Jupiter's Bones

Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus #11

by Faye Kellerman

Emil Ganz, a renowned cosmologist, disappears after winning a Nobel prize, leaving a distraught family behind. He appears 25 years later as the guru of a new-age cult, but is found dead after another 5 years, apparently from an overdose. Sergeant Decker, however, has reason to think otherwise.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Jewish

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

About the author

Faye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She earned a BA in mathematics and a doctorate in dentistry at UCLA., and conducted research in oral biology. Kellerman's groundbreaking first novel, THE RITUAL BATH, was published in 1986 to wide critical and commercial acclaim. The winner of the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American, THE RITUAL BATH introduced readers to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, termed by People Magazine "Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around." The New York Times enthused, "This couple's domestic affairs have the haimish warmth of reality, unlike the formulaic lives of so many other genre detectives."

There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman

Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.

Reviews

[Ahtims · Rating 4 out of 5]

All about cults, leaders, pecking order, dictatorship, and the extent to which people go to satisfy their ego.
Decker is dragged into this mayhem when a physicist researcher Cum scientist, Dr. Europa Grand calls the police t9 report her father's suspicious death in a closed gate cult community founded by himself.
It was an absorbing read with Decker and his family woes playing second fiddle to the story of the investigation of the cult.
A scary thing indeed, considering the various real life news one hears about godmen and their lures.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars! All around a pretty good read. Decker is challenged with solving an unsupervised death within a cult colony similar to Hale-Bopp, Waco or Jonestown. Some very nasty characters within the cult colony, some very innocent. The leaders all seem motivated by their leaders beliefs but also in their own agendas.

From the blurb: Was Ganz's death an accident? Suicide? Or did someone hasten Jupiter prematurely out of this world? These are the questions LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker and his Homicide team are determined to answer as they enter the cult's fortresslike compound. But the dead leader's four "privileged" attendants make it clear that the police are not welcome there--and the mysterious disappearance of two of the Order's members, including a child, turns an already uncomfortable situation even uglier and more incendiary. Decker will need more than the wisdom and support of his wife, Rina Lazarus, to defuse a ticking time bomb of jealousy, greed, bizarre hidden pasts, and deadly secrets--one that could explode at any time into mayhem so pernicious that it threatens to destroy a multitude of misguided lives--and scores of helpless, innocent children as well.

[Chava · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Faye Kellerman for a while, but this book really disappointed. It felt disjointed, events jumped all over the show and it was at times just dragging along. No, not one of her better works

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and this book was no exception. Maybe a little easier to figure out than others, perhaps a bit lighter on the mystery, but with a really stunning, exciting ending. And I just love the stuff with Peter and Rina's family life, watching the kids grow up and such. So much fun.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's rare for me to give up on a book, but I'm trying to use the 100-page rule more often, as I have too many books on my shelf, and it helped in this case.
This came from book club, and my friend didn't like it either, although I can't remember why not. It's the 11th in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series, published in 1999, so apart from everything else it feels very dated. I have read one other from this series, and didn't like that either, so won't try any more. (Which is just as well as it's a long series, and if I liked it I would feel compelled to start at the beginning and read them all in order!)

Normally I like books that educate me about different cultures, but all the Jewish references and terms were just distracting without explaining anything. Maybe if you're American you know all of it already, but I'm a Pom living in NZ and despite having Jewish ancestry, know nothing about it, and this didn't raise any interest to learn more.

The plot so far has been very slow - the leader of a cult, who was formerly a respected scientist, is found dead from apparent suicide. The estranged daughter called the police, who talk a lot amongst themselves, but so far at least, have not detected anything. Meanwhile Decker is having problems with his step-sons. And I really don't care to find out more.

[Laura Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not about Peter Decker's life each book in the series gives tantalizing glimpses into Decker's home life. I love the mysteries in each story and this one about a cult in a downward spiral is well written and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. The sidebars of Peter's home life were the most touching and revealing to date in this series. Now is he will just quit being a workaholic. Well probably not, since that would mean no more books for us.

