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Avraham Avraham #3
Die schwere Hand
Gerade erst zum Leiter der Ermittlungseinheit befördert, wird Avi Avraham in einer stürmischen Nacht an einen Tatort gerufen. Die Tote erkennt er sofort, vor Jahren war sie Opfer einer Vergewaltigung geworden, nur sitzt der Täter noch im Gefängnis. Die Suche nach dem Motiv führt Avi in die Archive und in die eigenen Reihen. Gegen den Widerstand seiner Kollegen ermittelt Avi, doch die alten Fälle bergen neue Tragödien.
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First published January 1, 2015
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About the author
D.A. Mishani
16 books163 followersD. A. Mishani (born in 1975) is an Israeli crime writer, editor and literary scholar, specializing in the history of detective fiction.
His first detective novel, "The missing file", was published in Hebrew in 2011. Translation rights for the novel, the first in a crime series featuring police inspector Avraham Avraham, were sold to more than 10 territories. The American edition of "The missing file" will be published by HarperCollins on April 2013.
D. A. Mishani lives with his wife and two children in Tel Aviv, and writes the second novel in the series, "Possibility of violence".
His first detective novel, "The missing file", was published in Hebrew in 2011. Translation rights for the novel, the first in a crime series featuring police inspector Avraham Avraham, were sold to more than 10 territories. The American edition of "The missing file" will be published by HarperCollins on April 2013.
D. A. Mishani lives with his wife and two children in Tel Aviv, and writes the second novel in the series, "Possibility of violence".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
November 27, 2021
*Thank you to Shotsmag for my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Newly promoted Inspector Avi Avraham hasn't yet developed the hard exterior common of most seasoned cops; he's a kind and compassionate man; a man of principles and for me, a breath of pure mountain air. Of course, he isn't perfect, but you know something? I think you're gonna love him.
It's a stormy night when Avi (now Head of Investigations) of the Israeli Police Force is called to the scene of a brutal murder. There's a shock waiting for him, when he realizes he knows the victim. Her name was Leah Yeger, and she was the victim of a rapist a few years before. The rapist is still serving a prison sentence, so that rules him out as a suspect. A neighbor claims he saw a policeman leaving the scene of the crime but despite all efforts, this mysterious policeman can't be found.
Avi is determined to get justice for Leah, and his investigations lead him to Mazal Bengtson, a young married mother with a troubled marriage, and from there, events take a very sinister twist.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Inspector Avraham and Mazal Bengtson. Both perspectives give us great insight into their daily lives. We get a ringside seat to see the police procedural in action minute by minute, and the way Avi will defy orders from his superiors in order to catch the killer. In Mazal's case we see and feel her misery as her marriage starts to crumble around her.
I love how realistic these characters are, you can picture them moving through their daily lives, and that's all thanks to the minute detail provided by the author. It was so enlightening. The storyline was good and I liked the way the dual perspectives were brought together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The story moved at just the right pace too, and if I was given just two words to describe my reading experience, they would have to be 'very enjoyable'.
Newly promoted Inspector Avi Avraham hasn't yet developed the hard exterior common of most seasoned cops; he's a kind and compassionate man; a man of principles and for me, a breath of pure mountain air. Of course, he isn't perfect, but you know something? I think you're gonna love him.
It's a stormy night when Avi (now Head of Investigations) of the Israeli Police Force is called to the scene of a brutal murder. There's a shock waiting for him, when he realizes he knows the victim. Her name was Leah Yeger, and she was the victim of a rapist a few years before. The rapist is still serving a prison sentence, so that rules him out as a suspect. A neighbor claims he saw a policeman leaving the scene of the crime but despite all efforts, this mysterious policeman can't be found.
Avi is determined to get justice for Leah, and his investigations lead him to Mazal Bengtson, a young married mother with a troubled marriage, and from there, events take a very sinister twist.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Inspector Avraham and Mazal Bengtson. Both perspectives give us great insight into their daily lives. We get a ringside seat to see the police procedural in action minute by minute, and the way Avi will defy orders from his superiors in order to catch the killer. In Mazal's case we see and feel her misery as her marriage starts to crumble around her.
I love how realistic these characters are, you can picture them moving through their daily lives, and that's all thanks to the minute detail provided by the author. It was so enlightening. The storyline was good and I liked the way the dual perspectives were brought together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The story moved at just the right pace too, and if I was given just two words to describe my reading experience, they would have to be 'very enjoyable'.
June 20, 2016
This is an unusual crime story which is primarily character driven. Mali Bengsten is pregnant and has two children and a husband, Kobi, that she loves with every fibre of her being. Through Mali, we get an insight into her life. her worries and concerns about the odd and peculiar behaviour of her husband, plus she has no idea as to his whereabouts on the night of the storm. Kobi is unemployed and endeavouring to secure another job.
DI Avraham, or Avi, is heading his first murder investigation. The dead body of Leah Yeger is discovered in her apartment. There are absolutely no leads, with the exception of an elderly witness who claims hearing a struggle and on going to investigate, observes a policeman going down the stairs. The victim is known to Avi as someone who was sexually assaulted and the perpetrator is in prison. Avi struggles to lead the investigation and manage what he feels are the unreasonable demands of his bosses. We do get insights of his relationship with Marianka who lives with him, and the communication problems they experience. Mali's past life and Avi's investigation are inextricably linked. A series of chance discoveries lead Avi and his team close to what happened to Leah, with Avi obsessed with discovering the characters and motivations.
