Customer Reviews

The Fifth Servant: A Novel

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The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia is a fascinating mystery set in 1592 Prague. The Jewish people of Prague are forced to live in a gated in ghetto, and there is a tenuous coexistence between the Jews and the Christians. The balance is upset when a Christian girl is found murdered in the shop of the Jewish Federn family. The central figure of the story, Benyamin Ben-Akiva, is a shammes just in from Poland who will take on the task of clearing the name of the Federns and saving the Jewish community of Prague. The story that unfolds is one of many layers beyond the crime itself.

Along the way readers will see a bishop who comes to the area to seek out those who practice witchcraft. Readers also get a feel for the tension between the Catholics and the Protestants with the Reformation not 100 years old yet. Even within the Jewish people there is division between the "Free Thinkers" and the more traditional Jews. Wishnia also mixes in a good does of the complicated European monarchy of the time with Emperor Rudolph II. The rulers of the day often sided with the religious groups that best served their own secular agenda. All of these factions translate to quite a few characters to keep track of. Some readers may find this a bit overwhelming, but Wishnia does a good job of tying weaving everything together into a cohesive whole.

In addition to the diverse groups of people, Sixteenth Century Prague comes to life on the pages of The Fifth Servant. Readers are treated to the various homes of the Rabbis and other main characters, various shops, the Emperor's palace, and various streets within the Jewish ghetto. Wishnia's prose makes you feel like you are there.

Wishnia also gives a good picture of how people thought in the late Sixteen Century. One of the Catholic bishops has some digestive problems, and some of the suggested treatments seem comical. On a more serious note this same bishop is a part of the Inquisition who is trying to stamp out witchcraft. Suspects of witchcraft and other crimes were subject to torture in order to gain confessions. However, the greatest insight comes from just how persecuted the Jews were in those days. Wishnia draws out the struggles that the Jews faced, but he also highlights there spirit and perseverance. It is not a story of pity, but one of triumph over circumstance.

As much as Prague came alive on the pages of The Fifth Servant, so did the characters. None did this apply more to than Benyamin. His intellect and wit made him a very likable protagonist. I found myself laughing from time to time at some of the things he would say. Other characters that Wishnia developed well were Rabbi Loew (one of the free thinkers), Sheriff Zizska of Prague, and Anya (daughter of a Christian butcher).

One note on Wishnia's writing style. He mixes in a fair amount of German, Czech, and Yiddish as well as a few words in Hebrew. He gives translations for everything that is important to the story, but some people might not like this.

All in all, The Fifth Servant is the best book that I've read in 2009. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries but also has an interest in religion as well.

Overall A+

I like books that take me somewhere else, and "The Fifth Servant: certainly accomplished that. A different time: the 16th century. A different place: Prague. And a different culture: the Jewish ghetto.

I am somewhat familiar with Jewish culture, by marriage. So I recognized a lot in this book, including some of the Yiddish phrases. But this story took me much deeper into the culture, and its history, than my contemporary relationships have ever done.

As others have pointed out, the murder mystery does tend to get lost behind the political and religious plot lines. But I thought of the book not as a mystery novel, but as a historical novel that happens to include a murder investigation. The author uses the murder as a frame on which to weave his tapestry. And on that level the book succeeds very well. Just as Ken Follet's "The Pillars of the Earth" is not so much about the building of a cathedral, as it is about the people who built it. If you liked Follett's book, I suspect you will like "The Fifth Servant".

I enjoyed this book a lot. If you like historical novels that immerse you in a different culture, with some politics and religion and a bit of mystery thrown in, I recommend that you pick up "The Fifth Servant".

In his novel, The Fifth Servant, Kenneth Wishnia transports us back in time to the 16th Century Jewish Quarter in the city of Prague. Although the who-done-it mystery is solved a little too quickly and without complete satisfaction for the reader, the plot is almost ancillary to Wishnia's well drawn characters and vivid setting. Indeed the characters and setting bring this book to life and make it a compelling and interesting read.

The set up is intriguing: A Czech girl is found dead on the eve of Passover near the Jewish Quarter and the city is on the verge of a blood libel. The new man in town, Benyamin Ben Akiva, is the new Shames (sexton or beadle) in the community. He is a Talmudic scholar with an analytical mind and is enough of an outsider that the great Rabbi Judah Loew has charged him with the task of solving the mystery.

But Ben Akiva has problems of his own. He has come to Prague in hopes of reestablishing his failing marriage with his estranged wife. He is also a freethinker who has started to lose some of his faith in religion. And because he is an outsider, he is neither trusted by the Jews of the city or by the non-Jews in local law enforcement. He also has to deal with political issues of the day, including the arrival of the Inquisition to Czechoslovakia in the form of a new Bishop whose zealous quest is to expunge witchcraft from Prague and is no friend of the Jews.

