Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death

I read another book by this author a long time ago, and found it to be cute.
This one is another in the series, and it’s just as cute as the other.
There’s murder and intrigue and plenty of laughs in this book.
Fun read for cozy mystery fans.

This cozy mystery was fun and the characters are relatable. I enjoy mysteries featuring older people and this was a quick easy read.

It took me a minute to get into this book. The writing style is really different and I didn't know what to make of it in the beginning. A few chapters in I realized that it reminded me of the old 1930's detective movies, except instead of a chain-smoking, hat wearing, 40-something with a smoldering gaze and a wry sense of humor, it was a 70-something yenta who has a sharp eye and a keen wit, but not a single pair of pants. The mystery was complex, but completely logical and solved the way one might solve the case at the end of an evening at a mystery dinner theater.

Mrs. Kaplan and her sidekick Ida are charming. It's fun to follow them as they investigate, solving smaller problems along the way as they hunt down a killer. I definitely plan to follow this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death is the first book of a charming cozy series by Mark Reutlinger. Originally released in 2014, this reformat and re-release from April 2020 is 244 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a charming start to a cozy series with an appealingly intelligent, grey haired, female, Jewish Holmes and Watson duo trying to solve the mystery of the diamond-earring-in-the-matzoh-soup which resulted in the death of their fellow resident Bertha Finkelstein. There is warm and compassionate humor throughout, the language is squeaky clean, and there's very (very) little nudity involved.

I'm not sure at all about the author's background, but he managed a pitch perfect tone and vernacular for the most part with the characters. It would have been -very- easy for an author to fall on the wrong side of caricature and/or respectfulness. The humor is warm and the tone throughout is cozy. Throughout most of the book I could literally *hear* my grandfather and aunties' voices.

The scene descriptions verge on slapstick sometimes but even those bring a nostalgia more reminiscent of an episode of "I Love Lucy" or "The Golden Girls". I really loved most everything about the book. It was a comfort read - but it did leave me with a serious craving for my grandmother's chicken soup.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I enjoy a cozy mystery more than most. This one is fun,, cute and a good one to grab while curling up with a cuppa and a pug!

This is a very charming mystery. I loved the eccentric characters and the strong sense of pride and friendship. The twists and turns are plentiful. I spent a very delightful afternoon reading this cozy. I hope thete will be plenty more to come. I recommend this book .

This is a reformat and re-released from the original book from 2014. It’s fast paced mystery. I could not get into the story and felt the characters were disconnected.
#MrsKaplanandtheMatzohBallofDeath #NetGalley

I was given an advanced reader’s copy of this debut cozy novel well after the release date by Netgalley. The premise intrigued me. Who will win the honor of making the matzoh ball soup for the Seder this year?
Rose Kaplan & Ida Berkowitz represent the typical older Jewish women I have met. They are full of quaint sayings, actions, and wisdom.

There is plenty going on in this book. Rose and Ida are intent on proving Rose’s soup was not the cause of death of Bertha Finkelstein.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to more in the series.

I am not required to leave a positive review.

"Mrs. Kaplan cares to be the best at one thing and that is matzoh balls...She is a real matzoh ball maven." It was the first night of Pesach [Passover] and Mrs. Kaplan had the honor of preparing matzoh ball soup for the one hundred residents of the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors. "A polite slurping of soup...quite a bit of much louder slurping...Mrs. Finkelstein has fallen [face down] into her soup." Bertha Finkelstein, a quiet soul, had choked on a diamond earring, an earring that had been reported stolen by Daisy Goldfarb, a fancy-schmancy resident. "It seemed like it was Mrs. K, not just poor Bertha, who was in the soup."

A visit from the police confirmed the theory that Rose Kaplan was the prime suspect. Did she commit theft, followed by murder? According to the police, "...whoever caused that earring to end up in Mrs. Finkelstein's soup or in the dumpling in her soup...is probably the person who took Mrs. Goldfarb's earrings." Rose Kaplan considered Sherlock Holmes to be her hero. She had read and reread many of his adventures. Rose teamed up with her best friend, Ida Berkowitz, who assumed the role of Mrs. K's "Watson". Ida narrated the mystery as it unfolded. They must unmask the culprit. After all, Kosher food might not be served in jail!

First things first. Rose must create a list of what is known "for certain" with a second list containing "the possibilities". "When you have eliminated the impossible, you should look very closely at the not so likely." They had their work cut out for them. Rose summoned her inner "Sherlock" and, assisted by Ida, hit the floor running. [Ok, perhaps not quite at full speed] Some of their tactics were above board, some were not. How much trouble could a pair of septuagenarians possibly cause? Told using a plethora of Yiddish expressions and a bissel [a little] humor, Rose and Ida would try to outsmart the police and solve this cozy mystery themselves.

"Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death (A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery #1) by Mark Reutlinger is a delightful, witty, fun-filled mystery set in a senior living facility. Having spent my childhood absorbing New York City's melting pot of cultures, I thoroughly enjoyed the infusion of Yiddish expressions spoken by a cast of mostly realistic characters. On the darker side, some of the senior living residents described growing up in shtetls where "mounted police and soldiers would ride through the village, breaking windows, setting fires...[Bertha Finkelstein] survived the Holocaust but not Mrs. K's chicken soup." Ultimately, how will the mystery play out? Mrs. K's and Ida's sleuthing skills will again be tested in "A Pain in the Tuchis", the second book of a two book series. I absolutely loved this light, fun read and highly recommend it.

Thank you Black Opal Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

verbal-humor, situational-humor, senior-citizens, senior-sleuths, septuagenarian, senior-residence-facility, jewish, vintage-cozy-mystery, law-enforcement*****

Originally published in 2014, this gentle cozy mystery is great fun (especially for those of us who have worked in senior residence facilities). All of the characters are well drawn and relatable, and the sleuthing is well done and has enough twists and red herrings to keep things going.
There are a lot of words used that I've heard all my life but never seen in print, so I'd really appreciate having this fun book in audio.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Backlit PR via NetGalley. Thank you!

Mrs Kaplan and the ladies at the Jewish nursing home were very enjoyable. Their sleuthing was unpredictable and funny at the same. The author did a great job with this story and can’t wait to read the next one.