James Yaffe

James Yaffe (1927–2017, born in Chicago) was a prominent American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his mystery fiction and his exploration of American Jewish life.  He was a professor of English at Colorado College from 1968 until his retirement in 2002. 

The “Mom” Series: His most famous mystery series features “Mom,” a Jewish mother who solves crimes from her kitchen by applying her “bone-deep knowledge of human nature” to the cases brought home by her NYPD detective son, David. The central character, Mom, is a “wise, tough, shrewd Jewish New Yorker”. Yaffe initially utilized the humorous stereotype of the Jewish mother, later evolving the character into a deeper, nuanced portrait as the series progressed. Stories typically revolve around Dave, a New York policeman, and his wife Shirley visiting Mom every Friday night for dinner. These visits are the catalyst for the mysteries, as Mom provides insight into Dave’s cases over the meal. Yaffe incorporates details of Jewish life, such as Sabbath candle lighting. Some novels, such as Mom Meets Her Maker, explore tensions between Jewish and Christian communities, specifically involving an out-of-town Jewish student and a local minister. Beyond humour, Yaffe used his mysteries to explore the psychology of Jewish immigrants and the evolution of Jewish social status in the post-WWII United States. [Google/AI]

Yaffe, James, [Dave & Mom # 1] (A Nice Murder for Mom [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1988]) 978-0312022600 [pb, Worldwide Library, 1990] 978-0373260447

Yaffe, James, [Dave & Mom # 2] (Mom Meets her Maker) [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1990] 978-0312038939 [pb, Worldwide Library, 1991] 978-0373260676

Yaffe, James, [Dave & Mom # 3] (Mom Doth Murder Sleep [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1991] 978-0312058982 [pb, Worldwide Library, 1992] 978-0373260980

Yaffe, James, [Dave & Mom # 4] (Mom Among the Liars) [hc, St. Martin’s Press, 1992] 978-0312082642 [pb, Worldwide Library, 1994] 978-0373261420

Yaffe, James, (My Mother, The Detective: The Complete “Mom” Short Stories [pb, Crippen & Landru Publishers, 1997]) 978-1885941114 [enlarged edition, pb, Crippen & Landru, 2016] 978-1936363209