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Adam Lapid Mysteries #5
A Deadly Act
Love made her lie.
But did hate make her tell the truth?
Israel, 1951: Private investigator Adam Lapid has never had a case like this.
Five years before, his client lied to the police, giving a false alibi to the man she loved. Now, she's sure the man she lied for is a murderer, and she wants Adam to prove it.
But can Adam really trust her? Is she telling him the whole truth?
The case is a puzzle, the victim a mystery wrapped in a riddle. And the murder scene? That's the most baffling thing of all.
Why did the killer choose that particular spot? Why take some of the victim's possessions and leave others behind?
It's a cold case that’s about to get hot. The more Adam unravels the mystery, the greater the danger. Is the killer plotting to kill again? Is Adam’s life in danger as he closes in on the murderer?
You will love A Deadly Act because it's a thrilling historical mystery with an ending you won't see coming.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2020
236 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Dunsky
20 books212 followersJonathan Dunsky is the author of eight crime novels, seven of which -- Ten Years Gone, The Dead Sister, The Auschwitz Violinist, A Debt of Death, A Deadly Act, The Auschwitz Detective, and A Death in Jerusalem -- are mysteries taking place in the early days of the State of Israel and featuring private investigator Adam Lapid, a holocaust survivor and former soldier and Nazi hunter. He has also published a standalone thriller called The Payback Girl and a number of short stories in various genres.
Born in Israel, he served for four years in the Israeli Army. After his military service he worked as a team leader in various high-tech firms, ran his own Search Engine Optimization business, and lectured in the faculty of Business Management in Tel Aviv University. He holds a degree in computer sciences and business. He's lived for several years in Europe and currently resides in Israel with his wife and two sons.
You can contact him at http://jonathandunsky.com/contact/
Born in Israel, he served for four years in the Israeli Army. After his military service he worked as a team leader in various high-tech firms, ran his own Search Engine Optimization business, and lectured in the faculty of Business Management in Tel Aviv University. He holds a degree in computer sciences and business. He's lived for several years in Europe and currently resides in Israel with his wife and two sons.
You can contact him at http://jonathandunsky.com/contact/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 22, 2020
A Deadly Act begins with a famous Israel actress, permanently disabled by a car accident, revealing who murdered a colleague five years earlier. At least she thinks she knows. She doesn’t have proof, however—only circumstantial evidence and a woman’s intuition. So, she hires Adam Lapid to investigate a case that has gone long cold.
This book is the fifth installment in Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid mysteries. (I reviewed the previous installments here,here, here, and here.) All the books are set in Tel Aviv in the aftermath of Israel’s War of Independence (1947–1949). Lapid is a former Hungarian police officer, Auschwitz survivor, Nazi hunter, Israeli war hero, and now private detective.
Set in 1951, A Deadly Act is best characterized as hardboiled, featuring a brooding detective haunted by his past living in a city beset with difficulties on all sides: economic rationing, political squabbling, and ever-present worries about the Arabs. On top of that, a black marketer has taken a strong dislike to Lapid, threatening to harm him. Even the murder victim—a young actress is a well-regarded theater company—has a tragic backstory, her unsolved death only adding to the sense of tragedy that pervades the novel.
And yet, Lapid is the kind of detective who, once he’s pulled a thread, keeps pulling until the entire mystery has unraveled, exposing the murderer. My primary criterion for a mystery is whether it keeps me turning pages to find out what happens next. My secondary criterion is whether it stays within the boundaries of my wiling suspension of belief. A Deadly Act meets both criteria. It kept me reading, and it didn’t require credulity of me.
Toward the end of the novel, as the plot took yet another direction, I wondered for a moment whether the book story was too long. In the end, however, the revelation of the murderer made sense of the plot twists that had gone before. The book is dramatic. Fittingly, its denouement takes place on stage.
If you like the hardboiled feel of mid-twentieth-century American crime novels, I recommend Jonathan Dunsky’s Lapid mysteries. A Deadly Act is a nice addition to the series, and I look forward to the sixth novel. Don’t keep me waiting too long, Mr. Dunsky!
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Dunsky, A Deadly Act: An Adam Lapid Mystery (Self-published, 2020).