The mystery itself has many twists and turns and leads Ben Akiva on a number of blind alleys. But within each alley we meet the characters that inhabit the Jewish Quarter and those outside the ghetto, who are incredibly well illustrated by Wishnia. Herein lies the interesting aspect of the book. The 16th Century was considered the time of the Prague Renaissance and Wishnia has a field day with the characters an details of this time.

We meet everyone from shopkeepers and prostitutes to the likes of the great Rabbi Loew and Rabbi David Gans, two luminaries of Jewish mysticism and Talmudic scholars. The conversation is peppered with references to the Bible and the Talmud, whether it is between Ben Akiva and Rabbi Loew or the madam of the Jewish Quarter's house of ill repute.

The non-Jewish characters are not always placed in the most favorable light, but the premise of the book is the impending blood libel and 16th Century Europe was not known for its tolerance for Jews. Even so, we are introduced to King Rudolf II--a monarch known for his kindness to the Jewish community--and the Prague chief of police is characterized as evenhanded and fair minded.

Wishnia's characters speak with an authentic voice and are placed carefully in their setting and the political conflicts of the time. But by far the star of the show is Ben Akiva himself. Wishnia has produced a three dimensional character who possesses an incredible intelligence, strength of character, and gentle soul but who is also plagued by self doubt and angst.

The book, of course, is not without a few flaws. In an attempt to make their voices more authentic, Wishnia uses a lot of Yiddish and Hebrew terms that may be unfamiliar to many of his readers. There is a glossary of sorts at the end of the book and he tries to give the terms context, but these words occur with great frequency--especially at the beginning of the book--and this may be a stumbling block for some readers. In a further attempt at authenticity, Wishnia writes these words out phonetically as they would have been pronounced in 16th Century Prague (as opposed to 20th Century Brooklyn) making the decoding of some of these words a tricky affair, even for those who are in the know.

Wishnia also takes some liberties with strict, Orthodox Jewish observance, but I think that he can be forgiven for these lapses as they help move the story forward. In the same vein, he also (admittedly) bends the time line a little so that interesting characters are able to interact with each other. There are also novelistic coincidences and kinks in the plot that may not sit well with some readers. Towards the end of the book the plot wanders a bit and the book seems to sag, but Wishnia brings things back to full force quickly enough with a surprise ending and an ingenious twist on the legend of the Golem of Prague.

In the end, I enjoyed the book greatly and would recommend it to anyone who likes books that turn back the hands of time and really make you feel as though you've visited an interesting place and time in history.

I love reading about different cultures and that is what initially drew me to this book. That, a little historical fiction and I do love a good mystery.

Highly detailed and full of 16th century imagery - this part of the book I really enjoyed as author Kenneth Wishnia truly has a way with words. And speaking of words... on the flip of that this is a book that would be a delight for those who love learning languages as the Hebrew, German, and Yiddish words are used throughout. For me - it started to feel a bit like work to stop and roll the words through my mind, however I can see me going back and reading this book again when I have more time to really spend time in the language of it. (*There is a glossary for the words in the back of the book).


The Fifth Servant opens up to many colorful characters and much of the book is seen through Benyamin Ben Akiva eyes and as such is a witness to the hideous murder. This book reminds me strongly of another that I have read but for the life of me I can not seem to put my finger on that tile.

While maybe not so historically correct - I did like the way women were portrayed in the book as strong and capable. That was refreshing for someone who like me enjoys reading about strong women.

There were parts that I did not enjoy - at times it felt like the religious/political aspect of the book became more important than the mystery itself and the plot felt lost for a time until suddenly the ending pulled me back into the story.

Final thoughts... there was more to this book then I originally anticipated but still I found it to be a good read.

This book really captured my attention and imagination from the first page to the last! The plot moves at a lightning-fast pace, and the author really piles the troubles onto the hero, never letting up on the tension until the very last page. I didn't know what to expect, but it blew my mind. On top of the mystery aspect, the wealth of historical detail is related in such a smooth and familiar way, it tricked me into learning stuff I never thought I'd be interested in (it reminded me of the first time I read Ellis Peter's BROTHER CADFAEL). And the narrative voice immediately hooked me and made me sorry to arrive at the final chapter--I just wanted the story to keep going and going. THIS NOVEL IS A TREAT for fans of history, mystery, or just plain damn-fine writing! BTW, I read this book on my Kindle and thought it was well-worth the price!

Centered around a late 16th century murder, our protagonist - a Talmudic scholar turned detective - tries to save the Jewish community. Of course, a Christian girl's body in a Jewish shop is going to have explosive repercussions.

