Not Quite Kosher: An Abe Lieberman Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Stuart M. Kaminsky (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Forge/ A Tom Doherty Associates Book; First Thus edition (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812561902
• ISBN-13: 978-0812561906
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #595,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ed McBain, move over!, January 20, 2003

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not Quite Kosher: An Abe Lieberman Mystery (Hardcover)

From its jarring opening at the scene of a robbery gone bad to the sad, clever twist at the end, Edgar-winner Kaminsky keeps the reader hooked with wry characterizations, dilemma-fed action and a well-organized plot. A man of earthy decency with a face like an old bloodhound and a quiet persistence to match, Chicago detective Abe Lieberman manages to stint neither his family nor his job as he starts his day with the confession of a would-be killer and moves on into the week with two murders to solve and a bar-mitzvah and a roof to pay for while his Irish partner, Bill Hanrahan, defies a Chinese tong leader to marry the woman he loves. Point of view shifts among the very bad day of a jewel thief on the run, Hanrahan, some middle-class punk kids mixed up in murder and Lieberman himself. An insomniac with high cholesterol and a love of good Jewish food, Lieberman maintains his good humored resignation to the things he cannot change while occasionally dispensing his own generous justice.

Kaminsky's deadpan rythmn is reminiscent of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels, while his dark humor, morally centered plots, economical, observant prose and dogged, amiable hero set the series apart.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Quite Up to Previous Volumes in the Series, October 31, 2006

By 

Grey Wolffe "Zeb Kantrowitz" (North Waltham, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Not Quite Kosher: An Abe Lieberman Mystery (Hardcover)

Once again we get involved more with the personal lives of the Rabbi (Abe Lieberman) and Father Murphy (Bill Hanrahan). Abe is busy worrying about his cholesterol (and the diet that Bess has him on) and the cost of the Bar Mitzvah of his grandson Barry. Bill is getting ready to marry Iris even though both her father and the local chinese mafia don (Mr. Woo) would rather they waited.

The series is starting to show Kaminsky's lack of concentration when he finds he has to repeat some stories in every book whether it has to do with Hanrahan's drink and divorce or Abe's daughter's problems with her ex or her children. The books are down to the level of two hour telemovies on Lifetime.

The quality of the stories and the involvements of the mysteries or police procedures are on the level of CSI, which is another series he is working on but without the glamour. He has mentioned mulitple times, in the last two books, how tired Abe is because of his insomnia...but it seems that Kaminsky is writing these books in his sleep. He would be better off letting Abe retire and resurrect the Rostnikov series with Porfiry's son (Josef) and his girlfriend (Elena Timofeyeva).

4.0 out of 5 stars Eminently diverting police procedural, June 12, 2004

By 

F. J. Harvey "Cricket ,country music and a go... (Birmingham England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not Quite Kosher: An Abe Lieberman Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

The series about veteran Chicago cop Abe Lieberman is the least known of the at least four mystery series being written by the prolific and consistent Mr Kaminsky and this is a pity for they are always diverting and at times touch deeper wells than is often the case with the genre .I suspect there is much of the author in the Lieberman figure -Abe is a well wrought character whose job has exposed him to the seamier side of life in general and Chicago in particular but has not eroded his compassion and sympathy for the victims ,who often include his fellow law enforecement professionals .

Here Abe is working on two cases -a robbery of a jewellery store and the death of its proprietor during the hold up ; and the murder of a Arnold Sokol which may well be gang related .These crimes in turn lead on to other deaths

The criminals are accorded almost as much time as the cops and the portrait of the robber Wychovski in particular is a mini-masterpiece of economicallly but crisply drawen characterisation while the ethnic divisions of the city are unfussily and powerfully established

Abe is a family man and time devoted to this aspect of his situation is for me a partial problem as I struggled with some of the Jewish background to the discussions but its a minor problem (others will not see it as such )

Compassionate , humane and a quick read which unlike many such does not insult the intelligence or detarct from its having some sharp points to make
To those new to the series I suggest starting with an earlier title , maybe Lieberman's Choice