P.S. If you liked this review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
This book is the fifth installment in Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid mysteries. (I reviewed the previous installments here,here, here, and here.) All the books are set in Tel Aviv in the aftermath of Israel’s War of Independence (1947–1949). Lapid is a former Hungarian police officer, Auschwitz survivor, Nazi hunter, Israeli war hero, and now private detective.
Set in 1951, A Deadly Act is best characterized as hardboiled, featuring a brooding detective haunted by his past living in a city beset with difficulties on all sides: economic rationing, political squabbling, and ever-present worries about the Arabs. On top of that, a black marketer has taken a strong dislike to Lapid, threatening to harm him. Even the murder victim—a young actress is a well-regarded theater company—has a tragic backstory, her unsolved death only adding to the sense of tragedy that pervades the novel.
And yet, Lapid is the kind of detective who, once he’s pulled a thread, keeps pulling until the entire mystery has unraveled, exposing the murderer. My primary criterion for a mystery is whether it keeps me turning pages to find out what happens next. My secondary criterion is whether it stays within the boundaries of my wiling suspension of belief. A Deadly Act meets both criteria. It kept me reading, and it didn’t require credulity of me.
Toward the end of the novel, as the plot took yet another direction, I wondered for a moment whether the book story was too long. In the end, however, the revelation of the murderer made sense of the plot twists that had gone before. The book is dramatic. Fittingly, its denouement takes place on stage.
If you like the hardboiled feel of mid-twentieth-century American crime novels, I recommend Jonathan Dunsky’s Lapid mysteries. A Deadly Act is a nice addition to the series, and I look forward to the sixth novel. Don’t keep me waiting too long, Mr. Dunsky!
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Dunsky, A Deadly Act: An Adam Lapid Mystery (Self-published, 2020).
P.S. If you liked this review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
May 29, 2021
This is the 5th book in the series and I have become attached to our tragic protagonist the private detective Adam Lapid. For me, in a mystery it is not the ending but the journey that counts- the characters, the setting, the supporting characters, etc. and less the plot which is of course what makes a book a page turner. The plot of this one was certainly full of twists and turns.. I have walked the streets described in the book in modern times and like being placed in the post war atmosphere of Tel Aviv. I read the book quickly (one of those weeks when a bunch of library books showed up and I felt pressured to move on) and yet maybe for that reason or inherent in the book, I did not pick up on the clues as to the identity of the murderer. With all the people with motives I didn't find this person's to be more compelling than those of others. While I continue to find Lapid engaging and well drawn, I somehow felt this book packed in a few too many diversions and back stories. Is it just me, but are there very few strong women who aren't in some way victims in his books? Nonetheless I will put the next book on my to read list as soon as I read all of those library books.
January 30, 2024
A rather bizarre case in which Adam is hired by a woman who suspects her philandering husband is guilty of murdering his mistress five years ago. Adam does his due diligence and has two suspects, the husband and a woman. It’s all pretty straightforward until it isn’t. It seems there are several other murders. The common denominator is all the victims were members of a theater company. Some were considered suicides or accidents. A really twisted telling that you never saw coming.
October 14, 2023
This Detective series is sad, sometimes awful but always an engrossing thriller. Narrator is perfect for the series.
February 11, 2023
As I work my way through this series, I enjoy each one more than the last!
This time round, Adam Lapid is approached by a housebound woman, an actress whose career has been cut short following an accident. Some time ago, she provided her husband with a false alibi but it's niggling at her that perhaps he is actually a murderer - and she wants Adam to prove it.
Delving into a theatre scene, this novel is different to the preceding ones, but no less enthralling. Adam is more aware than most of what goes on around him, but even he can miss things in the first instance. There are lots of twists and turns in this fifth novel and it is absolutely gripping! Did I see the end coming? Not a chance. I was so focused on the little things that I completely missed the big picture. A cracking read and one I definitely recommend. No doubt about it, this is a five star read!
This time round, Adam Lapid is approached by a housebound woman, an actress whose career has been cut short following an accident. Some time ago, she provided her husband with a false alibi but it's niggling at her that perhaps he is actually a murderer - and she wants Adam to prove it.