This is a story that looks at how one sexual assault has a series of repercussions further down the years. It examines how people can be affected by sexual assaults and how it can come to tear lives apart. Marianka forensically examines her relationship with Avi in a way that he finds disturbing. It is all about the characters in this novel, and the thought provoking nature of relationships. A recommended read.
DI Avraham, or Avi, is heading his first murder investigation. The dead body of Leah Yeger is discovered in her apartment. There are absolutely no leads, with the exception of an elderly witness who claims hearing a struggle and on going to investigate, observes a policeman going down the stairs. The victim is known to Avi as someone who was sexually assaulted and the perpetrator is in prison. Avi struggles to lead the investigation and manage what he feels are the unreasonable demands of his bosses. We do get insights of his relationship with Marianka who lives with him, and the communication problems they experience. Mali's past life and Avi's investigation are inextricably linked. A series of chance discoveries lead Avi and his team close to what happened to Leah, with Avi obsessed with discovering the characters and motivations.
This is a story that looks at how one sexual assault has a series of repercussions further down the years. It examines how people can be affected by sexual assaults and how it can come to tear lives apart. Marianka forensically examines her relationship with Avi in a way that he finds disturbing. It is all about the characters in this novel, and the thought provoking nature of relationships. A recommended read.
October 24, 2018
3.5
An original storyline, the main characters are far from the stereotypes in much crime fiction, and the pace rattles along.
I was mildly irritated by the many ‘if only he had done this now’, ‘and this would be the last time they...’, which were like potholes along the way. But a good read for holidays.
An original storyline, the main characters are far from the stereotypes in much crime fiction, and the pace rattles along.
I was mildly irritated by the many ‘if only he had done this now’, ‘and this would be the last time they...’, which were like potholes along the way. But a good read for holidays.
April 15, 2025
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/האיש...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/האיש...
June 17, 2019
הספר הטוב ביותר בסדרה עד כה. עלילה מוצלחת, והדמות של אברהם אברהם מתפתחת עם כל ספר בסדרה. מומלץ.
March 6, 2019
The plot was okay, though everyone was gloomy and unhappy all the time. Not that I need a book about a murder to be upbeat, but geez! Everyone was constantly miserable. It felt like a book full of Eeyores. My biggest problem with this book was that I think the translation was bad. The dialogue was extremely stilted and awkward. Maybe that's how it is in the original language and the author is just not that great a writer (it happens; looking at you, Dean Koontz!), but I'll give the him the benefit of the doubt here since the translation of the title is obviously ridiculous. I do hope it's true that they watch Friends in Israel and that wasn't a change made in translation!
June 8, 2018
הספר האחרון (אולי יהיו עוד? אני מקווה) בסדרת ספרי החוקר אברהם אברהם, הלוזר המתחבט מחולון. זה הספר הטוב שבהם. שוב אנחנו נחשפים לסיפור הבלשי ולסיפור החקירה במקביל אבל הסיפור כאן עמוק יותר ונוגע ביצר האנושי לדעת הכל או לא לדעת דבר. כמו בספרים הקודמים לא הכל פתור, אבל אלו החיים ואלו הגיבורים של הספר ויפה שכך.
May 17, 2019
עוד ספר מצוין של משעני בסדרת ״אברהם אברהם״. אני ממש אוהב את הבלש המיוסר הזה ואת כתיבתו של משעני. עד כה ככל שאני קורא את חלקי הסדרה היא רק משתבחת מספר לספר ואני כבר סקרן לגבי החלק הבא...
October 5, 2025
Stigavši na mjesto ubojstva kao novi zapovjednik istrage, Avi Avraham ostaje zatečen kad shvati da žrtvu poznaje od ranije. Leah Yeger, udovica srednjih godina, koja je brutalno zadavljena u vlastitom stanu, poznata mu je iz istrage u kojoj je bila žrtva silovanja prije nekoliko godina. Silovatelj još uvijek služi zatvorsku kaznu, što ga isključuje kao osumnjičenika.
Avijev glavni trag je očevidac koji tvrdi da je vidio policajca kako silazi niz stubište zgrade nekoliko minuta nakon ubojstva, ali unatoč svim naporima, taj misteriozni policajac nije pronađen.
Istraga ga ubrzo dovodi do Mazal Bengtson, mlade žene koja se bori s traumom iz prošlosti. Ona na početku nije izravno povezana s ubojstvom, ali njezina prošlost i obiteljski odnosi postepeno postaju ključni za razumijevanje složenosti slučaja.
🕵🏽Cijelom ovom serijalu najviše me privlači upravo Avi Avraham. On je zapravo toliko običan i skroman, čovjek pun sumnji, previše samokritičan, često u raskoraku s vlastitim kolegama. Njegova najveća želja je znati istinu, razumjeti ljude i njihove motive do najsitnijih detalja, a njegov najveći strah da je previdio nešto važno i da je zbog toga netko stradao.
🕵🏽Privatno, Avraham je tih, povučen i teško uspostavlja odnose, ali u sebi nosi veliku empatiju i osjećaj odgovornosti. Njegove istrage nikad nisu samo potraga za krivcem, one su i potraga za smislom u svijetu prepunom kaosa.
Avijev glavni trag je očevidac koji tvrdi da je vidio policajca kako silazi niz stubište zgrade nekoliko minuta nakon ubojstva, ali unatoč svim naporima, taj misteriozni policajac nije pronađen.
Istraga ga ubrzo dovodi do Mazal Bengtson, mlade žene koja se bori s traumom iz prošlosti. Ona na početku nije izravno povezana s ubojstvom, ali njezina prošlost i obiteljski odnosi postepeno postaju ključni za razumijevanje složenosti slučaja.
🕵🏽Cijelom ovom serijalu najviše me privlači upravo Avi Avraham. On je zapravo toliko običan i skroman, čovjek pun sumnji, previše samokritičan, često u raskoraku s vlastitim kolegama. Njegova najveća želja je znati istinu, razumjeti ljude i njihove motive do najsitnijih detalja, a njegov najveći strah da je previdio nešto važno i da je zbog toga netko stradao.
🕵🏽Privatno, Avraham je tih, povučen i teško uspostavlja odnose, ali u sebi nosi veliku empatiju i osjećaj odgovornosti. Njegove istrage nikad nisu samo potraga za krivcem, one su i potraga za smislom u svijetu prepunom kaosa.
June 11, 2016
This is the story of a crime within a crime or rather the repercussions of a crime. The way crime leaves more than just the actual victim in its wake.
The scene between Avraham and Ilana is pivotal for the investigation and his own insight. She questions his motives, which really rattles his cage. In turn he realises that she doesn’t really belong on a pedestal.
In fact she agrees with the decisions made by Saban. The conversation shatters this imaginary image he had in his head, of his ex-supervisor and himself. It makes him doubt his gut intuition as a detective.
I have to say the story progresses a wee bit like someone fishing in a huge lake waiting for a fish to nibble. I’m not sure any fish gets caught to be completely honest, which is probably the charm of this book.
It has a conclusion, and yet it still seems as if the fisherman is still casting away. It’s hard to explain, perhaps it was the topic in general. I think Mishani was trying to create the kind of atmosphere that exists for victims of rape and their loved ones.
There is a before and an after, except the after never really goes away. It hangs around like a lingering smell, pushed to the back of the victim’s mind. Even if the rapist is punished, and in our society that isn’t a given, it doesn’t change the facts. The punishment also doesn’t take all the casualties into account.
The author leaves the reader with the same feeling of frustration and sense that somehow nothing has really been resolved.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Quercus via NetGalley.
The scene between Avraham and Ilana is pivotal for the investigation and his own insight. She questions his motives, which really rattles his cage. In turn he realises that she doesn’t really belong on a pedestal.
In fact she agrees with the decisions made by Saban. The conversation shatters this imaginary image he had in his head, of his ex-supervisor and himself. It makes him doubt his gut intuition as a detective.
I have to say the story progresses a wee bit like someone fishing in a huge lake waiting for a fish to nibble. I’m not sure any fish gets caught to be completely honest, which is probably the charm of this book.
It has a conclusion, and yet it still seems as if the fisherman is still casting away. It’s hard to explain, perhaps it was the topic in general. I think Mishani was trying to create the kind of atmosphere that exists for victims of rape and their loved ones.
There is a before and an after, except the after never really goes away. It hangs around like a lingering smell, pushed to the back of the victim’s mind. Even if the rapist is punished, and in our society that isn’t a given, it doesn’t change the facts. The punishment also doesn’t take all the casualties into account.
The author leaves the reader with the same feeling of frustration and sense that somehow nothing has really been resolved.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Quercus via NetGalley.
February 13, 2020
Der Autor ist Literaturdozent mit dem Spezialgebiet Geschichte der Kriminalliteratur. Das kann einen ja gleich einmal misstrauisch stimmen, von wegen Klugscheißer und jetzt mal alles besser machen. Auf jeden Fall macht er es ganz anders und was mich besonders bezirzt hat – wie er seine Fertigkeit von Roman zu Roman steigert und dass das, was einen anfangs eher irritiert und, ja, etwas genervt hat: Es ist Methode. Der introvertierte, von seinem Beruf besessene Ermittler hangelt sich von einem Fehler zum nächsten, wobei man das sogar als Leser durchaus nachvollziehen kann, doch die Handlungen spielen auf verschiedenen Ebenen, sodass man ihm oftmals voraus ist. Denkt man. Und das empfinde ich als die besondere Kunstfertigkeit des Autors und lässt mich auf Fortsetzungen hoffen. Man glaubt nur, der allwissende Leser zu sein, aber selbst wenn am Ende der Fall gelöst ist, bleibt doch immer noch das Geheimnis …
August 29, 2024
As a novel it was quite okay, but as a crime story a bit boring. After the first half of the book it is rather clear what happened and the motive remains a mystery until the end.
February 28, 2021
This might be the best of the series so far. The writing was a little less fussy and the procedural part of things was very convincing. We might get a slightly rangier number of POVs than is necessary which would be fine, except we never really get inside the head of the one character whose motivations are really being investigated. Avi Avraham remains focused but insecure. He's unlike most detectives leading a series. He can be a bit lumpen and unsure of himself, but he is a talented cop and he is getting the job done.
Good stuff here and really nice to see an improvement on the earlier books.
