The Saturday Morning Murder

This is the first Batya Gur book I've read. Psychoanalysis doesn't appeal to me very strongly, so that element of the plot wasn't as exciting as the strange characters and their multifaceted issues. In a way, the book reminded me of a less preachy The Unbearable Lightness of Being (which I actually hated). I think Gur has a good way of building the mystery while also creating a cultural framework for the readers. Though I've read a lot about Israel and Judaism from American and Arab perspectives, it's interesting to see how little Judaism is mentioned in an Israeli book. I think it stems largely from the fact that since it is considered to be the religion of the majority—the religion of the land—it is taken for granted as a foundation and doesn't need to be constantly referenced. I like that.

I'd be interested in reading more of Gur's writing. I found it a little slow to get back to after the exciting Blaize Clement books, but trying to compare the two authors is like comparing apples and oranges.