Street Dreams

I have been disappointed with the last few books in the Decker series so I bought this one with some hesitation. I needn't have worried - Kellerman is back with a book that reminds me of the early books in the Peter & Rina Decker series. Kellerman focuses on Cindy Decker, Det. Decker's daughter in this mystery. Like the best of the Rita and Peter Decker books, this one has a love story interwoven with the mystery/police story that deals with cultural differences: Cindy meets and falls in love with an Ethiopian Jew. You don't have to have read any of the other Decker series books to enjoy this one, but if you have you will rejoice that all the familiar elements are here. The central mystery is well-paced and the solution isn't obvious unlike many mystery books. Peter and Rina play a supporting role but Cindy and her new romance are the stars. Welcome back Faye Kellerman!

in the way Kellerman had let this series meander in her last two outings "The Forgotten" and "Stone Kiss". Unlike many of the other readers I want to applaud this latest effort, picking up on Cindy Decker as the main character, and continuing her story from "Stalker".It is true that if you haven't read the series, this book won't work for you. But like many patient readers of "series" mystery and thrillers, I get a little tired of the time and effort spent recapping the series for new readers. At some point, (and this is the 16th book in series), an author needs to cater to the fans that have been loyal enough to follow the series.....so, the action picks up without a lot of background noise on either Cindy or parents Peter/Rina -- a welcome relief.Cindy's police work is supplemented this time by a much more realistic love story than her affair with a detective in "Stalker". Koby, the man she meets and falls in love with, is perhaps drawn too physically, but the sexual energy and attraction between them shines through, much like the early books portrayed the link between Peter and Rina. For once, Peter and Rina take a trip/vacation where there is no need for police work, and no family to "save" (thank goodness!)...their backdrop of searching for Rina's family past in Europe is a nice, humanistic setting for the primary story.Cindy's got an interesting, realistic crime to solve, and there is some danger, along with a lot of help and advice from her father and Koby. The book moves rapidly, with the love and family stories seamlessly meshing with the police work. If Kellerman can follow this book up with a winner, starring the new couple, she might be the first contemporary serial writer to successfully move her stories from one generation to another; an interesting accomplishment. More!

I couldn't put this book down!Although I agree with the booklist review that the mystery was almost secondary, as a long-time Kellerman fan I loved meeting the new character of Koby and I was as interested in that as I was the mystery. I thought it was great to learn more about Cindy too and now I want to go back and re-read Stalker.

Faye Kellerman keeps getting better and better. This most recent book is a marvelous feat. Her characters are likeable and are growing in strength in each new book. Looking forward to the next installment in the Decker adventures.

I got this book in the mail and read it in less than 24 hour. I was not really happy with Stone Kiss, but this book was great.I didn't want to put it down. I have all of the Peter and Rina Decker books except the first one which I haven't found. This was my favorite. Good suspense, good family interaction, like a visit with old friends.