Good stuff here and really nice to see an improvement on the earlier books.
November 30, 2021
Le genre de polar que j’adore. Dépaysant, sans excès de violence, lu en 24 heures.
March 4, 2018
Avi Avraham wurde vor Kurzem zum Leiter der Ermittlungsbehörde ernannt und bekommt nun seinen ersten Mordfall, den er unter eigener Regie lösen muss. Avi kennt die Ermordete, Lea Jäger, denn sie war vor einigen Jahren das Opfer einer Vergewaltigung. Derweil sich sein Chef und seine Kollege, der bei der Beförderung übergangen wurden, schnell auf den Sohn als Tatverdächtigen einschießen, ermittelt Avi in eine andere Richtung. Kann es sein, dass ein Polizist, der vorgibt die Vergewaltigungsopfer nochmal verhören zu wollen, der Täter ist?
Obwohl ich erst mit dem jetzt vorliegenden, dritten Teil der Reihe eingestiegen bin, bereitet das überhaupt keine Probleme und ich konnte problemlos einsteigen. Avi Avraham ist befördert worden und leitet nun die Ermittlungen. Er vermisst seine frühere Vorgesetzte und fühlt sich auch noch nicht wohl in seiner neuen Aufgabe, trotzdem ermittelt er beharrlich in die Richtung, die ihm die Ermittlungen vorgeben. Und lässt sich weder von seinen Vorgesetzten einschüchtern, die um den guten Ruf der Polizei fürchten, noch von seinem Kollegen, der sich übergangen fühlt und nach Ermittlungsfehlern sucht. Avi ist sowieso ein ruhiger, nachdenklicher Mensch, fast melancholisch. Hier erinnert er sehr an die skandinavischen Ermittler, aber ohne Düsternis oder gar Alkoholproblem. Nichtsdestotrotz macht ihm auch sein Privatleben ein wenig zu schaffen, so ist doch mittlerweile seine Liebe, Marianka, aus Belgien bei ihm eingetroffen. Ein Versuch, denn Marianka spricht weder die Sprache, noch hat sie einen Job in Israel, aber die Liebe überwindet Grenzen. Nur ist es eben nicht immer einfach.
Tatsächlich muss sich Avi Avraham das Buch aber mit einem zweiten Erzählstrang teilen. Hier geht es um Mali, eine junge Frau, die vor einigen Jahren in Eilat auf einem Betriebsausflug nachts vergewaltigt wurde. Der Täter ist nicht gefasst worden und die damaligen Ermittler hatten denn auch Zweifel an Malis Geschichte. Doch Mali hat heute noch Albträume von der schweren Hand des Täters, die sich auf sie legt. Dieses Ereignis hat die kleine Familie zutiefst erschüttert. Coby, ihr Mann kann keinen Job behalten und ist auf der Suche nach neuer Arbeit. Es macht ihm zu schaffen, dass er die Familie nicht versorgen kann, er zieht sich zurück und wird immer schweigsamer. Mali versucht die Familie zusammenzuhalten, hat Albträume und kann nicht mehr alleine schlafen. Nach und nach beginnt Mali zu ahnen, dass es ihrem Mann nicht nur aufs Gemüt schlägt, dass er die Familie nicht versorgen kann, sondern das weit mehr dahinter steckt.
Wer nun einen Reiseführer über Israel erwartet hat, wird enttäuscht sein, denn der Fokus von Dror Mishani liegt nicht auf seinem Land, sondern auf dem Seelenleben der Menschen. Ganz leise, feine Charakterbilder zeichnet er, die Stimmung ist ruhig und melancholisch, mit wenig, aber kontinuierlicher Spannung versehen. Es gibt keinen großen Knall und auch schon früh ahnt man, wer der Täter ist, es ist keine große Überraschung. Trotzdem liest man weiter, erkennt und blickt tief, tief in die Seelen der beteiligten Menschen: der Vergewaltigungsopfer, der Angehörigen, der Ermittler.
Fazit:
Großes Kino ganz leise erzählt – nicht auf den Knalleffekt kommt es an, denn Spannung kann auch ganz leise überzeugen. So wie in Avi Avrahams erster eigener Mordermittlung. Lesenswert!
Obwohl ich erst mit dem jetzt vorliegenden, dritten Teil der Reihe eingestiegen bin, bereitet das überhaupt keine Probleme und ich konnte problemlos einsteigen. Avi Avraham ist befördert worden und leitet nun die Ermittlungen. Er vermisst seine frühere Vorgesetzte und fühlt sich auch noch nicht wohl in seiner neuen Aufgabe, trotzdem ermittelt er beharrlich in die Richtung, die ihm die Ermittlungen vorgeben. Und lässt sich weder von seinen Vorgesetzten einschüchtern, die um den guten Ruf der Polizei fürchten, noch von seinem Kollegen, der sich übergangen fühlt und nach Ermittlungsfehlern sucht. Avi ist sowieso ein ruhiger, nachdenklicher Mensch, fast melancholisch. Hier erinnert er sehr an die skandinavischen Ermittler, aber ohne Düsternis oder gar Alkoholproblem. Nichtsdestotrotz macht ihm auch sein Privatleben ein wenig zu schaffen, so ist doch mittlerweile seine Liebe, Marianka, aus Belgien bei ihm eingetroffen. Ein Versuch, denn Marianka spricht weder die Sprache, noch hat sie einen Job in Israel, aber die Liebe überwindet Grenzen. Nur ist es eben nicht immer einfach.
