The Deadly Scrolls and The Hyena Murders
By Ellen Frankel (Post Hill Press)

There are a lot of positives to the first two books in Ellen Frankel’s “The Jerusalem Mysteries” trilogy.

For one, there is the spectacular setting: The books largely take place in Jerusalem. Frankel, who served 18 years as editor in chief of the Jewish Publication Society and has won awards for her work, including most recently a mentorship award from the Jewish Book Council, fills the city with faith, hope, intrigue and, most important, danger.

Then there are the storylines. The first in the series, The Deadly Scrolls, which opens dramatically with the murder of an Israeli academic, delves into the clues to hidden riches found in a long-lost Dead Sea Scroll—the mysterious Copper Scroll, an actual document whose meaning is debated among scholars. The mystery deepens with a plot by a fanatical Evangelical priest to blow up the Temple Mount to speed along the rapture.

The Hyena Murders, the second and stronger of the two books, is not only about the murders of prominent members of the Ethiopian Israeli community, but also about the discrimination and racism that Ethiopian Jews have faced and continue to face in Israel.

Finally, there is the sleuth herself, Maya Rimon, an Israeli intelligence agent and divorced single mom trapped in a custody battle with her unsavory ex-husband over their young daughter. Her rival and antagonist in both books is another strong, if often wrongheaded, woman, Sarit Levine, chief inspector of the Jerusalem police.

Indeed, among the truer moments in the books are those when Rimon wrestles with her guilt about leaving her daughter with her parents or a babysitter while she goes off on a potentially hazardous mission.

Sadly, both books are filled with many plot holes, editing errors and MacGuffins.

Nevertheless, Hyena is fast-paced and interesting, markedly superior to Deadly Scrolls. If the trend continues, book three, The Passover Protocols, out in November, may earn Frankel further awards.

Curt Schleier, a freelance writer, teaches business writing to corporate executives.