[Diane Shipley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually like her books. I do like how she writes about the Decker family, and about the Jewish life. But, this book could not seem to grab me at all. It was okay, but seem not to connect in places, and it did not make me want to pick it up and finish it, like all of her other books. Hope her next one that I read will be better.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was probably the WORST book in this series. It wasn’t that it was a bad book. But compared to the others. It wasn’t great. I struggled to follow along with who killed who. And in the end the vitamins being unresolved was annoying.
I prefer when we get a little more Rina/Decker interaction too. Meh. I recommend the rest of this series. But not this one.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

Cult leader is dead
Natural or suicide?
Or was it murder?

Quite emotional
Science versus religion
And insanity

[Vanne]

Gelezen ter ontspanning. Deze vertaling uit 1998 is het tweede deel dat ik te leen heb gelezen vanuit deze reeks. Een vermakelijke serie verhalen over inspecteur Peter Decker die ditmaal te maken krijgt met een verdacht overlijden binnen een sekte. Omdat het een oud-professor betreft die ooit een beroemd man is geweest, moet de politie rekening houden met allerlei mogelijke uitkomsten. Door de sekten leden worden ze niet welkom ontvangen, en wanneer ze de volgende dag teruggeroepen worden vanwege de vermissing van twee jonge vrouwen (één eigenlijk nog een kind), is de rust helemaal voorbij.
Onderwijl heeft Peter te maken met zijn stiefzonen die allebei negatieve aandacht vragen. De oudste wil een onveilige zone van Israël in, de ander wordt betrapt in bed met een meisje en blijkt te spijbelen van school. Peter moet onder ogen zien dat hij de jongens tekort is geschoten, terwijl het verhaal van de sekte zich ontwikkelt in een waar terrorisme tafereel.

Mijn enige vergelijking uit deze reeks was een deel een aantal boeken hiervoor, waarin Peter het aan het aanpappen was met Rina en ze besloten de volgende stap te zetten. Voor mijn idee waren er meer verschillende losstaande criminele zaken die toen plaatsvonden. In dit deel was vrijwel alles gericht op de sekte en diens velen leden. Van vergiftiging, brute moord en dreigementen met explosieven. Er waren een paar scènes bij die mij extra hard raakte en ik vond, ondanks de gruwelijke aard van de moorden in het eerder gelezen deel, dat dit wat meer richting een Hollywood film ging, of de tegenwoordige Amerikaanse politie en detective reeksen waar terrorisme, opblazingen en kindermoord voortdurend in extremen worden uitgemeten. Een heftig deel, wat mij betreft, met naast de Sekte problematiek de aandacht op seksuele mishandeling van kinderen. Heftig dus. Die had ik niet zien aankomen, maar ik wist ook niet wat te verwachten.

Faye's schrijfstijl, en de manier waarop deze vertaald is, bevalt mij en ondanks de vele personages en plotlijnen vind ik haar boeken ideaal om tussendoor ter ontspanning te lezen (tussen ander recenseer materiaal door). Ik kan haar boeken makkelijk even aan de kant leggen en later weer oppakken - al had ik tegen het einde moeite het boek weg te leggen omdat ik zo graag wou weten hoe het afliep. Wat dat betreft liepen de laatste twee hoofdstukken een beetje lang door, maar ik snap dat het nodig was om verhaallijnen af te ronden en alles op poten te krijgen voor een volgend deel.

[Tara Engel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally done! This book took me years, yes years, to read. It had way too many different things going on and started off so slow for me. Didn't pick up until the end and then went off the rails from there with a hodge podge of different directions. I will not be picking another book up in this series.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting read. It is the first book I've read by this author. I will probably read more. I found the characters to be real and well defined. The plot contained some interesting twists as well. It kept me interested all the way. What more can you ask? Recommended.

[Linda Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decker is looking at the inner workings of a cult when the cult leader is found dead. An interesting read.

[Mel Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. There was a moment in the story where it all kicked up a notch and I was hooked.
The second Faye Kellerman I have read and I daresay it won't be the last.

