Whatever you are currently reading, I promise you it is not nearly as intelligent, witty, compelling or entertaining as The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia....Wishnia makes history come alive.” — David Liss, author of The Devil's Company and The Whiskey Rebels
“Well-developed characters and detailed portrayals of life at the time help make this historical crime thriller a gripping page-turner.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Powerful . . . A densely philosophical yet surprisingly witty historical mystery.” — Booklist
“The Fifth Servant offers a unique blend of mystery and Talmud set against an intriguing historical background.” — Linda Barnes, author of Lie Down with the Devil
“The Fifth Servant proves that academia, wit, and compelling mystery may all be found in one book. And what a suspenseful, enthralling story this is—accessible and hugely entertaining, it is an astonishing novel.” — Ken Bruen, author of Sanctuary
“The richness of the setting of The Fifth Servant is matched by the complexity and appeal of its characters. With apparent ease Kenneth Wishnia makes solid and real the sounds, sights, and smells of a vanished and legendary time.” — S.J. Rozan, Edgar Award-winning author of The Shanghai Moon
“The Fifth Servant suceeds at its goal: to keep you turning pages, and, when you’re finished, wanting more.” — Forward
“This fast-paced historical from Edgar nominee Wishnia (23 Shades of Black ) combines scholarly historical details that bring the 16th century alive with believable characters and a compelling mystery. Highly recommended for mystery lovers and fans of historical fiction. ” — Library Journal on THE FIFTH SERVANT
“Think Sherlock Holmes with a dash of Woody Allen. Philip Roth and Stephen King. Mystery plus comedy. Detective novel meets Yiddish folk tale. Then add a little history and you have Kenneth Wishnia’s The Fifth Servant, a smart funny page turner that I hated to see end.” — The Jewish Journal
A brilliantly imagined, beautifully written combination of scrupulously researched historical novel and riveting suspense thriller [with] a uniquely unforgettable protagonist. A richly atmospheric tale of religion, mystery, and intrigue.” — I Love a Mystery
“In another’s hands, the resulting novel might end up grim and pedantic, but Wishnia manages to turn the story into something Dickensian in its comic turns, richly drawn cast of characters, and plot twists.” — Historical Novels Review on THE FIFTH SERVANT
“a compelling mystery” — Albuquerque Journal on THE FIFTH SERVANT
“The characters are distinct and thoughtfully created. The mystery and how it is unraveled make a compelling story.” — Contra Costa Times on THE FIFTH SERVANT
Powerful . . . A densely philosophical yet surprisingly witty historical mystery.
Think Sherlock Holmes with a dash of Woody Allen. Philip Roth and Stephen King. Mystery plus comedy. Detective novel meets Yiddish folk tale. Then add a little history and you have Kenneth Wishnia’s The Fifth Servant, a smart funny page turner that I hated to see end.
A brilliantly imagined, beautifully written combination of scrupulously researched historical novel and riveting suspense thriller [with] a uniquely unforgettable protagonist. A richly atmospheric tale of religion, mystery, and intrigue.
The Fifth Servant suceeds at its goal: to keep you turning pages, and, when you’re finished, wanting more.
The Fifth Servant offers a unique blend of mystery and Talmud set against an intriguing historical background.
The richness of the setting of The Fifth Servant is matched by the complexity and appeal of its characters. With apparent ease Kenneth Wishnia makes solid and real the sounds, sights, and smells of a vanished and legendary time.
Whatever you are currently reading, I promise you it is not nearly as intelligent, witty, compelling or entertaining as The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia....Wishnia makes history come alive.
The Fifth Servant proves that academia, wit, and compelling mystery may all be found in one book. And what a suspenseful, enthralling story this is—accessible and hugely entertaining, it is an astonishing novel.
Powerful . . . A densely philosophical yet surprisingly witty historical mystery.
a compelling mystery
Albuquerque Journal on THE FIFTH SERVANT
The characters are distinct and thoughtfully created. The mystery and how it is unraveled make a compelling story.
