King of the Jews by Leslie Epstein

"...an existential take on Holocaust atrocities that contains elements of Sartre and Beckett as well as a study of desperate human behavior you might see in a classic Agatha Christie drawing room murder mystery."

"What may be most unusual, most memorable, and most important about Epstein's work is how deeply funny it is. The novel's mordant wit provoked controversy when it first appeared -- how dare he joke about the Holocaust? -- but King of the Jews would not be what it is without the laughs. Without laughter, it would be less human. And if it were less human, it would provoke less sorrow, less dread, less repentance for the evil we humans can do."