Murder Is No Mitzvah : Short Mysteries about Jewish Occasions [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Abigail Browning (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2004

A collection of mystery short stories, all published initially in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and all dealing with Jewish holidays or other days of celebration. Along with the official holidays, like Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) Rosh Hashonah (the Jewish New Year), and more, as well as the private occasions like Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and funerals. Being chosen for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine is a recommendation in itself; in this book, along with the mysteries, the reader can enjoy a glimpse of the culture of Jewish life in America.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Passover, Shabbos, and a Jewish wedding serve as backdrops for stories in this eclectic collection, but most of the dozen tales only loosely fit the parameters of the title and subtitle. Still, this is a savory, nicely varied roundup, with some insight into Jewish tradition as well as a pleasing smattering of Yiddish idiom. Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Jewish Breastplate," a locked-room jewel robbery, is the only "classic" tale. Others, which originally appeared in Ellery Queen's or Alfred Hitchcock's mystery magazines, run the gamut from Russell William Asplund's typically comic Polish shtetl yarn about a rather unusual golem to Max Allan Collins' "Kaddish for the Kid," about a gangland killing in 1930s Chicago. Also of note is a courtroom drama by Michael Kahn in which resourceful Rachel Gold, who has also figured in several novels, faces off with a lawyer whose knowledge of Jewish law works against him. The elderly, the middle-aged, and the young learn lessons about life and occasionally faith in these sometimes harsh, sometimes poignant, but always enjoyable tales. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

The authors of the stories are: Gregory Fallis, Doug Allyn, Michael Kahn, Max Allan Collins, Larry Beinhart, Batya Swift Yasgur, Ronald Weinstein, James Yaffee, Bernice F. Weiss, Russell William Asplund and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• ISBN-10: 0312325061
• ASIN: B000C4SKWY
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,423,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting who-done-it collection w a Judaism base, March 27, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder Is No Mitzvah: Short Mysteries about Jewish Occasions (Hardcover)

This is a twelve story collection that uses Jewish traditions especially holidays and special occasions as a backdrop to a mystery mostly murder. Nine of the tales appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine with six of these since 1996; two are from the 1980s and one from 1967. Alfred Hitchcock Magazine provided two entries (1995 and 1998 respectfully). While the final tale is an Arthur Conan Doyle story (not Holmes).

Each tale is fun to read as the typical Jewish event is disrupted by a crime. Most of the contributions provide insight into the Jewish religion and customs while also furbishing a fine mystery. The glossary at the end of the book describes forty to forty-five terms/foreign words used within at least in one story with simple explanations. Fans of thematic anthologies and those who want to know a bit more about Judaism inside an exciting who-done-it collection will appreciate this powerful compilation that can be savored by reading a tale or two during Pesach (the eight day Passover holiday).

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice collection, April 9, 2006

By 

Johnny T. Townsend (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder Is No Mitzvah: Short Mysteries about Jewish Occasions (Hardcover)

I enjoy reading Jewish fiction because it makes Judaism come alive. Adding mysteries to the fiction makes them even more intriguing. I enjoyed all the stories in this collection. My only complaint was that three of the stories appeared previously in Mystery Midrash, another collection of Jewish mystery stories. That book, along with Criminal Kabbalah, were also good collections. The repeated three stories were all good, but I would just have preferred no crossover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Collection of Mysteries with a Look at Jewish Culture, December 1, 2005

By 

Meredith Burton "Bookworm" (Lynchburg, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder Is No Mitzvah: Short Mysteries about Jewish Occasions (Hardcover)

I am ashamed to say that a lot of the Jewish customs and holidays were confusing to me. However, since I read this superb anthology of mystery stories, I have a better understanding of some of the traditions and occations people of the Jewish faith celebrate.
Anyone who enjoys delightful mysteries, ranging from "cozies" to "hardboiled" private eye thrillers will find an excellent story within this collection.

"Bread of Affliction," by Michael Kahn, centers around the task of a female atorney to keep an elderly Holocaust survivors estate out of the hands of a distantly related family who have ties to Neo-Nazi groups. This story uses Passover as a backdrop.
"Comes the Revolution," by Gregory Fallis, is a delightfully funny story about a woman trying to get along with her boyfriend's adopted mother. The mother suspects that her next-door neighbor is a terrorist. Jewish beliefs are prevalent within this story.
"A Sabbath Flame," by Ronald Levitsky explores a murder within a family that occurred long ago.
"The Lipkin-Wexler Affair" by Louis Weinstein, is a hilarious story reminiscent of the Romeo and Juliet theme.
"Mom Remembers," by James Yaffee, is my own personal favorite, and involves a mother relating a story about her late husband, which aids a police inspector in solving a present-day murder. The mom is very similar to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.

These are just a few examples of the extraordinarily unique and delightful stories that comprise this collection. There is also a glossary in the back of the book, which is helpful in translating some of the foreign words. This book is a must-read for those who love mysteries, and enjoy learning about different faiths. Happy reading!