Delving into a theatre scene, this novel is different to the preceding ones, but no less enthralling. Adam is more aware than most of what goes on around him, but even he can miss things in the first instance. There are lots of twists and turns in this fifth novel and it is absolutely gripping! Did I see the end coming? Not a chance. I was so focused on the little things that I completely missed the big picture. A cracking read and one I definitely recommend. No doubt about it, this is a five star read!
November 26, 2020
All the World's A Stage
A brilliant actress permanently sidelined by injuries sustained in a horrific accident hires P.I. Adam Lapid to prove her husband was responsible for the vicious and shocking murder of a beautiful actress years before. The wife provided a false alibi and now wants him to pay. Adam agrees to investigate but not to pin the murder on the husband unless he actually did it. He soon embarks on a journey of lies and illusion masterminded by a killer with a flair for genius.
This is a good, interesting read. Adam is interesting, likable and believable. There a lot of characters, too many actually. The atmosphere of life in early Israel is well conveyed. Satisfying.
A brilliant actress permanently sidelined by injuries sustained in a horrific accident hires P.I. Adam Lapid to prove her husband was responsible for the vicious and shocking murder of a beautiful actress years before. The wife provided a false alibi and now wants him to pay. Adam agrees to investigate but not to pin the murder on the husband unless he actually did it. He soon embarks on a journey of lies and illusion masterminded by a killer with a flair for genius.
This is a good, interesting read. Adam is interesting, likable and believable. There a lot of characters, too many actually. The atmosphere of life in early Israel is well conveyed. Satisfying.
December 30, 2020
This is a great mystery series that I have just discovered. I will go back now and read all the earlier novels in this series. Adam Lapid is a retired Hungarian Jewish detective who now after the Holocaust immigrates to Palestine/Israel. He is living there in 1950 and working as a private detective. His past gives him a hardboiled tough exterior. He takes on the cold case of a actress murdered in a graveyard. As he tries to find the killer who has roamed free for five years, he finds that one death may lead to another.. he must protect his own life as he sticks his hand the nest and uncovers a hand full of trouble.
March 29, 2020
Glued to my chair - again!
An interesting book in Dunsky’s Adam Lapid series. At first I found it a little slow, but on the other hand, it was slow because it was methodical. The story evolves and builds gradually, and with it some twists and turns until a climax is reached. But is it the right climax? You need to read this book through, because everything comes together virtually in the last few chapters. I certainly did not pick the murderer, and even Adam Lapid had a problem with that! This book had me glued to my chair. Another great book in the Adam Lapid series!
An interesting book in Dunsky’s Adam Lapid series. At first I found it a little slow, but on the other hand, it was slow because it was methodical. The story evolves and builds gradually, and with it some twists and turns until a climax is reached. But is it the right climax? You need to read this book through, because everything comes together virtually in the last few chapters. I certainly did not pick the murderer, and even Adam Lapid had a problem with that! This book had me glued to my chair. Another great book in the Adam Lapid series!
January 16, 2021
Adam Lapid is a private detective in Tel Aviv in 1951
Five years ago his client told the police a lie and now she wants Adam to look into the man she lied for.
I love these books as they are based in an old Tel Aviv and a different world.
The plot is quite involved but you are led through it with all the twists and turns and eventual end that leaves you satisfied.
The characters are not always lovable but are totally believable.
The detail to places and history that this author employs always fascinates me.
I would recommend this book.
Five years ago his client told the police a lie and now she wants Adam to look into the man she lied for.
I love these books as they are based in an old Tel Aviv and a different world.
The plot is quite involved but you are led through it with all the twists and turns and eventual end that leaves you satisfied.
The characters are not always lovable but are totally believable.
The detail to places and history that this author employs always fascinates me.
I would recommend this book.
March 9, 2020
Always a great read!
His books are not only thrilling mysteries but contain a historic Narritive as well. I was alive on some of the dates mentioned in this book. I was born in 1936 some dates I read about in the newspaper’s I can remember snippets because I heard my parents discussing them! 1947 and 1948 were big headline days! I have read all his books and can’t wait for the next one
His books are not only thrilling mysteries but contain a historic Narritive as well. I was alive on some of the dates mentioned in this book. I was born in 1936 some dates I read about in the newspaper’s I can remember snippets because I heard my parents discussing them! 1947 and 1948 were big headline days! I have read all his books and can’t wait for the next one
June 9, 2021
Dunsky again crafts a wonderful mystery. In addition to a clever plot he weaves in the building of a culture in a brand new nation. I love live theater and the scenes with actors and designers are revealing. Also interesting is that the history in the book spans from pre-independence to post-independence.
