The East Ham Golem

Hakim and Arnold #9

by Barbara Nadel

The streets of East London are alive with different languages, cultures and religions. Private investigators Lee Arnold and Mumtaz Hakim are well-versed in the community's tensions, the sad day-to-day reality that includes the desecration of graves at Plashet Jewish cemetery in East Ham.


The vandalism of these final resting places leads to a disturbing one of the damaged coffins does not contain human remains but instead a sculpture of a man made of clay. This so-called 'golem', a term from Jewish myth given to a figure brought to life by supernatural means, proves intriguing to Arnold and Hakim, even more so when it is stolen from a police storage facility in an armed raid.


The case leads the pair deep into London's past and its connections to wartime Prague, and onto the trail of a priceless jewel worth killing for.

Genres: Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2025

About the author

Barbara Nadel is an English crime-writer. Many of her books are set in Turkey. Born in the East End of London, Barbara Nadel trained as an actress before becoming a writer. Now writing full-time, she has previously worked as a public relations officer for the National Schizophrenia Fellowship's Good Companion Service and as a mental health advocate for the mentally disordered in a psychiatric hospital. She has also worked with sexually abused teenagers and taught psychology in schools and colleges, and is currently the patron of a charity that cares for those in emotional and mental distress. She has been a regular visitor to Turkey for more than twenty-five years.

Reviews

[Ridgerunner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this without realising it was maybe the ninth in a series of books involving the two private investigators Lee Arnold and Mumtaz Hakim. However it was not obvious and it was easy to get the gist of their relationship which is an interesting one.
This investigation that starts after the discovery of a golem in a London cemetery and this book has a bit of everything. Various religious and cultural groups including the far right, private investigators and the police, wealth and poverty side by side and a confusing number of groups that are interested in the golem. And why are people dying when not much at first seems to be at stake?
I found the book a bit repetitive with the same problems being looked at by different people in chapters that were short and quickly moved from one to another without anything to hint that book was moving onto to a different POV. I suspect my Kindle download exacerbated this as Kindle versions sometimes omit the typesetting signs that indicate a new chapter has started.
Despite the repetition I did find it difficult to keep tabs on all the characters and I had read it fairly quickly over three days.
I liked the basic plot and the description of the religious obsessives and comparing them with treasure seeking obsessives and the end of the book was surprising but satisfying when a different background to the golem was found.
It would have been a 4* rating from me if the book had been easier to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful addition to the Hakim and Arnold mysteries.

The plot starts with the desecration of a grave in an East London cemetery. Instead of revealing a body there appears a clay sculpture of a man - a golem - which is a term from Jewish mysticism for a supernatural being. Arnold and Hakim are given the task of tracing the missing body which involves issues in War Time Czechoslovakia, Jewellery theft, Jewish mysticism, Far Right politics and East End villains.

The tone is bleak and brutal but has the ring of truth. The detectives secure the help of two characters from previous novels - Detective Tony Bracci and retired detective Vi Collins.

The plot is both intricate and engrossing and before the ends are finally tied up the reader has gained fascinating information on the history of this part of East London.

Barbara Nadel is a fine and compelling writer and along with the carefully plotted crime scenes we have the continuing saga of the romance between the two detectives. What a series! Can't wait for the next episode!
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Reviewer: Toni Russell
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Rog Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is far-fetched stuff but I like this series about a small private detective agency in London and I have read all the nine books published so far. I have also read twenty two of the author's other books so I suppose that makes me a fan.

Mumtaz and Lee are hired to find out what happened to a corpse as when a graveyard was desecrated it was discovered that the coffin contained a statue not a body. There is an element of the supernatural and several people are dead by the end of the book. It's implausible but go with the flow and it's a good read.

[Tessa Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hakim and Arnold are one of my favourite PI duos, and I love the way the books in the series reflect the multi-cultural nature of the east end of London, This book involves Jewish folklore, particularly the legend of the Golem, a life-like figure fashioned out of clay and believed by some to protect the Jewish community. The story zips along, and is full of action, but the complicated plot and large number of characters did make it hard to follow at times. So only 4/5 this time, but still an enjoyable read.

[Lily Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb as always

Another great story.. a bit confusing at times if truth be told but
Roll on the next is all I can say !