by Joshua Cohen - undifferentiated
First published 2023
Benjamin Gold expects a scolding when his rabbi calls after Yom Kippur. The private investigator skipped services, after all. But the rabbi has bigger problems. While the congregation atoned for their sins, a visitor disrupted prayers with a shocking accusation. He pointed at Mendel Kahn, a respected community leader, and called him a Nazi collaborator. Gold must determine if Kahn is the upstanding benefactor he appears to be or someone far more sinister. Did Kahn build his real estate empire through honest work, or does his wealth stem from wartime betrayal? The investigator suspects Kahn might actually be Yitzhak Fried, a man who tortured fellow Jews during the Holocaust. The deeper Gold digs, the uglier Kahn's present becomes. The man operates as a slumlord, associates with gangsters, and shows sadistic tendencies. Kahn notices the investigation and objects violently. His large, dangerous associates make their displeasure known. Gold races against mounting threats to expose the truth about Kahn's identity and past crimes.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation, secrets
Setting: Congregation
Period: Yom Kippur
298 pages · Kindle Edition · Kasva Press
Content warnings: violence