This is a very Jewish book, to be expected really given the title. That is both good and bad because I know very little about
the Jewish religion and was keen to learn more, but it was hard going in parts because the author assumed a certain Jewishness in his audience. If you know what a yarmulke, Tzaddik HaDor, rebbe, shammes and shul are then you are way ahead of me. The story is set in some kind of alternate reality in which the Jews did not establish the Kingdom of Israel but ended up in Sitka, Alaska instead. The Americans have had enough of this Jewish state and plan to turn it back into America, the Reversion, which will result in the Jews being placed back in exile. Into this scenario come our two
policemen, Meyer
Landsman and Berko Shemets, investigating the murder of the possible Tzaddik HaDor, despite being expressly forbidden to do so by their superior and Landsman's ex-wife, Bina Gelbfish. As is generally the case in these sorts of crime novels Landsman, and his partner, disobey the rules, do it their own way and discover a massive conspiracy involving the Verbover Jews, Sitka's version of the mafia. Written in the style of the 1940s crime thrillers the metaphors and similes employed in that type of writing here often seem to fall flat, are inappropriate or just plain bizarre e.g. "Rabbi Heskel Shpilman is a deformed mountain, a giant ruined dessert, a cartoon house with the windows shut and the sink left running." Interesting, but what does it mean? My library copy of the book contained pencilled graffiti on several pages written by someone considerably less impressed than I with the book. Statements like "Any reader who has read this book deserves a medal" and "Read all this rubbish? Congratulations, cos it's rubbish," are scattered randomly among the pages. I wouldn't go that far although the story is quite convoluted and complex, but then all crime stories are in my opinion. I did enjoy it and feel somewhat more enlightened about a culture I previously knew nothing about. However, if you are expecting a story of similar calibre to Chabon's excellent "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", prepare to be disappointed.