Ilene Schneider

Chanukah is more a home-centered holiday than a synagogue-centered one, but Aviva, the rabbi who is the protagonist of Chanukah Guilt, is having a busy one even though she lives alone. The book starts with Aviva being called to do a funeral for a local tycoon who hated all the other rabbis in their New Jersey town - a tycoon with two ex-wives, a current wife, a mistress, and several children. When the college-age daughter asks for some counsel and says she believes her father was murdered, things start to get really complicated. Add some personal family troubles, the arrival (as interim police chief) of Aviva's ex-husband, and a crippling snowstorm, and you can see that Aviva's Chanukah is not going to be peaceful. But it's always entertaining! As I attended a Jewish-sponsored university and have a daughter who is a (Christian) clergyperson, I can attest to the believability of Ilene Schneider's portrayal of her characters. I found Aviva to be an engaging and intelligent amateur sleuth, and I'm planning to read her Passover adventure a little later this year. But don't wait for Chanukah to read Chanukah Guilt -- it's a great read any time of year.… (mais)

I was looking for a cozy mystery that spoke to my heritage. Cozy Jewish mysteries are pretty rare … so when I found this title I was thrilled. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed when I read it. I loved the main character, Rabbi Aviva Cohen. She’s a real mensch! Despite a full schedule with her congregation and her relatives, this baby-boomer still manages to squeeze in time for detecting. Having lived in New Jersey a while back, it was fun to recognize landmarks -- particularly our favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Philadelphia. I look forward to the further adventures of Rabbi Cohen.… (mais)