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Ezra Melamed Mystery #2
The Ruby Spy Ring
It is the winter of 1811.
With the excitement of her elder sister's wedding
now behind her, a restless Rebecca Lyon is thrilled
to visit her dear friend Harriet Franks. But distressing
events are about to occur. At a fashionable picture gallery,
Mrs. Franks faints while viewing a Rembrandt painting of
a groom putting a ruby ring on his bride's finger. Then a
suspicious coded message is found in the Mayfair tailoring
establishment of Harriet's father, and Mr. Franks is
accused of spying for Napoleon.
As Mr. Franks languishes in prison, his distraught
wife and daughter seek out Mr. Ezra Melamed, the wealthy
widower-turned-sleuth. To his dismay, the one person who
could shed light on the matter seems to have disappeared
off the face of the earth. With only a coded message, the
mysterious ruby ring, and a cryptic clue from a Chassidic
Rebbe, will Mr. Melamed be able to save Mr. Franks from
the hangman's noose?
The Disappearing Dowry, the first book in the Ezra
Melamed Mystery Series, won a 2010 Sydney Taylor
Notable Book Award. In this second book, acclaimed author
Libi Astaire has done it again, painting a vivid picture of
Regency England that combines the charm of historical
fiction with the intriguing twist of a Jewish mystery.
With the excitement of her elder sister's wedding
now behind her, a restless Rebecca Lyon is thrilled
to visit her dear friend Harriet Franks. But distressing
events are about to occur. At a fashionable picture gallery,
Mrs. Franks faints while viewing a Rembrandt painting of
a groom putting a ruby ring on his bride's finger. Then a
suspicious coded message is found in the Mayfair tailoring
establishment of Harriet's father, and Mr. Franks is
accused of spying for Napoleon.
As Mr. Franks languishes in prison, his distraught
wife and daughter seek out Mr. Ezra Melamed, the wealthy
widower-turned-sleuth. To his dismay, the one person who
could shed light on the matter seems to have disappeared
off the face of the earth. With only a coded message, the
mysterious ruby ring, and a cryptic clue from a Chassidic
Rebbe, will Mr. Melamed be able to save Mr. Franks from
the hangman's noose?
The Disappearing Dowry, the first book in the Ezra
Melamed Mystery Series, won a 2010 Sydney Taylor
Notable Book Award. In this second book, acclaimed author
Libi Astaire has done it again, painting a vivid picture of
Regency England that combines the charm of historical
fiction with the intriguing twist of a Jewish mystery.
- GenresMystery
133 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Libi Astaire
37 books56 followersI am a mystery writer and explorer of Jewish history who was born in Kansas and now lives in Jerusalem.
The first book in my Ezra Melamed/Jewish Regency Mystery Series, The Disappearing Dowry, was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010. Other books in the Jewish Regency Mystery Series, which revolves around Regency London's Jewish community, include The Moon Taker (2015) The Doppelganger's Dance (2013) Tempest in the Tea Room (2012), and Jewish Regency Mystery Stories (2015).
I also work as a journalist, where I frequently write about Jewish history. A topic dear to my heart is the Anusim - Spanish Jews who were forced to convert during the Middle Ages and who became the target of the Spanish Inquisition. My novel about modern-day descendants of Anusim living in Catalonia, Terra Incognita, was published by Targum Press in 2010 and is now available as an ebook and paperback at Amazon.com, etc.
My other books include The Banished Heart, a novel about Shakespeare's writing of The Merchant of Venice; Day Trips to Jewish History, a collection of essays about lesser known people and places in Jewish history; and several ebooks for the Jewish holidays, including: Choose Life! 8 Chassidic Stories for the Jewish New Year, 36 Candles: Chassidic Tales for Chanukah, Pass Over to Freedom: 15 Jewish Tales for Passover, and The World Is Built With Kindness: 15 Chassidic Tales for Shavuos, which bring Chassidic masters such as the Baal Shem Tov and Zusya of Hanipoli into the eReader era.
The first book in my Ezra Melamed/Jewish Regency Mystery Series, The Disappearing Dowry, was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for 2010. Other books in the Jewish Regency Mystery Series, which revolves around Regency London's Jewish community, include The Moon Taker (2015) The Doppelganger's Dance (2013) Tempest in the Tea Room (2012), and Jewish Regency Mystery Stories (2015).
I also work as a journalist, where I frequently write about Jewish history. A topic dear to my heart is the Anusim - Spanish Jews who were forced to convert during the Middle Ages and who became the target of the Spanish Inquisition. My novel about modern-day descendants of Anusim living in Catalonia, Terra Incognita, was published by Targum Press in 2010 and is now available as an ebook and paperback at Amazon.com, etc.
My other books include The Banished Heart, a novel about Shakespeare's writing of The Merchant of Venice; Day Trips to Jewish History, a collection of essays about lesser known people and places in Jewish history; and several ebooks for the Jewish holidays, including: Choose Life! 8 Chassidic Stories for the Jewish New Year, 36 Candles: Chassidic Tales for Chanukah, Pass Over to Freedom: 15 Jewish Tales for Passover, and The World Is Built With Kindness: 15 Chassidic Tales for Shavuos, which bring Chassidic masters such as the Baal Shem Tov and Zusya of Hanipoli into the eReader era.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 27, 2017
Another delightful mystery!
The twists and turns in this story almost left me dizzy! I could have never guessed the ending. What do a ruby, a secret code & French silk have in common? This is a wonderful family read!
The twists and turns in this story almost left me dizzy! I could have never guessed the ending. What do a ruby, a secret code & French silk have in common? This is a wonderful family read!
May 7, 2019
Love this series
I do hope that the author will continue this series. I've devoured all of the books in this series and even the shorter stories.
I do hope that the author will continue this series. I've devoured all of the books in this series and even the shorter stories.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews