Milk and Honey (novel)
Encyclopedia
Milk and Honey is a 1990 novel by Faye Kellerman
, Peter Decker
/Rina Lazarus
series, William Morrow and Company
. It takes place about eighteen months after Sacred and Profane
, when Decker is 41, in Los Angeles
, in the Foothill Division of the LAPD.
. He brings her in to the station to turn her over to child services and starts trying to locate the family she came from. His only clue is a number of bee stings. Pete also finds himself posting bail for an old Army buddy of his (Abel Atwater) who had been charged with rape and assault. Abel offers to do repair work on his barn while Pete is off locating the girl's family. In the meantime, Rina
is flying in from New York City
for a visit for some alone time and to discuss their upcoming marriage. While backtracking clues in the found toddler's case he finds the family home is the site of a quadruple murder and that her name is Katie Darcy. Decker has to slog through a lot of peripheral clues in the case, including a biker bar and a backwoods section of Los Angeles County. His partner Marge Dunn ends up dealing further with one of the potential parents of Katie whose own child was kidnapped in a custody case. She remembered the face and succeeded in putting a name to it. In a raid on the father's house she gets her skull cracked and is lucky to come out of it alive. Meanwhile, Rina and Abel have found an odd sort of relationship based on his and Decker's mutual past and Abel's bitterness over happenings during the war. He ends up frightening and offending her greatly though she does forgive him in the end. In finding the murderer of Katie's family and clearing Abel's name Decker finds an odd parallel in family circumstance.
Faye Kellerman
Faye Kellerman is an American author of mystery novels, in particular the "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series, as well as three non-series books, The Quality of Mercy, Moon Music and Straight into Darkness.-Early life:...
, Peter Decker
Peter Decker
Peter Decker is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels by Faye Kellerman. A lieutenant in the LAPD, Decker is assisted in solving crimes by his Orthodox Jewish wife Rina Lazarus....
/Rina Lazarus
Rina Lazarus
Rina Lazarus is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels by Faye Kellerman. The novels in the series include The Ritual Bath , Sacred and Profane , Milk and Honey , Day of Atonement , False Prophet , Grievous Sin , Sanctuary , Justice, , Prayers for the Dead , Serpent's Tooth ,...
series, William Morrow and Company
William Morrow and Company
William Morrow and Company is an American publishing company founded by William Morrow in 1926. The company was acquired by Scott Foresman in 1967, and sold to Hearst Corporation in 1981. It was sold along to the News Corporation in 1999...
. It takes place about eighteen months after Sacred and Profane
Sacred and Profane
Sacred and Profane is a 1987 novel by Faye Kellerman. It is second in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series.A Fawcett Crest Book published by Ballantine Books.Timeline: About six months after The Ritual Bath, starts Christmas Eve, Decker is 39....
, when Decker is 41, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, in the Foothill Division of the LAPD.
Plot summary
Decker finds a toddler with blood-soaked pajamas in the early morning hours while driving home from the yeshivaYeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
. He brings her in to the station to turn her over to child services and starts trying to locate the family she came from. His only clue is a number of bee stings. Pete also finds himself posting bail for an old Army buddy of his (Abel Atwater) who had been charged with rape and assault. Abel offers to do repair work on his barn while Pete is off locating the girl's family. In the meantime, Rina
Rina Lazarus
Rina Lazarus is a fictional character in a series of mystery novels by Faye Kellerman. The novels in the series include The Ritual Bath , Sacred and Profane , Milk and Honey , Day of Atonement , False Prophet , Grievous Sin , Sanctuary , Justice, , Prayers for the Dead , Serpent's Tooth ,...
is flying in from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for a visit for some alone time and to discuss their upcoming marriage. While backtracking clues in the found toddler's case he finds the family home is the site of a quadruple murder and that her name is Katie Darcy. Decker has to slog through a lot of peripheral clues in the case, including a biker bar and a backwoods section of Los Angeles County. His partner Marge Dunn ends up dealing further with one of the potential parents of Katie whose own child was kidnapped in a custody case. She remembered the face and succeeded in putting a name to it. In a raid on the father's house she gets her skull cracked and is lucky to come out of it alive. Meanwhile, Rina and Abel have found an odd sort of relationship based on his and Decker's mutual past and Abel's bitterness over happenings during the war. He ends up frightening and offending her greatly though she does forgive him in the end. In finding the murderer of Katie's family and clearing Abel's name Decker finds an odd parallel in family circumstance.