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid crime novel. I love Decker and his family. The science side of the novel wasn't overwhelming which was a relief

[RickyB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep picking up books that are far along in a series. I'm going to have to start looking on Goodreads before I bring them home.
Unlike others I've read, this one (book 11) wasn't so bad for a series book. I've read none of the other books in this series so I had no prior knowledge of the characters or the previous stories that got them to where they were in this book. And it actually didn't matter so much. There was a bit of back story I was obviously missing out on but, in this case, it only made me want to find out more by reading the previous books. I liked the characters and the stories they referred to intrigued me so I would definitely visit this series again. The story in this book didn't hinge on knowing all that other backstory, so I was happy with that.

[Annabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A truly dreadful book. I usually like the Peter Decker mysteries, a detective with a traditional Jewish wife, Rena in LA. But the plot was simultaneously preposterous and simplistic, about a schizophrenic, brilliant mathematician who starts a cult and who is found dead. Decker investigates, and of course there is evil at the core, and then more murders, and eventually a Waco type blow-up. Cults can be destructive, but this one murders people and buries them in the garden. And Peter has trouble at home, when it turns out his sons were abused by a computer teacher. The only interesting thing about this one is that it is about Peter, and his strength, inadequacies.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the Decker series, but this was definitely not my favorite of the series.
Decker investigates a suspicious suicide of a religious cult leader known as Jupiter, decades before known as a decent scientist Emil Ganz. There are some very horrendously inhospitable and ill-mannered people in this cult church, and there's an interesting number of people who would have loved to see Jupiter - Ganz - dead. A few other people, this time younger ones, go missing, and this kicks in more investigation.
The series is best read in order. This is the book where Vega is introduced, and where Jacob's problem behaviors start, and where his being molested in his past is revealed.

[Kerry Elphinstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have enjoyed the previous Lazarus and Decker books in the Series but was left deflated after this one. Set in a “Waco” type situation with a group of off beat Scientific gurus whose names were all cosmic Jupiter, Pluto, Nova, Venus etc.
Lead by a world renowed astrophysicist (Father Jupiter). It was his supposed suicide that brought Decker and LAPD to the commune. Was it suicide or murder?
The followers in the cult’s fortress were very sub servient to their leaders And believed they were living the ideal life.
Found the book a bit ho hum but did enjoy the ending although in many instances unbelievable.
Do like Faye Kellermans series so will keep reading about Lazarus and Decker.

[Justin Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a whole it was a good book. Started to go down hill towards the last few chapters. Some grammer and literary mistakes which in some cases left the reader to fill in blank spots in the story nothing to big though. I wouldn't recomend this book inless your to read list is getting low. It keep my attention and I actually finished so that says something about it. An ok book all in all though.

[Karen Kinsella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho humm... unimaginative thriller piggybacking off closed-cult tragedies in past news, and weighed down by too much peripheral family stuff. This is the first Faye Kellerman book I've read, and unless more shows up in our crime-themed book club, it will probably be the last. It wasn't a bad book, just not very good. I don't even want to waste the time writing a review.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorite Peter Decker books. It was rather ugly. The characters weren't very interesting and it was just mayhem. I couldn't even read part of the ending and skipped through to the near-conclusion without much loss and it saved me some nightmares.

If you like the Decker series, you can probably skip this one with no great loss.

[Zach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugg. While I loath to write a bad review, I cannot write a good one about Jupiter's Bones. Cliched plot line, cliched, one-dimensional characters. I also thought the writing style was amateurish. If you can avoid this book, please do.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love the Decker books. Great read.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the weirder books. And the cult suddenly shifting from harmless to blowing up kind of came out of nowhere.

[Miss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging read but a little all over the place at times and I felt like the plot wasn't well planned out. Not the best but I've read worse.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is now 1997 and roughly a year after the mass shooting at Estelle's restaurant, the basis for the previous book in this series. "Baby" Hannah is now a spoiled, rather whiny five year old. Sammy is a sullen 17 year old, Jacob is a hormone riddled 15 year old who feels invisible and Cindy has made it through the police academy. Peter has settled into his position as a lieutenant and doesn't do much fieldwork these days. And Rina is still the glue that holds the family together.

