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Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus — by Faye Kellerman
Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series in Order: 29 books
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The Ritual Bath
Book - 1
Someone declares unholy war on the holiest of places when the quiet, ordered world of a yeshiva in the California hills is shattered by an unspeakable crime: a woman is brutally raped as she returns from the mikvah, the bathhouse where women perform ...
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Sacred and Profane
Book - 2
Available for the first time in a Premium edition, one of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Faye Kellerman's fan-favorite Decker/Lazurus novels....
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Milk and Honey
Book - 3
Available for the first time in a Premium edition, one of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Faye Kellerman's fan-favorite Decker/Lazurus novels....
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Day of Atonement
Book - 4
L.A. detective Peter Decker and his Jewish bride, Rina Lazarus, are spending their honeymoon in the unlikely locale of Brooklyn, celebrating the Jewish High Holidays. But the festivities are shattered when Noam, an Orthodox teenager, runs away from h...
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False Prophet
Book - 5
When Lilah Brecht, the beautiful if unstable owner of a popular health spa, is found beaten, raped, and robbed in her own home, L.A. detective Peter Decker takes the case. His heart goes out to Lilah, who doesn't make it easy. Lilah claims to have...
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Grievous Sin
Book - 6
Peter and Rina are delighted with their newborn baby girl, but the scene at the Los Angeles hospital is a nightmare. Budget cutbacks and staff shortages so compromise security in the nursery that Peter, the ever-anxious cop, worries about his family'...
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Prayers for the Dead
Book - 9
A crime of passion...A crisis of faith The brutal murder of Dr. Azor Sparks in an alley behind a restaurant is greeted with public outrage and a demand for swift, sure justice. But the investigation into the well-known surgeon's death is raising t...
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Serpent's Tooth
Book - 10
There are crimes so sudden, so heartless, and so terrible, they can shatter the strongest of faiths. A man walks into a trendy Los Angeles restaurant--a disgruntled ex-employee with an automatic weapon--and seconds later, thirteen people are dead ...
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Jupiter's Bones
Book - 11
Once Dr. Emil Euler Ganz was a preeminent astrophysicist with a world-renowned reputation. But then he vanished without any warning to his family or colleagues. Fifteen years later, he reappeared as "Father Jupiter," the founder and charismatic leade...
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The Forgotten
Book - 13
Rina Lazarus and her husband, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Peter Decker, are shocked by an outrage that cuts close to the spiritual heart of their family. Rina's small storefront synagogue has been desecrated with anti-Semitic graffiti and grisly Nazi de...
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Stone Kiss
Book - 14
ONE DEAD. ONE MISSING. ONE MAN WHO CAN'T LOOK AWAY... PRAY FOR THE DEAD. FIGHT FOR THE LIVING. In Los Angeles Lt. Peter Decker gets a frantic phone call from his family. A distant relative has been found naked and murdered in a seedy Manhatt...
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Street Dreams
Book - 15
AN ABANDONED BABY. A MISSING MOTHER. BUT INNOCENCE HAS A FIGHTING CHANCE. While on routine patrol, LAPD Officer Cindy Decker rescues a newborn from an alley Dumpster. But she can't call it a night until she sees the infant safe in a hospital, ca...
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My Sister's Keeper
Book - 16
When progressive state representative Davida Grayson is brutally murdered, homicide detectives Will Barnes and Amanda Isis investigate--and discover a labyrinth of dark secrets and bloody vengeance from which the only way out may be death....
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The Burnt House
Book - 17
At 8:15 in the morning, a small commuter plane carrying forty-seven passengers crashes into an apartment building in Granada Hills, California. Shock waves ripple through Los Angeles, as L.A.P.D. Lieutenant Peter Decker works overtime to calm rampant...
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The Mercedes Coffin
Book - 18
Billionaire Genoa Greeves believes the LAPD should finally solve the fifteen-year-old execution-style murder of her favorite teacher, Bennett Little -- especially now that Hollywood music producer Primo Ekerling has been slain in an eerily similar ma...
