Loved the mystery and suspense of this whodunnit, while also appreciating the backdrop and theme. Seeing Rebecca’s development from ignorant to more informed in terms of the Hasidic community was nice to see as the parallel to the mystery itself. I know there are other books in the series but more closure on her bf Tony, and Sal would have been nice.

There were things I liked about this book: the plot was interesting enough to keep reading, the look into the world of a sect of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn.

There were things I didn't like about this book: the main character's overuse of seemingly random vulgarities. I am not a prude and I myself have been known to use foul language, but it seemed out of place. Also, the oddly thrown in sex scenes which really add nothing to the plot and seem a bit random. The look into the world of Hasidim was not what I'd hoped for, as it seemed for the most part they were portrayed in a negative light. The author really overused the world "like" in the dialogue, which I found a bit annoying. I don't like when people use it a lot when speaking and reading a book where they all use it was grating. I felt that Rebekah got easily annoyed. She stops talking to the guy she's seeing because he Googles her and is interested in her life? What? I guess I didn't find her to be very likable. Also, she didn't follow up on things. When Miriam refers to Rivka using a Yiddish word, Rebekah notes that she should ask Saul what it means (or, you know, she could Google it?), she never does. Of course that would've led to the mystery being solved a little quicker, but she is a reporter and I thought she was supposed to be thorough.

Spoiler

The ending was so abrupt. It sort of came out of nowhere and was wrapped up so quickly. Also, I was hoping for more details about Rebeckah's mother. I can only guess with the way the book ended that there will be more books featuring these characters?

I would read more books by this author, as I am curious about the mother's back story. I found this to be a quick read and if I had the time, I could've probably finished this in a day.

Slightly above-average murder mystery, though I don't think it was exceptionally well-written. Author's first novel, though, so hey.

Two and a half stars. I quite enjoyed this book, all the way up until the end. It was a good mystery and an interesting read--I feel like I learned a good bit about journalism basics and ultra-orthodox Jewish culture.

However: I absolutely hated the ending because it fell into tired cliches. Due to that alone, I would not recommend this book.

an interesting look at the Jewish community

I read a lot of mysteries, and this is the kind I like best: A protagonist who's a little quirky and interesting and a mystery that's a little off the beaten path. This one fits the bill quite nicely. It was a pleasure to read, and I will be reading the rest of the series quite happily.

Interesting story of a young NYC reporter investigating the murder of a woman in the Borough Park Hasidic community. While Dahl paints the ultra-orthodox community with a broad stroke in order to set up the tension in the novel, she could have made greater efforts to tell a balanced view of the community. This book is short and fast paced, but I had issues with the protagonist, who perpetually forgets to get people's names for the story; not something a reporter ever does.

I read a lot of mysteries, and this is the kind I like best: A protagonist who's a little quirky and interesting and a mystery that's a little off the beaten path. This one fits the bill quite nicely. It was a pleasure to read, and I will be reading the rest of the series quite happily.