"All the walls had been tattooed with one vicious slogan after
another, each derogatory, each advocating different ways to
exterminate Jews. So many swastikas, it could have been a wallpaper
pattern. Eggs and ketchup had been thrown against the plaster,
leaving behind vitreous splotches. But the walls weren't the worst
part, minor compared to the holy books that had been torn and
shredded and strewn across the floor. And even the sacrilege of the
religious tomes and prayer books wasn't as bad as the horrific
photographs of concentration-camp victims that lay atop the ruined
Hebrew texts. She averted her eyes but had already seen too much
--- ghastly black and white snapshots depicting individual bodies
with tortured faces and gaping mouths. Some were clothed, some
nude."

This is the scene Rina Lazarus Decker sees as she walks into her
community's small storefront synagogue, after being called there by
local police. To the average human being, the scene would be
horrifying, but to Rina, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, the
destruction is even more devastating. Who would do such a thing,
and why? Hate crimes had shocked the Jewish community in the past,
but this time it felt more personal. When her husband Peter arrives
on the scene a short time later, he must do double duty --- comfort
and reassure his wife and community, and spearhead the
investigation to discover who tried to destroy the small
synagogue.

A teenage boy is soon brought into custody. Ernesto Golding is the
son of wealthy L. A. professionals and attends an elite private
school. Although there is no proof, it is believed that one of his
grandfathers was Jewish and immigrated before or during the Nazi
occupation of Poland. The idea that someone of Jewish descent could
perpetrate such a crime stuns everyone, but Ernesto confesses to
the crime, swears he acted alone, and cuts a deal with the DA. He
performs community service, gets counseling and is on probation,
but does not have to serve any prison time.  

Peter, however, continues to suspect that Ernesto did not act alone
and maintains contact with the boy. His suspicions are confirmed
six months later when Ernesto and his therapist, Dr. Mervin
Baldwin, are killed. They had been spending a week at Baldwin's
survival camp for troubled teens, but other than shadows late at
night, none of the other boys saw or heard anything. As other key
suspects are killed, Decker and his team must identify and arrest
the criminal mind responsible.  

Faye Kellerman brings a great deal of baggage to this latest novel,
alluding frequently to events that have occurred in previous Peter
Decker/Rina Lazarus mysteries; and if THE FORGOTTEN is the first
Kellerman novel the reader picks up, they will at times be puzzled
or confused by these references. However, for anyone who has read
the previous 12 mysteries, it will feel like sharing memories with
a friend. Kellerman also includes a fair amount of basic Orthodox
Judaism, usually explaining a Yiddish or Hebrew phrase spoken by
Rina or her 17-year-old son Jacob by having Peter repeat it in
English. To anyone with a Jewish background, this might seem
redundant, but it is very helpful to those unfamiliar with Orthodox
Judaism.  

At times the couple's interactions and problems have kept me
interested, especially as Peter adopted and adapted to his wife's
Orthodox Judaism. Other times, I continued to read just because I
am a fan and can enjoy reading a book just for the pleasure of
reading. THE FORGOTTEN falls into the first category.