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Irv Segal

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Irv Segal graduated from yeshiva– Rabbinical College, with a B.A. in Talmudic law and led an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish lifestyle as a young adult.

After earning his certification as a computer programmer, he went on to hold a variety of jobs in the software field, and eventually started his own software services firm.

SECRETS OF THE RABBI’S MAFIA Cover
THRILLERS

SECRETS OF THE RABBI’S MAFIA

BY Irv Segal • POSTED ON March 17, 2023

A Jewish man intent upon proving his girlfriend innocent of murder unearths dark secrets about his own religious community in Segal’s mystery novel.

Newly divorced Jake Cooper leaves behind his Ultra-Orthodox religious lifestyle, remaining Jewish but joining “modern society” in Chicago. He soon connects with Mindy Stein, who’s entangled in a contentious divorce with her husband, Sender. When Sender inexplicably plunges from a rooftop, the death stirs up questions: Was it suicide or murder, and, if the latter, did Mindy, now under arrest, push him? Meanwhile, an intruder ransacks apartments searching for a mysterious manuscript. Jake’s amateur investigation digs up surprises, from details surrounding Sender’s father’s alleged suicide years ago to local rabbis involved in shady dealings; apparently, every community harbors its share of thugs willing to use violence to get what they want. The author develops an exceptional cast, including Jake’s muscular and shrewd friend Pinky and the colorful baddies that crop up. Segal deftly incorporates Jewish beliefs and customs without demonizing the religion itself. Missing dialogue tags unfortunately make several conversational scenes early in the narrative hard to follow. Once those tags begin to appear, however, Jake’s rounds of questionings really pop (“Mrs. Goldstein told us that she heard more than one voice on the roof. Unless Sender had two personalities and was talking to himself, that points to at least one other person being present when he flew off the roof. If Sender was jumping, wouldn’t he prefer to do that in private? Why would he want someone watching him?”) and enliven the story’s pace. The novel’s central mystery remains consistently engaging as Jake goes back and forth between suspects—even Mindy is a potential killer. The final act wraps up the story convincingly and satisfyingly, and the denouement implies that Jake and his sleuthing skills will return.

An engrossing detective story teeming with memorable characters.

Pub Date: March 17, 2023

ISBN: 9781959802075

Page count: 536pp

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2023

Awards, Press & Interests

SECRETS OF THE RABBI’S MAFIA: A JAKE COOPER NOVEL: Reader's Favorite 5-Star Review, 2023

SECRETS OF THE RABBI’S MAFIA: A JAKE COOPER NOVEL: Finalist in the 2023 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest, 2023

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