The Mercedes Coffin

June 30, 2008
In bestseller Kellerman's uneven 17th novel to feature LAPD Lt. Peter Decker and wife Rina Lazarus (after 2007's The Burnt House
), Decker must solve a 15-year-old cold case—the murder of saintly Bennett Little, a high school history teacher whose bound body the police found, with three shots in the back of his head, in the trunk of Little's Mercedes. When unscrupulous music producer Primo Ekerling turns up dead in the trunk of his Mercedes, Genoa Greeves, a wealthy computer mogul with fond memories of Little as a teacher, offers the LAPD a seven-figure charitable donation to reopen the case. Early in the reinvestigation, Decker is brought up short when one of the original cops on the case “eats his gun” just before a scheduled appointment with the lieutenant. Finding a link between Little and Eckerling won't prove easy. Fans may enjoy the interplay among Decker, Rina and their children, but newcomers would be advised to start with an earlier entry in this popular crime series.

November 15, 2008
In the 17th Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus mystery from "New York Times" best-selling author Kellerman, the LAPD reopens a murder case that's been cold for 18 years when it looks like a new killing might be related. George Guidall (who also reads Robin Cook's "Foreign Body", p. 38) masterfully adjusts his voice and accent to help listeners differentiate among the many characters. Though not as straightforward as some of Kellerman's other audio titlesthe unraveling of the plot on the last two discs is especially difficult to followthis is recommended for public libraries whose patrons are fans of the author as well as for those wanting to complete their Kellerman collections. [Audio clip available through www.harperaudio.com.Ed.]Ilka Gordon, Siegal Coll. of Judaic Studies, Beachwood, OH

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Part of the fun of readingKellermans early Decker-Lazarusmysteries is the infusion of Jewish tradition in the mix. In recent years, however, series entries havegivenRina Lazarus, Deckers lively, clever wife, a decidedly minor role. Although thats certainly the case here, Kellerman compensates somewhatby writing withher usual zest, andtelling the story almost exclusively indialogue, which not onlyquickens the pacebut also allows readers an intimate glimpse of how the detectivespatch together theclues. The body of a music producer stuffed into the trunk of a Mercedes left parked in a remote spot attracts the attention of a millionaire businesswoman, whose favorite teacher, Ben Little, was similarly killed 15 years before.Wondering if the murders are linked, she promises a big payoff to theLAPD if Littles murder is solved. The pressures on Lieutenant Peter Decker, and, of course, everyone hetalks to has something to hide--Littles wife, the gangbanger turned basketball coach, a musician gone crazy, even the cop who investigated Littles murder.AlthoughDecker never ties up all the loose ends, he eventually answers enough of the questions toput bad guys behind bars, win overMiss Moneybags, please hisboss--andsatisfy his many fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)