Tatsächlich muss sich Avi Avraham das Buch aber mit einem zweiten Erzählstrang teilen. Hier geht es um Mali, eine junge Frau, die vor einigen Jahren in Eilat auf einem Betriebsausflug nachts vergewaltigt wurde. Der Täter ist nicht gefasst worden und die damaligen Ermittler hatten denn auch Zweifel an Malis Geschichte. Doch Mali hat heute noch Albträume von der schweren Hand des Täters, die sich auf sie legt. Dieses Ereignis hat die kleine Familie zutiefst erschüttert. Coby, ihr Mann kann keinen Job behalten und ist auf der Suche nach neuer Arbeit. Es macht ihm zu schaffen, dass er die Familie nicht versorgen kann, er zieht sich zurück und wird immer schweigsamer. Mali versucht die Familie zusammenzuhalten, hat Albträume und kann nicht mehr alleine schlafen. Nach und nach beginnt Mali zu ahnen, dass es ihrem Mann nicht nur aufs Gemüt schlägt, dass er die Familie nicht versorgen kann, sondern das weit mehr dahinter steckt.
Wer nun einen Reiseführer über Israel erwartet hat, wird enttäuscht sein, denn der Fokus von Dror Mishani liegt nicht auf seinem Land, sondern auf dem Seelenleben der Menschen. Ganz leise, feine Charakterbilder zeichnet er, die Stimmung ist ruhig und melancholisch, mit wenig, aber kontinuierlicher Spannung versehen. Es gibt keinen großen Knall und auch schon früh ahnt man, wer der Täter ist, es ist keine große Überraschung. Trotzdem liest man weiter, erkennt und blickt tief, tief in die Seelen der beteiligten Menschen: der Vergewaltigungsopfer, der Angehörigen, der Ermittler.
Fazit:
Großes Kino ganz leise erzählt – nicht auf den Knalleffekt kommt es an, denn Spannung kann auch ganz leise überzeugen. So wie in Avi Avrahams erster eigener Mordermittlung. Lesenswert!
December 5, 2016
Avi Avraham has been promoted to Commander of the Investigations and Intelligence unit and is getting his feet wet slowly. His first case deals with the death of a woman named Leah Yeger, an older woman and the victim of a rape several years previously. Avi is puzzled about this and can only wonder about the reasons for her murder. Her rapist is still in jail and she appears to have no enemies. The only lead he has is that a neighbor saw a police officer leaving the apartment building at approximately the same time as the crime occurred.
The novel deals with two parallel stories, one about Leah Yeger's murder, and the other about a young family comprised of Mazel Bengtson, her husband Kobi, and their two children. As the book opens, Mazel sees a gun in her house and this scares her. She watches her husband reeling due to months of unemployment. Mazel has a good job at a bank but she suffers traumatic memories of being raped while on a past business trip.
Do these two women have anything in common or is the killing of Leah Yeger just a fluke? Gradually, the two stories begin to converge and the back stories of both these women become known and essential aspects of the plot.
D.A. Mishati is a good writer and the translation from the Hebrew by Todd Hasak-Lowy is excellent. This is not the strongest of Mishani's novels. I enjoyed 'A Possibility of Violence' and 'The Missing File' more than this. However, it holds its own in the mystery genre as a strong character based novel.
The novel deals with two parallel stories, one about Leah Yeger's murder, and the other about a young family comprised of Mazel Bengtson, her husband Kobi, and their two children. As the book opens, Mazel sees a gun in her house and this scares her. She watches her husband reeling due to months of unemployment. Mazel has a good job at a bank but she suffers traumatic memories of being raped while on a past business trip.
Do these two women have anything in common or is the killing of Leah Yeger just a fluke? Gradually, the two stories begin to converge and the back stories of both these women become known and essential aspects of the plot.
D.A. Mishati is a good writer and the translation from the Hebrew by Todd Hasak-Lowy is excellent. This is not the strongest of Mishani's novels. I enjoyed 'A Possibility of Violence' and 'The Missing File' more than this. However, it holds its own in the mystery genre as a strong character based novel.
March 21, 2017
This book was a tough slog with little reward at the finish. Basically we have a psychological evaluation of the police inspector, his wife, the killer, and his wife. No suspense at all as story plods on to the eventual conclusion. The only mystery at all was the killer's motive; it was banal.
May 28, 2016
Discover the locations in the novel: link: The Man who wanted to know
Crime fiction yes, but Israeli crime fiction? A bit different, certainly. I have only recently discovered this author but am really pleased I have. The books are not as gripping as some crime fiction but they do give a really interesting and insightful portrayal into the police procedures in a different part of the world.
This is a good solid police procedural and there’s a lot to discover about A Avraham, his home life and his struggles to move up at work and not endure the wrath of his colleagues. I enjoyed his story and at first wasn’t sure who Mazal was and why she was so important to the story so that did make me a little impatient. Having said that, everything comes right in the end.
I found the two threads of the story and how they wound together a very satisfying read and although the plot is quite sedate and the character studies are what really works here, it’s the setting and the dusty streets and unfamiliarity of it all that really made me want to read more from this author.