The plight of the Jewish is vividly depicted and the author amazingly balances the murder, the threat to all, Rabbinic debate, Jewish tradition and law, and romance to create a story that keeps moving through the few days of our story.

The most surprising part, and nicely handled by the translator, was the low-key humor throughout this serious tale. There are several stories in one; the surface murder and investigation; the over-riding Inquisition vs Jews conflict; and the stoicism of the Rabbis through the crisis.

As in the majority of lately translated novels, there are many uses of local words. Fortunately, there is a Glossary in the back, which is very helpful.

Recommended for readers of international fiction or those who would like a good introduction to it.

(If, by some slim chance, you haven't read the product description above, do not read beyond the first paragraph.)

In 1592, Talmudic scholar Benyamin Ben-Akiva travels from Poland to Prague in the midst of the Inquisition. When the body of a young Christian girl is found on the floor of a Jewish business, the new shammes (synagogue sexton) sets as his task the defense of the accused lest the whole Jewish community suffer. In this age where Jews are accused of using the blood of Christians in the making of the Passover bread, the blood libel placed on the shopkeeper threatens the entire Jewish ghetto. With his activities restricted by rabbinic law, Benyamin Ben-Akiva must use his wits and knowledge of Jewish law to solve the murder before Sunday. Can he find the clues he needs before time runs out?

Kenneth Wishnia's THE FIFTH SERVANT is a clever mystery that takes the reader right into the heart of 16th century Prague's Jewish community. Historical detail and Jewish scholarship give the novel a sense of the period. From the clothing markers to identify Jews to their isolation within a ghetto and more, Kenneth Wishnia combines historical research with fictional imagination to bring to light this period from a point of view less frequently seen. THE FIFTH SERVANT sheds light on the prejudices experienced by the Jewish communities of the time as well as the atrocities endured during this time period. Kenneth Wishnia does an excellent job at revealing all the strange myths and the intricate connections between crown and pope in the laws which put the Jewish community in a unique position during the Inquisition. In the solving of the case, Benyamin Ben-Akiva refers to the Torah, the Talmud, and even the Kabbalah, giving this mystery its unique voice. A reader easily feels the respect for learning, books and scholarly tradition in this society. Even more delightful, Kenneth Wishnia infuses the more erudite discussions with a sense of humor. Benyamin Ben-Akiva has the ability to immerse himself within this tradition and yet also to see his own community and religion with an insider's humor. Kenneth Wishnia uses both Hebrew and Yiddish quite frequently. A very good glossary in the back assists readers with a less extensive background in these languages and Jewish traditions, although the publisher would have done better to include such key terms as shammes and shamus (policeman or private detective) in the glossary as well the initial pages preceding the author's note. Kenneth Wishnia divides the novel into three parts, each representing a day in the 3-day countdown, thus emphasizing the urgency and the restrictions on Benyamin Ben-Akiva's ability to investigate.

THE FIFTH SERVANT is an excellent choice for the mystery and/or historical fiction lover who craves an entirely new voice and texture within the genre. Intellectualism, humor and practical everyday detail combine to create a look into the period and culture without pedanticism. Although the interpretations of texts might seem overly concerned with minute formalisms at times, these moments provide delightful character and humor to the novel. Indeed, some of these instances provide a wonderful richness to the novel, often bridging the gap between the 16th century and the modern reader. If you are looking for a light, easy-to-read mystery, look elsewhere. THE FIFTH SERVANT is a rich novel to be read slowly and savored for each and every detail. Undoubtedly, THE FIFTH SERVANT will appeal to those readers interested in Jewish history and time period with Kenneth Wishnia's inclusion of real-life historical and religious figures within the novel. In addition, Kenneth Wishnia's discussions of textual meanings and their relevance to issues makes THE FIFTH SERVANT a delight for readers who cherish learning and scholarship.

While the book blurb is accurate enough, it fails to capture the rich texture of this novel. I ordered THE FIFTH SERVANT based on the blurb, and discovered a very different book than the one I had imagined. While it follows neither the classic construction of mystery or historical fiction with its examination of texts, I rather relished this aspect of the novel the most. Indeed, THE FIFTH SERVANT is a much more intriguing book than the one imagined based on the publisher's description! For this reader, THE FIFTH SERVANT is much more than a depiction of the period or a clever configuration of clues but rather a book that will remain in my imagination due to its unique voice. Excellent!

Without going into detail about the plot, The Fifth Servant is a story set in 1592 Prague, during the time of the Inquistion, in which a young Talmudic scholar must discover who killed a Christian girl in order to save his Jewish community. A community living behind the walls of the ghetto.

