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Another excellent Kaminsky novel, this one from the Abe Lieberman series. There are multiple plots, one involving a pseudo-crazy born-again who has created a nifty extortion racket, another featuring Abe's partner, Bill Hanrahan, which has a neat twist at the end, and the third, also with twist I certainly didn't see coming, involving detective Alan DuPree (who is also featured in a Lou Fonesca novel I'm reading.) In that case a prominent African-American is linked to the killing of one of his employees. Nifty resolution to that one.

Abe is the perpetual Monk-like character: five-seven, weighed a possible 140 on a good day, he wore a nearly perpetual look of resignation on his spaniel face." His wife worries constantly about his cholesterol and so everything he likes to eat is forbidden. He partners with an Irishman, Bill Hanrahan with whom he has a loyal and humorous relationship. Abe is the rabbi; Hanrahan the priest, as they refer to each other. Both are raising second families and Abe's daughter Lisa has a prickly relationship with her dad.

A constant, so far at least, is the strong family life of each of the characters, refreshing to say the least. ( )

Terror Town is another very enjoyable Abe Lieberman novel. The Rabbi and the Priest solve several seemingly unrelated murder cases including the the apparent murder of Carl Zwick, an aging Chicago Cubs baseball player, and the murder of Anita Mills, a pretty black single mother. Richard Allen Smith, a homeless man, walks the streets doing God's brutal work and Hanrahan's wife, Iris is in danger. Of course El Perro and his gang help the Rabbi accomplish what needs to be done. ( )