Clare
Crime fiction yes, but Israeli crime fiction? A bit different, certainly. I have only recently discovered this author but am really pleased I have. The books are not as gripping as some crime fiction but they do give a really interesting and insightful portrayal into the police procedures in a different part of the world.
This is a good solid police procedural and there’s a lot to discover about A Avraham, his home life and his struggles to move up at work and not endure the wrath of his colleagues. I enjoyed his story and at first wasn’t sure who Mazal was and why she was so important to the story so that did make me a little impatient. Having said that, everything comes right in the end.
I found the two threads of the story and how they wound together a very satisfying read and although the plot is quite sedate and the character studies are what really works here, it’s the setting and the dusty streets and unfamiliarity of it all that really made me want to read more from this author.
Clare
May 20, 2017
I love Mishani’s series—for one I don’t think there are many crime/mystery novels coming from Israel and second his novels read as if they’re written with kindness. In the latest of the series Inspector Avraham Avraham (who takes issue with fictional mysteries since he thinks they always get the wrong person) recognizes a murder victim as the victim of rape from a previous case. Told in alternating POV you’re taken into the daily lives of Avraham and Bengtson, a woman in a troubled marriage. Perfect for fans of police procedurals and the exploration of human nature.
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: Calling Veronica Mars Fans, Marcia Clark's New Series, And More Mystery/Thrillers
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: Calling Veronica Mars Fans, Marcia Clark's New Series, And More Mystery/Thrillers
March 11, 2023
review of
D. A. Mishani's The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - March 10, 2023
I've been making my way thru my personal library's crime fiction / mysteries section, reading work by authors I hadn't previously read, in alphabetical order. Now, I'm up to "M", the 13th letter of the alphabet, roughly halfway thru. I'm sticking to this project but I'm beginning to get a bit bored by mysteries. So, e.g., when I read the following..
"He put the umbrella on the floor without thanking her, and it was this of all things that put her over the edge. "Are you seriously set on celebrating our anniversary like this?" she asked, and when he got up she almost screamed at him, "Kobi, do you hear me at all? Do you hear that I'm talking to you? It's Mali from class. The war started." He turned to her and his eyes lit up and it was then that she must have understood that something terrible had happened." - pp 17-18
..I didn't care - more human drama, ho hum. I'm not saying it was poorly written, it's just my state of mind, I'm sick of human drama, fictional or factual. Heavy rain is happening & the detective who's just been promoted is about to investigate his 1st murder case.
"Most of the police in the district were busy clearing the roads clogged up with rain or evacuating flooded buildings or dealing with traffic accidents. This is what he, too, did on days like this during his first years with the police. Now he was commander of Investigations and Intelligence, thanks to solving an assault case that occurred not far from their spot on the boardwalk and to those two boys he saved from death." - p 24
The detective Avraham Avraham, goes to the scene of the crime & asks the neighbor on the floor below whether he heard any disturbance.
"Yeger was a quiet neighbor and she usually rested in the afternoon hours, like the neighbor himself. So he opened the door and walked up half a flight of stairs, only then it got quiet and he decided not to knock on the door. But his afternoon nap had already been disturbed, so he didn't go back to bed, and a few minutes later he heard footsteps and through the peephole saw a policeman going down the stairs. He thought that someone had called him because of the noise and that the policeman had checked into the matter, so he didn't call the police himself." - p 33
Kobi, the person we're led to believe is the prime suspect, tells his wife Mali something-or-another to explain his recent odd behavior.
"And even in retrospect she thought that there was no way to know that he was lying. He said, "Mali, the police are looking for me," and she looked at his red eyes." - p 94
The reader muddles thru the what & why of it along w/ the detective.
"Diana said that it wasn't anything important. She wanted to return to a policeman who had been at her place a few days earlier the umbrella he had forgotten, and because she didn't remember his name and didn't have his phone number, she called the station and asked to speak with Avraham." - p 107
"on his way back from a job interview, Kobi struck a pedestrian with his car who had charged into the street without looking. That was their anniversary." - p 119
Avraham Avraham searches surveillance camera footage for something showing a policeman leaving the scene of the crime. Something is found.
"If he had received permission from Saban to do it, he would post it the same day on the police Facebook page or ask that it be broadcast on the television news in order to receive the public's help in the search." - p 157
As is so often the case in police fiction, the detective's personal life makes things more difficult for him when his wife's parents come to visit from Belgium w/ the intention of convincing the wife to return home to Belgium from Israel where she & her husband are living.
"["]And it is important to us to emphasize that we have nothing against Avi, just the opposite, we respect him, and actually because of that we hope that he will understand and help you to leave."" - p 166
Fortunately, Avi realizes that the in-laws are the murderers & shoots them in self-defense.
Just kidding.
You know that you're in the 21st century when Facebook plays a role.
"He wanted to know where Bengston worked and what car he had, and if it was photographed in the area of the scene on the day the murder took place. He even asked Ma'alul to find out if Bengston had a Facebook account and what kind of material he posted there." - p 219
&, of course, Kobi's cellphone plays a role too.
