Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Crime Fiction during the Days of Awe: Jewish New Year/Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year, starts tonight. Rosh Hashana also begins the 8 days of awe culminating on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. That a murder would take place during this time or on Yom Kippur itself runs opposite to Jewish beliefs.  However, that's an ideal, and this is a mystery blog.

Here's a short list of mysteries that take place during the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur.  As always, I welcome any additions to this list. This year I've added a few new titles including a novel from Bitter Lemon Press that I can't wait to read. Nights of Awe by Harri Nykanan is set in Helsinki, and Ariel Kafka of the Violent Crime Unit of the Helsinki police, is one of two Jewish Policemen in Finland. This book won't be out until February 2012 (UK) and April 2012 (US), so not in time for this New Year. 

Three Weeks in October by Yael Dayan
Days of Atonement by Michael Gregorio
Yom Kippur Murder by Lee Harris
Day of Atonement by Faye Kellerman
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman
Nights of Awe by Harri Nykanen

Interested in Jewish Mystery Fiction? Read Jewish Identity as Portrayed in Jewish Detective Fiction by Rabbi Lawrence W. Raphael.

2 comments:

Priscilla said...

Many thanks for the info on "Nights of Awe". Bitter Lemon has brought so many excellent mysteries to the US. This one is now on my "must buy" list!

vallerose said...

Yes, looking forward to Nights of Awe. didn't know there were any Jews in Finland. when i was in Iceland, I think there were about 50 of us.