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mja002's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
annabelms's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
Part I
Next up on the reading list: Literary Murder by Batya Gur. This is the bargain bin book that I mention in one of my earliest posts. The one about the lecherous star poet at Hebrew University. The one I couldn't resist. This also marks a first for me...an academic mystery set in Jerusalem. I can't wait to dive in and see how the university setting is handled by Ms. Gur. I am anticipating a fun and informative read.
*****
Part II
Wow. A new motive for murder. That's always a plus in mystery...at least in my book. And this story of a unique murder motive in a unique (for me) setting was really intriguing. I saw a post on Virtual Bookshelf (an app on FaceBook) where someone said they knew the why but didn't figure out the who. I knew who...I just wasn't sure why. I'm intrigued by Batya Gur and her Jerusalem setting. I will probably keep an eye out for the other three mysteries in this series.
This was first posted on my blog: My Reader's Block (click links above). please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Next up on the reading list: Literary Murder by Batya Gur. This is the bargain bin book that I mention in one of my earliest posts. The one about the lecherous star poet at Hebrew University. The one I couldn't resist. This also marks a first for me...an academic mystery set in Jerusalem. I can't wait to dive in and see how the university setting is handled by Ms. Gur. I am anticipating a fun and informative read.
*****
Part II
Wow. A new motive for murder. That's always a plus in mystery...at least in my book. And this story of a unique murder motive in a unique (for me) setting was really intriguing. I saw a post on Virtual Bookshelf (an app on FaceBook) where someone said they knew the why but didn't figure out the who. I knew who...I just wasn't sure why. I'm intrigued by Batya Gur and her Jerusalem setting. I will probably keep an eye out for the other three mysteries in this series.
This was first posted on my blog: My Reader's Block (click links above). please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
rosadyosa's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
stackednpainted's review against another edition
4.0
On a short vacation to the sea with his son, Superintendent Michael Ohajon witnesses the body of a dead scuba diver being pulled out of the sea. The diver turns out to be a lecturer at the Hebrew Literature Institute at Hebrew University in Jerusalem - Ido Duda'i. Back home in Jerusalem, Ohajon helps with the investigation in the lecturer's death, when a second murder victim is found: the head of the institute, Sha'ul Tirosh, a world-reknowned scholar and poet. While investigating the two murders, Ohajon heads back into the world of the university, including its academic talking and the lectures.
To be up front, this book can be boring in some parts for those readers who don't know the basics of studying literature (for example what hermeneutics is). Batya Gur recreated two longer lectures on literature in this mystery and some shorter discussions in conversations between the characters. This, of course, could have been expected in a book set around the world of the lecturers and professors of a literature department at a university. You can of course skip or skim those parts, but I really enjoyed them, as they showed some more distant characters in a new light.
Aside from that, though, the murder mysteries and the characters were so well-developped, it was amazing to read Literary Murder. The characters are really three-dimensional, with different reasons that make them tick. It was hard to keep track of every little detail, which made it impossible (at least for me) to guess who did it up until the very last moment.
On top of that, the setting in Jerusalem was one I have yet to encounter in other mysteries. According to SYKM there are a few more series set in Israel, or Jerusalem, more specifically (do authors know there are other interesting cities in Israel? I'd like to read a series set in Tzfat or maybe Haifa *wink* Batya Gur really brought Jerusalem into my living room and my room at my parents'. It was awesome to almost see the streets of Jerusalem with the old buildings and everything!
In my German copy, the publisher even added some explanations about the Jewish terms, as not everyone might know what "shiva" is. I'm really excited about this series, as it is so different from other murder mysteries / police procedurals I've read in the past, yet, it is similar. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.
To be up front, this book can be boring in some parts for those readers who don't know the basics of studying literature (for example what hermeneutics is). Batya Gur recreated two longer lectures on literature in this mystery and some shorter discussions in conversations between the characters. This, of course, could have been expected in a book set around the world of the lecturers and professors of a literature department at a university. You can of course skip or skim those parts, but I really enjoyed them, as they showed some more distant characters in a new light.
Aside from that, though, the murder mysteries and the characters were so well-developped, it was amazing to read Literary Murder. The characters are really three-dimensional, with different reasons that make them tick. It was hard to keep track of every little detail, which made it impossible (at least for me) to guess who did it up until the very last moment.
On top of that, the setting in Jerusalem was one I have yet to encounter in other mysteries. According to SYKM there are a few more series set in Israel, or Jerusalem, more specifically (do authors know there are other interesting cities in Israel? I'd like to read a series set in Tzfat or maybe Haifa *wink* Batya Gur really brought Jerusalem into my living room and my room at my parents'. It was awesome to almost see the streets of Jerusalem with the old buildings and everything!
In my German copy, the publisher even added some explanations about the Jewish terms, as not everyone might know what "shiva" is. I'm really excited about this series, as it is so different from other murder mysteries / police procedurals I've read in the past, yet, it is similar. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.
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