"Yaakov Bengston's cell phone was found in his pants' pocket" - p 268
"Bengston asked Leah Yeger to say her full name and her identity card number, and then said, "Tell me, please, about the rape,"" - p 269
"And for some reason it was written that the killer's cell phone was found in a search that the detective team conducted in the apartment where he resided, and that the voice file in which Yeger was recorded minutes before her death was successfully restored by the Advanced Computing Unit of the Israeli police, even though the killer had erased it from his device." - pp 274-275
"He reminded himself over and over that Mazal Bengston told Vahaba in her questioning that her husband wanted to be caught because he couldn't suffer anymore and that he didn't even erase the incriminating file from his cell phone." - p 278
All in all, this was fine, it was subtle, a good glance at an occluded look at a dysfunctional human being blundering thru an obsession. Still, I didn't care that much - but that probably has more to do w/ my mood than w/ qualities of the bk.
D. A. Mishani's The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - March 10, 2023
I've been making my way thru my personal library's crime fiction / mysteries section, reading work by authors I hadn't previously read, in alphabetical order. Now, I'm up to "M", the 13th letter of the alphabet, roughly halfway thru. I'm sticking to this project but I'm beginning to get a bit bored by mysteries. So, e.g., when I read the following..
"He put the umbrella on the floor without thanking her, and it was this of all things that put her over the edge. "Are you seriously set on celebrating our anniversary like this?" she asked, and when he got up she almost screamed at him, "Kobi, do you hear me at all? Do you hear that I'm talking to you? It's Mali from class. The war started." He turned to her and his eyes lit up and it was then that she must have understood that something terrible had happened." - pp 17-18
..I didn't care - more human drama, ho hum. I'm not saying it was poorly written, it's just my state of mind, I'm sick of human drama, fictional or factual. Heavy rain is happening & the detective who's just been promoted is about to investigate his 1st murder case.
"Most of the police in the district were busy clearing the roads clogged up with rain or evacuating flooded buildings or dealing with traffic accidents. This is what he, too, did on days like this during his first years with the police. Now he was commander of Investigations and Intelligence, thanks to solving an assault case that occurred not far from their spot on the boardwalk and to those two boys he saved from death." - p 24
The detective Avraham Avraham, goes to the scene of the crime & asks the neighbor on the floor below whether he heard any disturbance.
"Yeger was a quiet neighbor and she usually rested in the afternoon hours, like the neighbor himself. So he opened the door and walked up half a flight of stairs, only then it got quiet and he decided not to knock on the door. But his afternoon nap had already been disturbed, so he didn't go back to bed, and a few minutes later he heard footsteps and through the peephole saw a policeman going down the stairs. He thought that someone had called him because of the noise and that the policeman had checked into the matter, so he didn't call the police himself." - p 33
Kobi, the person we're led to believe is the prime suspect, tells his wife Mali something-or-another to explain his recent odd behavior.
"And even in retrospect she thought that there was no way to know that he was lying. He said, "Mali, the police are looking for me," and she looked at his red eyes." - p 94
The reader muddles thru the what & why of it along w/ the detective.
"Diana said that it wasn't anything important. She wanted to return to a policeman who had been at her place a few days earlier the umbrella he had forgotten, and because she didn't remember his name and didn't have his phone number, she called the station and asked to speak with Avraham." - p 107
"on his way back from a job interview, Kobi struck a pedestrian with his car who had charged into the street without looking. That was their anniversary." - p 119
Avraham Avraham searches surveillance camera footage for something showing a policeman leaving the scene of the crime. Something is found.
"If he had received permission from Saban to do it, he would post it the same day on the police Facebook page or ask that it be broadcast on the television news in order to receive the public's help in the search." - p 157
As is so often the case in police fiction, the detective's personal life makes things more difficult for him when his wife's parents come to visit from Belgium w/ the intention of convincing the wife to return home to Belgium from Israel where she & her husband are living.
"["]And it is important to us to emphasize that we have nothing against Avi, just the opposite, we respect him, and actually because of that we hope that he will understand and help you to leave."" - p 166
Fortunately, Avi realizes that the in-laws are the murderers & shoots them in self-defense.
Just kidding.
You know that you're in the 21st century when Facebook plays a role.
"He wanted to know where Bengston worked and what car he had, and if it was photographed in the area of the scene on the day the murder took place. He even asked Ma'alul to find out if Bengston had a Facebook account and what kind of material he posted there." - p 219
&, of course, Kobi's cellphone plays a role too.
"Yaakov Bengston's cell phone was found in his pants' pocket" - p 268
"Bengston asked Leah Yeger to say her full name and her identity card number, and then said, "Tell me, please, about the rape,"" - p 269
"And for some reason it was written that the killer's cell phone was found in a search that the detective team conducted in the apartment where he resided, and that the voice file in which Yeger was recorded minutes before her death was successfully restored by the Advanced Computing Unit of the Israeli police, even though the killer had erased it from his device." - pp 274-275
"He reminded himself over and over that Mazal Bengston told Vahaba in her questioning that her husband wanted to be caught because he couldn't suffer anymore and that he didn't even erase the incriminating file from his cell phone." - p 278
All in all, this was fine, it was subtle, a good glance at an occluded look at a dysfunctional human being blundering thru an obsession. Still, I didn't care that much - but that probably has more to do w/ my mood than w/ qualities of the bk.
September 9, 2016
This is a great slow burner. Intriguing at first but in general a slow build up to a tense finish. The ending surprised me. The author does a great job of juggling multiple story lines and also the internal psychological struggle of the Detective. This latter issue is addressed sparsely but wonderfully. I'm highly impressed with the writing. It's easy to see why the author has won so many awards. I will be reading more!
