Ben Maimon is a rabbi-for-hire who uses his extensive training to solve “problems” where the police aren’t welcome for temple congregations. He goes where he’s needed and moves on when he’s done. Ben is hired to track a mysteriously appearing and disappearing $3 million deposit in a California synagogue’s accounts and uncovers much more than he bargains for, including a murder for which he is Suspect No. 1.
Ben is an unconventional Rabbi with a complicated backstory. His wife and unborn child were killed in front of him while on a trip to Israel, and he got AIDS by caring for those injured by the blast. He has to take a complicated cocktail of drugs to stay healthy. He’s got mad MMA skills, so even though he looks unassuming, he can kick ass when necessary. Ben has family money, so he is beholden to no one, which strengthens his bargaining position with the synagogues he works for.
I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters likeable, the plot intriguing, and I liked the author’s use of Yiddish, a language I’m fond of. When I finished this, I went looking for more Ben Maimon stories, but couldn’t find any. (I did pick up a true crime book by the same author, and that’s been a good read so far.) If you are a fan of Faye Kellerman’s Peter Dekker/Rina Lazarus series, or the Harry Kemelman/Rabbi David Small series, or William Kienzle’s Fr. Robert Koesler series, you will enjoy this story as well. I read somewhere that there are more Ben books to come, and I certainly
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