Overall, Wishnia deserves high credit for telling a richly atmospheric tale that blends religion, mystery and intrigue, and for developing rich, well-developed characters -- in particular, the complex main character, Ben Akiva. It is this sense of "being there" in sixteenth century Central Europe during the Inquisiton, and obtaining insights into what life was like during this time -- especially life as a Jewish person -- that makes The Fifth Servant a book worth reading.

That being said, the mystery aspect of this book leaves a bit to be desired. While I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery, I felt that it moved along at a fairly slow pace; and in particular, I felt that it was somewhat predictable and easy to figure out.

If you enjoy historical mystery fiction that is heavier on the history than on the mystery, than I think The Fifth Servant is a book you will enjoy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but more for the history lesson. As a 'goyim' myself, I found the book very illuminating about Jewish religious attitudes. The historic details are the book's strong point, really bringing to life the time period. I also enjoyed the plethora of Yiddish words and phrases peppered throughout the pages (don't scare, there is a helpful glossary). There is also a political slant in the book that cannot be ignored: the author portrays the Catholic Church as irrational as he portrays his protagonists rational. They don't call the Dark Ages the 'Dark Ages' without a good reason. That being said, the main focus of the book that has stayed with me is the unjustifiable persecution of the Jews during this time, and how this attitude truly informed every action that one must take everyday. This is what I found to be the book's greatest strength. I have always scratched my head in wonder at how the intolerance perpetuated. The mystery of the book felt like it was a secondary vehicle on which to place the main idea of this novel. There are some characters that seem to be introduced and quickly recede without playing a major part in the mystery's structure. The usual elements of a mystery are present but do not propels the book's momentum, that belongs to Benyamin's emotional journey. The mystery aspect for me seemed to be quickly tied up near the end of the book rather quickly and neatly as if the author realized that he hadn't paid enough attention to it and he had bring it to a close. As I think about the book as a whole, I feel that it is successful as a glimpse into a specific historical period and the lives of the people that lived in it, and that the characters are actually drawn to serve that end and not to be characters in a historical whodunit whose characterizations are to enhance the intellectual game of a mystery.

"The Fifth Servant" by Kenneth Wishnia is a fictional mystery set in 1592 at Jewish Ghetto in the city of Prague. The book is rich with Jewish culture and the tensions between Jews and Christians.

Benyamin Ben Akivah is a shamash, the caretaker of a temple, and new to the Jewish community. Benyamin is not only a scholar but a proud Jew with a temper which he finds difficult to control. When a Christian girl's body is found in the ghetto just before Passover Benyamin must prove to the Christian community that it is a blood libel case before the ghetto is destroyed.

Working together with the freethinker Rabbi Lowe they must work fast while keeping the Jewish laws and restrictions regarding the holiday of Passover.

"The Fifth Servant" by Kenneth Wishnia is told through the eyes of Benyamin Ben Akivah, a Talmudic scholar who follows his disgruntled wife from Poland to Prague. The book takes place over three days and two nights when Benyamin tries to solve a blood libel incident which weighed down the Jewish communities up until the 20th Century.

This is a clever book, filled with excellent research, vivid imagery, and good writing sprinkled with humor. The medieval ghetto life is convincing and rich in detail, city of Prague comes to life even though it wouldn't be a place I'd want to live in (especially not at that time). While the book is a mystery it is not formulaic and uses a new and unique voice which examines the ancient Jewish texts like the bible, Talmud, Torah, Kabbalah and to my joy The Book of Zohar to tell the story.

There are many conflicts in the book, not only between Jews and Christians but also between rich and poor, men and women, freethinking rabbis and their conservative counterparts as well as leaders of the Christian church who see the role of the inquisition as fleshing out heretics and those who are just a bit too happy to use it as an excuse to torture Jews and take their fortune (splitting it between the emperor and the Church as was the costume).

I liked the way that Mr. Wishnia imagined how people in the 16th Century thought. Women, who were part of the community, had to do things in secret even though they were pillars of the community. There is great insight on how Jews were persecuted and the struggles they faced. However, the author uses these adversities to highlight the Jewish spirit and perseverance.

There are many characters in the book but and they are all very well drawn. Besides the protagonist a standout characters was Anya, a bright Christian girl, daughter of a butcher as well as Sheriff Zizska of Prague, Rabbi Loew and even Emperor Rudolph II made an appearance.

While I truly enjoyed this book, it is not for everyone (but really, what book is?). The book is filled with my kind of humor, sarcastic, self deprecating and sardonic however it is not a light or easy read. This book will most likely appeal to those interested in Jewish history, Jewish folklore and/or the time period.

There are many Hebrew, Yiddish and some German words/phrases peppered throughout the book, the author does translate the important ones and also includes and excellent glossary at the end to assist the readers.