
Member Reviews

For those interested, this volume is the second in a series.
#1: Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death
#2: A Pain in the Tuchis
#3: Oy Vey Maria!
The story takes place in "Julia and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors."
On the day of "Yom Kippur", Vera Gold is found dead. Being a home for seniors, one might think of it as not so strange; in fact, Vera's sister confides to Mrs. K that she thinks someone killed her.
Mrs. K and Ida (great Ida!), who are like Holmes and Watson, will investigate who did it and why.
I really like these crime stories with original investigators, in this case two octogenarians in a Jewish nursing home. The other very interesting aspect is just their origin. In the book, a lot of terms related to Jewish vocabulary are used, and I liked that as well.
Ida and Mrs. K are two very likable characters—the classic grandmothers you want to adopt and teach how to use a cell phone.
The story is fun, and the murder mystery is well told, though this time I intercepted the culprit very easily.

A Pain in the Tuchis is the second cozy mystery by Mark Reutlinger featuring octogenarian sleuth Mrs. Kaplan and her own Dr. Watson, Ida Berkowitz. Released in this edition 12th Jan 2022, it's 217 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
The Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors is once again the site of a murder. This time it's the demise of the universally disliked "pain in the tuchis" Vera Gold who is hastened to the hereafter. The list of people who couldn't get along with Vera was extensive. Mrs. Kaplan and her friend Ida are on the scene and are determined to get to the bottom of things. There is warm and compassionate humor throughout, the language is squeaky clean, and there's no graphic violence involved.
The author manages a pitch perfect tone and vernacular with the characters. It would have been -very- easy for him to fall on the wrong side of caricature and/or respectfulness. Throughout most of the book I could literally *hear* my grandfather and aunties' voices. For readers who are unfamiliar with Jewish and Yiddish slang, there's quite a lot of both sprinkled throughout. The author is diligent about explaining potentially unfamiliar language in context or quickly translating in the text. It adds a lot of atmosphere to the read.
The scene descriptions verge on slapstick sometimes but even those bring a nostalgia more reminiscent of an episode of "I Love Lucy" or "The Golden Girls". I really loved most everything about the book. It was a comfort read - but it did leave me with a serious craving for my grandmother's chicken matzo soup.
Four stars. There are three books in the series currently, so it would make a good choice for a mini-binge read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This cozy mystery is undeniably cute. The characters are likable and the plot is really intriguing. I spent a lovely afternoon being entertained by this lovely book. I wonder if there are any more books like this. I'm definitely hooked. I give this one five stars.

A fun read with an interesting cultural connection. Light-hearted with no graphic details. An amusing and quick read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.
Ha ha loved it. So good. I enjoyed reading this one.

Very stereotypical of a Jewish grandma. This just doesn't catch my interest. Too predictable. Not a series I've liked at all. Tried one of his other books and bleh.

Very happy to have discovered this series as it's highly entertaining, humorous, and well written.
I loved the style of writing and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a great read! The author has a style similar to Janet Evanovich. The characters are quirky and humorous. They are the sweet little old ladies next door, who find themselves in a murder investigation. The story is a quick read and a great escape for pleasure.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Want a super fun quirky read? Then you will love this book! When the police seem to be bungling another investigation, Mrs. Kaplan gets involved. Delightful characters you will love. Thanks #netgalley and #BacklitPR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is a cute and cozy mystery centered around Yom Kippur, but is a fun read any time of the year. Another dead body has shown up at the nursing home, and the police are on the wrong track...but Mrs. Kaplan comes to the rescue! Is it one of the family members? Someone who just didn't like her brash ways? Or a complete outsider?
Only Mrs. K, with her Sherlock tendencies, can find the truth! Riddled with Yiddish sayings and Jewish culture, this is a feel-good read.

A Pain In the Tuchis is my first introduction to this author. I found the story to be a delightful, fun mystery. At times it is laugh out loud funny and other times very serious sleuthing is going on.. It is the latest book in the series; there are two previous titles which I purchased after reading this one. I really like that the mystery is solved by the end of the book do they could be read in any order though zi think I will enjoy getting to know Rose and Kaplan from the first book.
It is Yom Kippur and most of the residents of the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors is in the worship service all day. Who could have killed Vera Gold? She was too ill to attend service but someone wanted to hurry her along. There are lots of suspects as she was nit well liked but who had the strongest motive? When the police arrest her son, Daniel, Rose Kaplan and her best friend Ida are sure he is innocent and determined to solve the case. The police work with them to some extent as they have solved previous murders but will either of them find the real killer?
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the funniest series I’ve read in awhile. I love the characters and can hear the women speaking in the voices of older women I grew up with. The use of Yiddish also brings those women right back from the old memory archive.
Having read the first book and this one, I really enjoy the mysteries as well as the banter and use of Yiddish. There are times when you just find yourself laughing out loud and I don’t care if the person across from me looks at me with a little worry when I do that…because it’s funny! Life should be this intersting when I retire.