Rating: 
Summary: Politically correct drivel
Review:
This is one bad book. I read Faye Kellerman years ago, didn't like her, but recently thought I'd try her again. Bad decision. This book is terrible for so many reasons:
1. The cardboard characters: The devout and saint-like Rina and Koby (notice that the more devoted to Orthodox Judaism they are, the more saint-like Kellerman draws them); the overly-sweet father who actually calls his cop-daughter princess. The bland and saint-like half-siblings. All very boring, all very predictable.
2. The heavy-handed focus on political correctness in long-winded discussions of WWII, race relations, Orthodox Judaism, and Israel. These were pure distraction that only interrupted what could have become a solid, fast-paced mystery.
3. The side story about the saint-like Rina's grandmother's murder during WWII. Again, distracting, not interesting, and just plain useless.
I won't buy another Faye Kellerman book. Boring! Where are today's editors?
Rating: 
Summary: Kellerman is BACK in fine form!
Review: I have been disappointed with the last few books in the Decker series so I bought this one with some hesitation. I needn't have worried - Kellerman is back with a book that reminds me of the early books in the Peter & Rina Decker series. Kellerman focuses on Cindy Decker, Det. Decker's daughter in this mystery. Like the best of the Rita and Peter Decker books, this one has a love story interwoven with the mystery/police story that deals with cultural differences: Cindy meets and falls in love with an Ethiopian Jew. You don't have to have read any of the other Decker series books to enjoy this one, but if you have you will rejoice that all the familiar elements are here. The central mystery is well-paced and the solution isn't obvious unlike many mystery books. Peter and Rina play a supporting role but Cindy and her new romance are the stars. Welcome back Faye Kellerman!
Rating:
Summary: Embarrassing!
Review: I have read all in F.K.'s Decker series, and this was by far the worst. The other reviewers already noted the excessive coincidences, the silly relationship with Koby, and the disappointing subplot regarding Rina's mother. What I found most trite was that in the last pages we learn the culpret was none other than a muslim with possible terrorist links. How tedious can she get?
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing hodge-podge
Review: I was disappointed. This book reads as if Kellerman was required to include as many controversial subjects as possible. We have an inter-racial relationship with so much sex it would sate a nympho queen; we have Jewish vs Christian issues, we have mentally challenged, Hispanic gangs, blacks, good and bad cops, medically trained immigrants, old people, even remnants from the Holocaust. Give me a break, I was exhausted trying to keep track of it all.
Rating:
Summary: "Where's the beef?"
Review: I'm a big fan of Ms Kellerman's husband, Jonathan; so I decided to try Faye. The Publisher's Weekly review hit the nail on the head. (I bought this book off the newsstand, but should have come here to read the reviews first.) I was very disappointed. Ms Kellerman describes the various events in this book very nicely. However, there's no follow through with what's going on. Things get tied together, but there is no substance between the initial events and the conclusions that are each neatly wrapped up in a few paragraphs.
One theme that could have been embellished is Officer Cindy's meeting with a male nurse, Koby, and the progress of their relationship. The Koby character, who is initially described as educated and formerly in the Israeli army, could have been well developed, but winds up being mostly beefcake. This character should have grown into something substantial, and the romance spread over a couple more novels. However, it too gets predictably wrapped up in the end.
What was Cindy's trauma and therapy about? If this was a reference to another book, tell us a little to whet the appetite. The segment with Rina's grandmother - why did Ms. Kellerman even bother? It seemed to be an aside that didn't fit in the book.
If you're a fan of this series, then maybe it all made sense; but, as a first time reader, I find it sorely lacking in substance. As Clara, on the old Wendy's commercials used to say, "Where's the beef?"
Rating: 
Summary: Not Faye Kellerman's best
Review: I'm a big fan of Ms. Kellermans but this book jumped all over the place. There were several story lines and I was getting confused. I think just the story line about Cindy would have been fine.
Rating:
Summary: A weak entry in the Decker series.
