CRIMINAL KABBALAH: An Intriguing Anthology of Jewish Mystery and Detective Fiction
Does the world really need another anthology of Jewish mystery stories? Probably not—on the other hand, who does it hurt? Following up on his similarly themed 1999 collection, Mystery Midrash, editor Raphael has persuaded a dozen mid-list mystery writers to search their souls (or their trunks) for stories that have something to do with Jewish religion or history or philosophy. The result is a decidedly mixed bag—and one that doesn't contain much mystery. Three stories are about synagogues in trouble, helped out by one current and two former cops; two stories concern lawyers struggling with difficult clients; one is about a present-day therapist and another about an ancient Israelite judge. They range in interest from Stuart Kaminsky's fascinating look at a much-younger Abe Lieberman ("The Tenth Man") to Lev Raphael's weirdly intriguing "Your Papers, Please," which manages to combine homophobia, Jewish self-loathing and academic paranoia in a few short pages. A foreword by Laurie R. King should lure her fans. (June 15)