Contra Costa Times on THE FIFTH SERVANT
In another’s hands, the resulting novel might end up grim and pedantic, but Wishnia manages to turn the story into something Dickensian in its comic turns, richly drawn cast of characters, and plot twists.
Historical Novels Review on THE FIFTH SERVANT
A brilliantly imagined, beautifully written combination of scrupulously researched historical novel and riveting suspense thriller [with] a uniquely unforgettable protagonist. A richly atmospheric tale of religion, mystery, and intrigue."
I Love A Mystery newsletter
Set in 16th-century Prague, Wishnia’s outstanding debut convincingly transforms a Jewish sexton and his rabbinic mentor into a plausible pair of sleuths. Just before the start of Passover, the discovery of the bloody corpse of Gerta Janek, “a blond girl, maybe seven years old,” inside the store of Jacob Federn, a Jewish businessman, triggers the inevitable revival of the blood libel and threat of mass retribution against the entire Jewish community. Benyamin Ben-Akiva, the newly arrived shammes, has three days to prove that someone other than Federn is guilty of Gerta’s brutal murder. He faces opposition from his own people, but manages to win the respect and support of the legendary Rabbi Loew, who helps him gain access to the body so that a rudimentary examination can be done, though many Gentiles are offended by the very notion. Well-developed characters and detailed portrayals of life at the time help make this historical crime thriller a gripping page-turner. (Feb.)
Life in central Europe during the 16th century was daunting, especially for the Jews of Prague. Forced by papal decree to live within a walled ghetto, Jews were relatively safe from Christian persecution—but not for long. On the eve of Passover in 1592, a young Christian girl is found murdered in a Jewish shop, causing panic for Christians and Jews alike. The Jews are accused of stealing the girl's blood, a crime that threatens to remove what little security and freedom they have. Recently arrived from Poland, the rabbi's new sexton, Benyamin Ben-Akiva, is given three days by the Jewish authorities to find the real killer, or the entire Jewish population could face annihilation. VERDICT This fast-paced historical from Edgar nominee Wishnia (23 Shades of Black) combines scholarly historical details that bring the 16th century alive with believable characters and a compelling mystery. Highly recommended for mystery lovers and fans of historical fiction. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 10/1/09.]—Marika Zemke, Commerce Twp. Community Lib., MI
Christians ferociously persecute Jews during the Easter/Passover season in late-16th-century Prague. Most of this debut novel unfolds in or near the ghetto. Forbidden to leave its confines unless wearing "the Jew badge," the ghetto's denizens are nonetheless reasonably content in Prague, "a city that tolerated us, surrounded by an empire full of people who hated us," explains narrator Benyamin Ben-Akiva, a rabbinical student recently arrived from the provincial town of Slonim. One day, however, a Christian girl's body is discovered drained of blood, and Jews are immediately suspected of a ritual killing. The author has Christian characters voicing every paranoid prejudice handed down through the centuries, including the claim that "Jews kill a Christian every year so they can mix the blood with their filthy Passover bread." In an atmosphere of agitation, uneasiness and panic, even Christians who seem willing to live in uneasy accord with those practicing another religion are suspicious-sometimes secretively, sometimes overtly-of Jewish magic. Jewish authorities, hoping to stave off possible genocide by solving the murder themselves, put Benyamin on the case with Rabbi Loew. Unfamiliar with the culture of the city and far more hot-headed than the meticulous rabbi, Benyamin occasionally gets into trouble with his quick mouth. But his intuitive insights complement the rabbi's more rational, plodding approach, and they make a good team. Wishnia plays interestingly with role-reversal: A young Christian woman converts to Judaism, while a young Jew must disguise himself as a Christian to infiltrate a cadre plotting to destroy the ghetto during a week holy to both Jews and Christians. Worksnicely on at least three levels: as history, mystery and theology.