Review: LAPD officer Cindy Decker is on routine patrol when she finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster.Cindy must track down the baby's mother, but the trail leads her down the dark streets of Hollywood, a place filled violent gang members, and predators lurking the night for new victims. Joining forces with her father, Detective Peter Decker, Cindy makes a twisted journey for truth, one that will put her life in danger. 'Street Dreams' is the weakest entry in the Decker series. The mystery elements of the novel are barely present, and the Jewish themes are so strong they overpower the rest of the novel. Faye Kellerman is slowly bringing this series to a halt, and that's a shame because it was one of the more interesting several years ago. I was not a fan of the first few Decker novels, but as time went on they developed into interesting plot boilers that not only thrilled with suspense, but also with new developments of it's lead character and his family. Unfortunately, the last few years have seen the plots becoming weaker, and the Jewish story-lines becoming stronger, resulting in a novel a lot less satisfying. If Faye Kellerman can take out the overload of religion, and put the suspense back in her novels the series will get back on track giving readers the Decker mysteries they are used to, but if each new novel remains the same the series will soon drop off. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Eh...
Review: Last weekend I went home borrowed several book from my Mom (who is much better than any library). In my stack of books was "Milk and Honey" and "Street Dreams" by Faye Kellerman. I am a huge fan of this type of book but after reading both novels I've found I'm not a Faye Kellerman fan.
First of all, as you might note, neither of the books is the first in the series or consecutive which is definitely a problem for the Lazarus/Decker saga. Through both books I felt confused and lost as character reflected on past plots enough to make me wonder what had happened but never enough to explain it any relevance it had to what was going on in the current novel.
Also there was alot of Orthodox references some of which were explain, but most weren't. I felt there were many scenes that possibly had more that I could have gotten out of them but I was too distracted by what "yesh lee Yaakov gam ken" means or where Kiryat Arba is.
If you're really short on something to read (or the book is free as in my case) why not? It might not put you to sleep but you surely won't stay up all night wanting to find out what happens.
If you're like me and like this genre (detectives and such) I'd recommend Iris Johansen instead of Ms. Kellerman.
Rating:
Summary: Dreams for Aspiring Authors
Review: This book gives inspiration to all author wanna-be's. Try just a bit & you'll create something better than this meager tale. This novel is downright boring. Hardly what one would term "a page turner." It lacks for excitement, suspense, enjoyment, wonder, chills and just about every reason readers gravitate toward fiction. It was my first Faye Kellerman novel & very well might be my last. However, I should keep in mind the works of Dean Koontz. Sometimes a work of art--Dark Rivers of the Heart. Sometimes a work of an over imaginative saddistic middle school student--so pathetically terrible, not worthy of mention by title. That said, Kellerman should be given the benefit of the doubt; I vow to try 1 more.
Cynthia "Cindy" Decker is our leading lady. A police officer who is following in the footsteps of her, mildy camoflauged macho-macho man, police officer father. Cindy meets up with an irresistible male RN who works in a pediatric ward, no less. He's quite the smorgasboard--Jewish, Ethiopian, Black, Russian, We Are The World, nicknamed "Kobie." It doesn't get much better; as in---it's rather lame. Kobie has no life outside of the sterile walls. But...then he meets Cindy and by darned, she's also Jewish! Therein lies their only commonality. They're not natured alike; they don't think alike. No chemistry between them. Quite frankly, there is very little character development in those two. They're basically androgynous. After many chapters, we find that Cindy sees a therapist for some unknown reason & bless her heart, suggests that Kobie should see one...for some unknown reason...or maybe it's his self-professed "dark moods." Which don't seem to be more than a slight shade of gray. Not that we are ever privvy to said moods. Cindy Decker's big find/big case is an infant who is miraculously found in a dumpster. Even more miraculous is that the infant survives. And miracle of all miracles, the mother is tracked due to shared Down's Syndrome. In Los Angeles! Amazing. The true miracle here is how this book made it to a publisher. My cat seems to have more extraordinary street dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Tried but failed.....
Review: This is the first Kellerman book I have read. I knew I was jumping into a character series, so I knew that I would be at a lost sometimes about previous events. But nothing about these characters inspired to want to go back and investigate these events. The "main" story - about a baby found in a dumpster had alot of promise but it fell short. The mother was soon discovered, by Cindy talking to a high school class of pregrant girls. Now these girls are street hard, tatooed, young and alot of attitude so how do they notice a girl that may or may not be pregrant that sits on a bench. The whole story just falls into place - too many people that would never talk just seem to want to tell Cindy everything. The sub-plots are as pat in that they provide no challenge.
Sorry, to say that I will not backtrack to see why Cindy and her dad are so emotionally distressed nor do I really care what happens in their future.
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