SECRETS OF THE RABBI’S MAFIA

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.