, where she spends an awful lot of time at The Hot Bagel.

Not only is Ruby a regular patron of this bagel cafe, she is considering investing in the business. A strong friendship with owner Milt Aboud and a lifelong love affair with bagels lead Ruby to believe that this could be a great career move.

But life in Eternal becomes a little more interesting after Marla Solomon has a deadly encounter with one of Milt's bagels laced with poison. Being a friend of Milt's, a potential investor in The Hot Bagel, and ... well ... nosey, Ruby sets out to find out who killed Marla and why. What she finds is a bagel-based feud beyond her wildest imagination.

Along the way, we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters, and a fun (albeit danger-filled) ride through Jewish communities in Texas and New York. Soon, Ruby learns that her late husband's hit-and-run death may have been no accident, and that she might be next on a killer's to-do list. But just when things get too tense, Kahn livens things up with hilarious scenes and hard-to-forget characters.

It's a funny and fast-paced novel, with a mystery that will leave you guessing up until the book's last pages. It's no wonder that Fax Me a Bagel is a hit with fans and critics alike. Let's hope that we get to see much more of Ruby and The Hot Bagel in the future.

To be honest, I picked up this book because of the title. I've always had this thing for bagels and the totally twisted title caught my eye. And would you believe, I ended up not only loving the book, but also Ruby Rothman, the rabbi's widow. (Can't figure out why everyone calls her the rabbi's wife since he was killed by a hit and run driver some time ago. Maybe it's a Jewish thing.)

Anyway, widowed Ruby is a computer consultant in Eternal, Texas where the place to go for bagels is The Hot Bagel owned by Lebanese Milt Aboud. While waiting for her weekly bagels Ruby witnesses the death by cinnamon cyadide bagel of a member of her temple's congregation. Naturally, everyone but Ruby thinks Milt did it and she sets out to prove he didn't .

Until she does, you get to enjoy the cowboy-booted congregation of the Temple Rita (Don't ask!), the overly opinionated new-rabbi-to-be (Don't call me Kevin, call me Rabbi Kapstein) who would like to turn ex-rabbi's wife Ruby back into a rabbi's wife and Essie Sue Margolis Temple Rita's self-appointed everything who wants to erect a statue of her murdered sister on the temple steps in the guise of Queen Esther.

Even though I uncovered the identity of the murderer long before Rudy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The not very subtle but totally funny combination of the Jewish and Texas cultures is to die for. Try it, I'm sure you'll like it. I'm actually ordering Ruby's next two adventures right now!

I FELL IN LOVE WITH RUBY. AS A MYSTERY, IT WAS A BIT ON THE OBVIOUS SIDE. BUT AS A GOOD AND FUN READ, IT WAS TERRIFIC. IT HAS HUMOR, WONDERFUL CHARACTERS, AND INTRESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BAGEL INDUSTRY IN NEW YORK.

I SINCERELY HOPE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A LONG LASTING SERIES.

I love Sharon/Ruby's sense of humor. I also love the way she makes fun of tight bottomed Essie Sue who is the older sister type we love to hate.

I also like the way she gets the stories about old New York and the immigrant culture.

Keep it up, Sharon.

This is an excellent first book. It combines unique characters with enough plot twists to keep the reader turning the pages. The heroine, widow of a rabbi, is appealing, spunky, and funny. The villain takes somewhat of a back seat to two other characters - one is the new rabbi who must be met to be believed and the temple "fixer"-in this case a woman who is a steamroller in human form. I hope Ms. Kahn returns to Eternal, Texas, and her delightful Ruby, the Rabbi's Wife, in many books to come.

Overall, the book is a quick fun read.

I was not disposed to like Ruby Rothman after her flippant email at the very beginning, but as I kept reading, I began to like her as a character. But, why does she have to send incomplete email because phone is ringing? Can't she save it as a draft, take call, finish email and then send?

Also, why not be more assertive in defending herself? Essie Sue complains about Ruby having red hair & green eyes. Ruby tells her lots of biblical figures were redheads. Why not just say that if Jews weren't supposed to have green eyes and red hair, God wouldn't have made her that way. Why doesn't she tell Essie Sue that she wasn't a rabbi's wife; she was Stu's wife and Stu happened to be a rabbi.

Rabbi Kapstein is the rabbi from hell. What kind of a rabbi, or other clergyman, comes on so strong to another woman so soon after his wife leaves him? Doesn't he need to do any grieving for his failed marriage?

I loved it when Yvonne Copeland, Buster's wife, asked the rabbi if his wife had to call him Rabbi Kapstein in those "wifely" moments. She should have pushed for an answer.

I loved the part about the installation service for Rabbi Kapstein.

I would like to have seen more of Ruby's son, Joshie. Isn't he a little old to be called Joshie? But maybe this is a Texas thing or a southern thing.

I got tired of emails between Ruby & Nan. Would have liked more expository writing.

Obviously written by a woman who understands bright, spunky women. I enjoyed reading Ruby's thoughts on her son, friends, and the pretentious people from her temple. She kept me intrigued and I often found myself thinking.... "Wow! I feel exactly the same way!"

It's a fun book. Characters are somewhat interesting. There's not a lot of violence. I'll probably track down other books by the same author.