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13. Grievous Sin (Decker/Lazarus series, book 6) - Faye Kellerman

Official author site: 🔗 https://fayekellerman.net/book/grievous-sin/
More info at: 🔗 https://www.tlbranson.com/faye-kellerman-books-in-order/
And at: 🔗 https://newbookrecommendation.com/summary-of-grievous-sin-by-faye-kellerman-a-detailed-synopsis/

This book felt a little different to me than the previous few, but not in a bad way. It was gripping and a real page turner (for me, at least).

I ducked 🦆 some info again, partially from the sites I linked here, and AI helped me to make all the copied bits into a better synopsis, and all that.

Grievous Sin (1993) is the sixth installment in Faye Kellerman's acclaimed Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series. It’s a pivotal entry because it balances a high-stakes medical mystery with significant developments in the protagonists' personal lives.

The Premise
The story kicks off in the aftermath of a joyous event for Peter and Rina. While Rina is recovering at a high-end birth center/hospital, a newborn baby is kidnapped from the nursery. To make matters more complicated, the primary suspect is a nurse who has seemingly vanished into thin air.

Because the crime hits so close to home—and because Peter is already on-site—he is thrust into an investigation that involves high-society medical professionals, hidden pasts, and the desperate clock of finding a missing infant.

The Core Characters
• Peter Decker: A veteran LAPD detective. In this book, we see him juggling his professional "hard-nosed cop" persona with his role as a protective husband and father. His dual identity (his Southern Baptist upbringing vs. his conversion to Judaism) continues to be a rich source of internal dialogue.
• Rina Lazarus: Rina remains the moral and spiritual compass of the series. While she is physically sidelined for part of the book due to her recovery, her insights into human nature and her deep ties to the Orthodox Jewish community often provide Peter with the perspective he needs to solve the "why" behind a crime.
• The Ensemble: You’ll see familiar faces from the LAPD squad, including detectives like Marge Dunn, who help ground the story in the gritty reality of 1990s Los Angeles police work.
Why This Book Stands Out
What makes Grievous Sin a fan favorite is the interplay between the domestic and the dangerous. Unlike the previous books (like The Ritual Bath or Day of Atonement), which often focused on crimes within or directly impacting the Jewish community, this story bridges the gap. It takes the "domestic thriller" vibe—the vulnerability of a hospital and a new baby—and pairs it with a complex "whodunit" that explores the lengths people will go to for family and legacy.

Series Context (The First 5 Books)
By this point in the series, you’ve watched Peter and Rina’s relationship evolve from a tentative, cross-cultural attraction into a solid, religiously observant marriage.
• The Foundation: You’ve seen them navigate the culture shocks of Los Angeles and New York.
• The Growth: Peter has moved from being an outsider looking in on Rina’s world to fully embracing the lifestyle, though he still struggles with the "rules" of his new faith versus the "rules" of the street.

Grievous Sin was generally well-received, particularly by long-time fans of the series, though it faced some specific critiques regarding its pacing. Overall, it solidified Faye Kellerman’s reputation as a master of the "domestic procedural."

Professional Critical Reception
Professional critics were largely positive, focusing on Kellerman’s ability to weave personal stakes into a gritty crime narrative:
• The Baltimore Sun famously praised her during this period, stating that "No one working in the crime genre is better."
• Kirkus Reviews noted that the family scenes were a highlight, particularly the development of Peter’s daughter, Cindy, whom they compared to a modern Nancy Drew. However, they did offer a "mixed" note, suggesting that the plotting occasionally veered into melodrama, which could undercut the realism of the police work.
• Booklist and other trade publications praised the "crackling" police dialogue and the unique way the story handled the intersection of Orthodox Jewish life and secular law enforcement.

Public and Fan Reception
Among the general public and series enthusiasts, the book holds a strong rating (averaging around 4/5 stars on platforms like Goodreads). Fans typically celebrate it for:
• Emotional Resonance: Readers felt deeply invested in the kidnapping because it happened while Rina herself was in a vulnerable state.
• Character Progression: It is often cited as a favorite for those who enjoy the "family" aspect of the series, as it marks a major milestone for the Decker-Lazarus household.

The "Slow Burn" Critique
One of the most common critiques from both fans and critics was the pacing of the first act. Because the book spends a significant amount of time detailing the birth and Rina’s medical recovery before the inciting incident (the kidnapping) occurs, some felt the "mystery" took too long to get started. As seen in the narrative arc diagram above, most mysteries have a sharp "inciting incident" very early on; Grievous Sin stretches the exposition further than a typical thriller to build up the emotional stakes.

Comparison to Previous Books
Most readers found this a "step up" in terms of emotional complexity compared to False Prophet (Book 5), though some purists missed the more insular, community-focused mysteries of the very first book, The Ritual Bath.

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