But then "Father Jupiter," the leader of a religious cult is found dead of an apparent but suspicious suicide. As "Father Jupiter" was previously known as Dr. Emil Ganz, a renowned scientist, Peter joins his team in the field to determine if Ganz's death really was a suicide - and to gain an understanding as to how a once famous scientist disappeared for several years only to reemerge as a spiritual leader.

This was a pretty fast paced book, taking place over the course of only a few days. As the compound housed both adults and children, the biggest concern to the officers was trying to prevent a mass suicide by the cult members deciding to join Jupiter/Ganz in "a better place." But the more they dig in to rule Jupiter's death a suicide, the more unwelcome they become, accumulating with a thrilling stand-off between the cult and law enforcement.

It was interesting to see how the cult operated and I was amused that the officers were (mostly) able to stay professional and straight-faced over all the astrological names of the members (Pluto, Venus, Nova, etc). It cracked me up that in the midst of all the celestial names, one of the central characters was named "Bob."

I loved that Margie had such a large role in this book. (Even though they are totally wrong for each other, I'm so rooting for her and (new partner) Oliver to get together - should he grow up!). She's such a great character and deserved a turn in the spotlight. She and Decker have so much history together and it was great to see (or rather hear) that alluded to; she really is Peter's best friend. And with an ongoing series, shifting the spotlight definitely helps to keep the series from getting stale.

I LOVED the mention towards the end of the book to the "well known child psychologist with familiarity with working with the police," which can only be Alex Delaware, the main character in the series written by Faye's husband, Jonathan. This is the second time she's made a nod to his bestselling series, having mentioned Milo Sturgis in a previous book.

My only complaint is that once again Peter showed his jerk side, this time over Sammy wanting to study at a school in Israel that Peter doesn't think is safe. Understandable that a father would want to keep his kid safe, but once again Peter was all hot air and "you will do this MY way" rather than listening and having an adult conversation on the subject. And it was sad to learn that Peter's beloved dog, Ginger, had died, though I have often wondered in long lasting series that span many years how the pets with central roles would be handled - I mean they don't live forever! And as this was written in 1999, there are some aspects that are a bit dated - mainly the references to "cellular" phones which seems to be an archaic term now. But this installment of the series had a lot of heart, especially when it came to the family dynamics and the challenges facing the boys - including a horrifying secret they'd been carrying for years.

Generally I space out reading books in the same series. Partly because I find when reading them back-to-back the recaps of prior books makes them too repetitious. And partly because if I space them out, it lessens the chances of me catching up to the end and having to wait for the next book to come out. But since I started listening to this series, I find myself eagerly wanting to check out the next book!

[Annie Yotova · Rating 3 out of 5]

25 years ago Dr. Emil Euler Ganz disappeared. He used to be one of the best cosmologists in the world before his ideas got a bit crazy and by the time he disappeared, he was almost considered a washout and a hack. He resurfaced 10 years later, with no explanation of where he had been. But he never got back to science, instead he called himself Father Jupiter and started a cult.

The story opens when his daughter gets a call Ganz/Jupiter is dead in the cult's compound and the cult does not plan to call the police - and whoever called Europa Ganz thinks that she should. So she calls and Peter is assigned to the case - after all Emil Ganz is a celebrity, in both of his lives.

It looks like a suicide and everyone seems to like the idea. But then things get out of hand - a woman disappears from the compound, then a child is discovered to be missing and while investigating the missing people, Marge and Oliver stumble upon yet another dead body. And then things get really complicated when one of the remaining leaders of the cult start shooting at the police and closes the compound down, with all 200+ members inside, including children, and a lot of firepower. Everyone's nightmares are playing in real life again - the comparisons with Waco are writing themselves and Kellerman is not shying from them.

Meanwhile, back in Peter and Rina's household, things are a bit tense - the shadows of 8 years ago, the days when the two of them met and fell in love, catch up with the family - while we know what happened with Rina, the boys did not escape unscathed either - and it was about time for them to act out enough to finally pull that story back in the light.