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Blindman's Bluff
Book - 19
"They say dead men don't talk. But if you listen, they do." A 3 A.M. phone call summons LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker to the well-fortified Coyote Ranch compound of billionaire developer Guy Kaffey. A grisly scene awaits: Kaffey and his wife ...
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Gun Games // Blood Games
Book - 21
Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus are back in this gripping mystery involving a secret cabal of some of Los Angeles' most wealthy -- and vicious -- teens LAPD lieutenant detective Decker and his wife, Rina, have willingly welcomed fifteen-year-old Gab...
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Murder 101
Book - 23
New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman's beloved Decker and Lazarus embark on a new life in upstate New York -- and find themselves entangled in deception, intrigue, and murder in an elite, picturesque college town. As a detective lieute...
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The Theory of Death
Book - 24
Former LAPD lieutenant Peter Decker is relishing the quiet and slow pace of his new job with the Greenbury police department. The work is low stress and engaging, and it's been almost a year since the last murder in this sleepy upstate New York town....
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Walking Shadows
Book - 26
Detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, risk life and limb to solve a pair of brutal murders that may be tied to a crime from more than twenty years ago in this intense and addictive mystery from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kell...
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The Lost Boys
Book - 27
Faye Kellerman returns with an atmospheric, face-paced mystery set in bucolic upstate New York, full of unexpected twists and turns that build to a shocking and surprising end -- the latest thrilling entry in her New York Times bestseller Decker/Laza...
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Series Premise
The Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus series blends police procedural with domestic and religious life. Peter Decker investigates homicide and major crimes through standard police work and interrogation. Rina Lazarus provides a contrasting perspective shaped by Orthodox Jewish beliefs and community life. Cases often intersect with cultural identity, ethics, and family dynamics.
Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series Reading Order
🔄 Best Read in Order · Start with Book 1: The Ritual Bath
Standalone stories, but characters and relationships develop across the series.
The Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus books can be read in any order, but are best read in publication order. Each novel presents a self-contained police investigation, often involving homicide cases handled by Decker, with a clear resolution. However, the relationship between Peter and Rina, their marriage, religious differences, and growing family develop meaningfully across the series. This continuity goes beyond background detail and shapes character decisions and emotional context. Readers starting mid-series will understand the case but miss character depth and evolving family dynamics.
Explanation of reading order types
Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series Characters
Peter Decker is an LAPD detective whose investigative work drives each case. Rina Lazarus is an Orthodox Jewish woman whose beliefs influence family life and moral decisions. Their children and extended family become increasingly important over time. Law enforcement colleagues appear across multiple investigations.
Setting of the Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series
The series is set primarily in Los Angeles, with scenes in police stations, crime scenes, and Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods. The setting contrasts urban crime environments with structured religious community life. Cultural traditions influence both personal and investigative elements. The location shapes how cases unfold and how characters interact.
Tone & Themes of the Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series
The tone is serious, character-driven, and grounded in realism. Themes include faith, identity, family, and justice. The series explores how religious beliefs affect daily life and decision-making. Moral and ethical conflicts are central to both personal and professional storylines.
Is the Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Series Worth Reading?
The Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus series appeals to readers who enjoy crime fiction with strong character development. Each book offers a complete investigation alongside evolving personal dynamics. The integration of religion and family life adds a distinct perspective. It works well for both new and returning readers.
Content Warnings and Heat Level
The series includes violence related to criminal investigations, including homicide. Themes may involve trauma, religion, and family conflict. Language is moderate and realistic. Romantic elements are present but not explicit.
The Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus series combines self-contained mysteries with meaningful character continuity. Reading the books in order provides deeper insight into relationships and family life. It is a strong choice for readers seeking character-driven crime fiction.
Books in this series fall into the following genres
Genres
Sub-Genres
Themes
People / Creatures
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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