The language makes immersion in this book a challenge at the beginning, but persistence will be rewarded and it does get easier in time. A very good detective novel, an interesting glimpse into Jewish culture (particularly if, like me, you're quite new to it), with strong character development into a cast of deeply interesting characters. One of those books that will sit with me for a long time after reading. My main criticism is that the female characters, who were equally as interesting as all the others, could have benefited from more attention. Additionally, although I appreciated the dry wit throughout the novel, the many many suggestions in the book cover reviews that this novel is "raucous" and "incredibly funny" baffle me - it's not laugh out loud funny in the slightest, although there are definitely some humorous moments.