Peter Decker is not a perfect man - he is short tempered and he does make mistakes. That's part of his charm. His handling of both the case of the cult and of the repercussions of what his sons reveal show that his heart is in what he does - even when he is unsure of what he can do or when he realizes the mistakes he had done. I missed Rina a bit in this book - she is there in the house, keeping everything going (including the extremely spoiled Hannah, now 5 years old) but she is not part of the crime investigation (and she is kept in the dark about the family drama).

It is a dark novel (and people can be idiots). If you are claustrophobic, some parts of the novel may be a bit of a problem. The "crazy cult leader" gets a bit of a spin here although it falls back to where it expect it to fall which is to be expected but still. A lot of people die and there are heart breaking moments but there are also survivors. By the end of the novel, Peter manages to solve even the problem he was never asked to - he figures out where Ganz had been for the 10 years he was missing.

We even get to see Alex Delaware from the other Kellerman series - well, hear about him anyway. He is not called by name but if you are reading both series, you will recognize his professional description when you read it.

It is not my favorite novel from the series but it is a solid novel albeit a bit cliched. I do wonder how much of the cliches are there because of all the true crime series we had been bombarded with in the last decade - this novel is from 1999 after all.

[Gloria Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

We see an interesting parallel here. Detective Peter Decker’s family is Jewish and quite spiritual. The Rings of Jupiter reveals a different kind of spiritual, for it is a cult that is into cosmology with the promise of translating to a higher realm. Decker’s family has issues, which amounts to raising kids and making sure they have a good Jewish education. The cult has issues, which amount to isolating and brainwashing members, especially its kids.

Decker's normal family life, with its emergencies, and the wit of his team balance a pressure that could otherwise become unbearable.

He and his partner, wise-cracking Marge, are called to investigate the apparent suicide of Jupiter, the cult's leader. They enter a hostile compound whose members are agitated by their interim leader. Matters get worse when individuals disappear and one is found murdered. The investigators are even less welcomed as tempers flare amid accusations.

Tension continues to build as roles shift among the cult leaders. There are plenty of red herrings. Who are the baddies? Who are the goodies? Eventually our heroes face a confrontation with the cult. The situation explodes, and Decker and Marge must find a way to rescue the children from the compound before the order self-destructs.

Some of the characters, the goodies, are strangers to me but not to the story. Which means this novel is part of a series. We also notice that Jewish words and customs are not explained; evidently, they are explained in earlier stories. None of these little inconveniences spoil a good story. I do find the making of a tunnel with a spoon improbable. Nevertheless, it adds an almost insane tension to the adventure, to the point where the action is utterly scary and agonizing to read. If you want a thriller, you got it.

The surprises continue through the aftermath, the wrap-up. We are led to a satisfying ending.

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many problems and stories in this novel....abuse, guilty feelings, physical struggles, a cult where children never saw the light of day and were abused....

Dr. Emil Ganz was an astrophysicist who had a world renowned reputation....but suddenly he disappeared and no one knew where he was for over 10 years. Then he reappeared as the head of the cult called The Order of the Rings....but he was dead. Did he commit suicide or was he murdered?

Because it was a strange death, the LAPD stepped in to investigate....Lt. Peter Decker as the leading investigator. Because they weren't sure of the method of death, the cult was now open to outside investigations which was fought be many of the 'brothers' Pluto, Bob, Venus, Nova and more. All of these men managed a lot of children from babies to teens....they abused them, tortured them, made them obey...the children were always in fear of being abused or more.

In the meantime, Peter has discovered that Rina's boys, Samuel and Jacob had also been sexually abused in the schools or extracurricular activities and had kept these guilty feelings to themselves....something Peter feels so guilty about...he was more interested in their mother, Rina than kids of 7 and 9 years old who had lost their father to illness.

The horrible events that went on in the cult were surfaced....many killed by an explosion, babies poisoned to death, others left to die until Marge and two other women put their own lives in danger saving some of these children who really didn't want to leave the home.