Sacred and Profane

The second compelling installment in Faye Kellerman's renowned Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series, "Sacred and Profane" plunges LAPD Detective Peter Decker into a chilling investigation after the discovery of a young woman's brutally murdered and incinerated remains in the Malibu hills. The victim's ties to a reclusive Hasidic Jewish community force Decker, a secular Jew, to confront a world steeped in ancient customs and unwavering faith, starkly different from his own. As Decker navigates the insular community's guarded secrets and profound spiritual landscape, his professional pursuit of justice intertwines with his deepening personal connection to Rina Lazarus, an Orthodox widow whose insights become invaluable. The case quickly unravels into a terrifying pattern of ritualistic killings, exposing deep-seated family conflicts and the dark underbelly beneath a seemingly pious façade. Kellerman masterfully explores themes of faith, identity, and the delicate balance between tradition and modern law, as Decker races against time to unmask a killer whose heinous acts threaten to tear apart a sacred community, all while his relationship with Rina evolves amidst the escalating danger.