When Cecil Kaufman’s body is found on the floor of the synagogue below the balcony, the police investigation proves he was pushed. Who could have killed Cecil, the chair of the synagogue Board? Many people - the line of suspects is long. Chief Inspector Jack Madison and his partner Sergeant Dave Brodmann discover that nearly every member or synagogue employee has had a conflict with Kaufman. As Madison and Brodmann painstakingly examine alibis and actions, there is another temple related death. Can they find the killer before they kill again?

The Body in the Synagogue is a debut mystery that I hope that this will become a series. The characters, especially Lisa Thompson, Josh Benson and Rabbi Zimmerman, are well described and make you want to learn more about them. The plot is deliberately slow paced as the investigation goes on for days. Ruti Worrall has delivered an excellent police procedural. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Guild and Ruti Worrall for this ARC.

pretty good debut crime thriller novel. the intrigue is good, but some of the sideplots felt weak and the writing felt a hair odd at points. 3 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this new book.
I found the setting for this story a refreshing change...... a synagogue and its workings are new to me. Suffice to say without giving away the synopsis is that I enjoyed it and recommend Ruti Worrall's first work.

Ruti Worrall does a fantastic job in writing a really well done crime thriller novel, it had that feel that I was looking for and worked with the terrifying element of space. It had that suspenseful atmosphere and thought the characters worked well overall.

🍁Spoiler Free Review🍁

Thanks to @netgalley @rutiworrall and @thebookguildpublishing for the ARC.

I read this a few weeks ago, but in light of the local attack at the Synagogue in Manchester, I opted to delay posting.

This is a good debut crime thriller novel and there is no shortage of prime suspects! It drew me in from start to finish, and it's not about Judaism, it's just a crime having been committed in a temple. Good characters and you do get drawn in.

A body is found in the synagogue and there is no shortage of suspects as the victim had annoyed just about everyone in the synagogue. As the police evaluate the evidence and eliminate suspects things take an interesting twist.

Unfortunately, the dialogue seemed very stilted and unnatural. Otherwise it was a terrific first novel.

The Body In The Synagogue was a wonderful read,I was drawn in from the first pages.I really enjoyed the characters the mystery that I could not figure out out.The synagogue setting was really interesting an excellent read.#NetGalley #bookguild

The Body in the Synagogue was a really fun, interesting book. Ruti Worrall, a musician and director of music at her own synagogue in the UK, draws from her experience with synagogue politics and music.

She also happens to be an excellent writer, and I am impressed this is her debut (especially after the last debut from someone I read which was… not good). Every character was well written and you understood who they were. As an American Reform Jew, it was interesting to learn about the UK and also how some members of the Orthodox community there views Reform Judaism. That might also be the case here but I never came across it. There was no mention of Conservative synagogues there and I wonder if they are not as prevalent (I can research this, I know).

However, this book is not about Judaism — it just happens to take place in a temple with a charismatic rabbi. This book is truly for anyone interested in a fun mystery. I didn’t really need the romance storyline which was basically insta-love, and we also never got closure on one other crush that occurred. But maybe that means these characters are coming back for more!

I can’t end this review without noting the main reason I requested this book: antisemitism. I am concerned that the title and the author will draw negative reviews from those who did not read the book, or from those who did read the book but let their own politics take over their review. It is important, now more than ever, to read Jewish literature and support Jewish authors. I am glad I got the opportunity to do so, and please believe me when I tell you this book would be interesting for people of all denominations and beliefs (and many of the characters in the book are not Jewish). It was a well-written, interesting and engaging story.

Thank you NetGalley and The Book Guild for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book drew me straight in, full of Suspense. Really enjoyed the characters in the book. Had me guessing the suspect the whole way through and I didn't guess correctly. This book was one I didn't want to put down. A great Gripping read

Not since Faye Kellerman’s wonderful books have I experienced such fascinating insights into Jewish culture. The workings of a synagogue were completely new to me and I must admit I enjoyed this as much as the mystery itself. There were a few tangents which seemed a little unfinished but this did not take anything away from the plot as a whole. A very interesting read.