October 15, 2019
There's something quite freeing about D.A.Mishani's writing. It's not a hide the conclusion type detective novel, it's a wonderfully sculpted story that allows facts to unravel when they need to, if that means finding out who the killer is (or at least having a very very good idea) 150 pages before the end, then so be it. I love his style, and I love the setting of Israel.
September 19, 2015
יש עומק בספר. זה יותר מעוד ספר מתח.
January 16, 2016
החלק הראשון טוב, אבל בשלב מסוים העניינים מתחילים להיות ברורים וזה -קצת מקלקל.
January 22, 2019
annoyed me - not sure why - did not finish
April 2, 2023
3.5
Set in Israel, this novel alternates the storytelling between Avi and Mali. Mali is married to a man who is depressed, and Mali is juggling work, her children and his concerning behaviour. Avi Abraham is investigating the murder of a woman in her home. The case is not straightforward, and Avi misses the guidance of his former boss who is being treated for cancer. It is the first time he has led a murder enquiry.
Joining the series at number 3, I didn't really know Avi's backstory. The characters names are all unfamiliar, being Israeli, and I had to concentrate at times to determine who was who. What I particularly liked is how realistic Avi is as a character. He struggled with doubts; with the politics of senior officers; with missing his boss and wanting to talk to her, and not thinking through what she is going through. He was flawed; the investigation was not "textbook" and his personal life was a bit messy.
This series has been adapted as a TV drama, relocating story from Israel to America. The TV series was watchable, so I read the one book the local library had, which is number 3 in the series. It worked well as a stand alone, but would probably be better read in order. To read or to watch? To be honest, apart from the detective's name, the book was so different from the tv series that I would be quite bewildered if I were the author.
Set in Israel, this novel alternates the storytelling between Avi and Mali. Mali is married to a man who is depressed, and Mali is juggling work, her children and his concerning behaviour. Avi Abraham is investigating the murder of a woman in her home. The case is not straightforward, and Avi misses the guidance of his former boss who is being treated for cancer. It is the first time he has led a murder enquiry.
Joining the series at number 3, I didn't really know Avi's backstory. The characters names are all unfamiliar, being Israeli, and I had to concentrate at times to determine who was who. What I particularly liked is how realistic Avi is as a character. He struggled with doubts; with the politics of senior officers; with missing his boss and wanting to talk to her, and not thinking through what she is going through. He was flawed; the investigation was not "textbook" and his personal life was a bit messy.
This series has been adapted as a TV drama, relocating story from Israel to America. The TV series was watchable, so I read the one book the local library had, which is number 3 in the series. It worked well as a stand alone, but would probably be better read in order. To read or to watch? To be honest, apart from the detective's name, the book was so different from the tv series that I would be quite bewildered if I were the author.
June 21, 2021
Pour cette troisième enquête, Avraham est confrontée à un meurtre, c’est sa première fois.
En parallèle, nous suivons Maly, jeune mère de famille avec deux petites filles et un mari étrange au chômage. Nous comprenons bien vite que Kovi, le mari, cache quelques chose. Et nous découvrons petit à petit de quoi il s’agit.
Et puis il y a Marianka qui arrive de Bruxelles pour passer quelques mois avec Avraham. Ses parents la rejoignent quelques jours, et cela ne se passe pas bien. J’ai aimé cette histoire de relation de couple problématique dans le récit policier.
J’ai toutefois été un peu gênée par le mystère du personnage de Kovi : ses motivations restent inexpliquée. Dommage.
Un troisième opus qui rend Avraham encore plus proche et intéressant.
L’image que je retiendrai :
Celle de Kovi qui a parfois du mal à respirer dans leur appartement bien dépouillé, signe de son mal-être.
https://alexmotamots.fr/les-doutes-da...
En parallèle, nous suivons Maly, jeune mère de famille avec deux petites filles et un mari étrange au chômage. Nous comprenons bien vite que Kovi, le mari, cache quelques chose. Et nous découvrons petit à petit de quoi il s’agit.
Et puis il y a Marianka qui arrive de Bruxelles pour passer quelques mois avec Avraham. Ses parents la rejoignent quelques jours, et cela ne se passe pas bien. J’ai aimé cette histoire de relation de couple problématique dans le récit policier.
J’ai toutefois été un peu gênée par le mystère du personnage de Kovi : ses motivations restent inexpliquée. Dommage.
Un troisième opus qui rend Avraham encore plus proche et intéressant.
L’image que je retiendrai :
Celle de Kovi qui a parfois du mal à respirer dans leur appartement bien dépouillé, signe de son mal-être.
https://alexmotamots.fr/les-doutes-da...
June 24, 2022
I've read all three of Mishani's novels and each one is better than the last. His development of plot and character is careful, intricate, and precise. He is a master at building tension and it is sometimes difficult not to give into the temptation to scan down the page a few paragraphs to find out what's coming. One thing I have especially enjoyed is his ability to delve into a myriad of procedural details as well as control and develop the complex mix of human motivations behind each crime-- from the perspectives of the criminal, the victim(s), and Avi (the protagonist).
Really excellent detective fiction.
Really excellent detective fiction.
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