Huh? Say What?

I've always found Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus to be light, enjoyable entertainment that is also highly educational. Reading these books will teach you a ton about Orthodox Jewish culture, in addition to thrilling you with a very clever mystery that will have you guessing until the very end. The ongoing development of the extended Decker-Lazarus clan is also a highlight and I look forward to hearing more about Cindy and Koby in Kellerman's next offering.

Now that being said. . .

A bit of an issue I had with book #8, Sanctuary:

Ms. Kellerman, the way you dealt with New York State was unintentionally hilarious. First off: if you live close enough to NYC that the NYPD is investigating you, then you DO NOT LIVE IN "UPSTATE" NEW YORK! No really, NYC people, please stop calling anything outside your city "upstate." "Upstate" refers to Utica, Plattsburgh, and the Adirondack Mountains. (And no, Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse DO NOT COUNT. That is CENTRAL New York.) And then there's this: "I'm still amazed. When we left it was thirty degrees outside. Our village was a carpet of snow and ice. Walking three blocks hurt your lungs." WHA-AT? Thirty degrees hurts your lungs? No self-respecting resident of the real upstate New York even wears a hat and gloves in thirty degree weather. Heck, I used to walk to school in twenty below. Now, Ms. Kellerman, I know you're from LA, but come on!

I mean, after several days of sub-zero temps, twenty above literally feels warm. I'm not kidding.

End mini-rant.