May 7, 2020
Did not disappoint
This Lapid mystery did not disappoint.
I started it when there was bit of turmoil in my life and really didn't get into it until things quieted down but eventually was very satisfied.
This Lapid mystery did not disappoint.
I started it when there was bit of turmoil in my life and really didn't get into it until things quieted down but eventually was very satisfied.
July 19, 2020
I am so angry with this author! His books are so GOOD, they are costing me sleep.😅 One is better than the last with unexpected twists and turns. I just can't put them down, and end up staying up all night to read! 🤗
August 16, 2021
great read!!
September 8, 2021
Another great Adam Lapid mystery! The ending and killer was unexpected. Enjoyed the history aspect of the different political parties in Israel...and how that played a role in the mystery.
October 24, 2021
Another very good book in this series
April 8, 2023
I started reading this series because it was a free hoopla bonus for the first one. I can’t put them down This was the most complicated figuring out who did it.
April 22, 2023
Readaholic
I am a fan of the previous 4 novels. This was good but moved
a little slow. Had some great twists and turns. Hoping the next is a little faster.
I am a fan of the previous 4 novels. This was good but moved
a little slow. Had some great twists and turns. Hoping the next is a little faster.
May 5, 2023
Lots of twists
September 24, 2024
Book five in the Adam Lapid mystery series, by Jonathan Dunsky.
This is perhaps the most complex of the plots that I have read to date. In general, Adam Lapid, now a private investigator, served as a police detective in Hungary before being transported by the Nazis to Auschwitz in 1943. His wife and two daughters were exterminated immediately upon arrival to Auschwitz, and he suffered additional, great hardships before the camp was liberated by the Allies. He immigrated to Israel prior to statehood and was a decorated war hero in Israel’s War of Independence. He took his vengeance murdering numerous Nazis, after the war, and he is no longer the man he was. In Israel, he is unable and unwilling to conform to restrictions of police work, he now makes his living as a PI who plays by his own rules. He has a small circle of friends with whom he relies on for assistance – Shmuel Birnbaum, a newspaperman, Reuben Tzanani an old army buddy who saved his life and is now police officer, and Greta, the woman who owns the café where he sits for many hours daily, eating, playing chess with himself, and meeting with clients. Many aspects of his past and his habits are referred to in all the books so that any one of them can be read as a standalone.
In the instant case, Lapid is called in to investigate the (cold case) murder of a theater actress five years earlier. His client, Dahlia Rotner (DR), is a famous retired actress, founder and owner of the Shoresh theater company. She can no longer perform as she was severely injured and almost killed in a car accident, several years earlier.
DR has hired Lapid to prove that her husband, Isser Rotner, murdered the young actress, Anna Hartman, despite the fact that it was she who, at the time of the police investigation, diverted all suspicion from her husband by claiming that her husband was with her all evening on the night the murder. Lapid explains that if he does succeed in proving that her husband killed Anna Hartman (which may not be the case) she will be exposed as a liar, but she is unconcerned. Isser has strayed before with young actresses and continues to do so and she will have her pound of flesh (no reference to any of the plays performed).
Aside from the historical ambiance of the Adam Lapid mystery series, Israel circa 1949+, I love Dunsky’s writing style. Some Runyanese comes through, though somewhat more sophisticated, and at times the use of certain words and turns of phrase make me smile. I love the way he develops his plots and following Lapid as he pulls the threads, unraveling facts that are at once germane then no longer relevant and finally pulled back in as the circle of suspects and related or unrelated crimes come together. He is also nearly murdered by one of the suspects. This, too, often occurs in the series. Fear not! Lapid is tough and a survivor. He will prevail even if getting banged up or sliced up in his quest.
As it turns out the murder of Hartman was only one of a string of murders/deaths/suicides/accidents befalling members of the theater ensemble – spread out over a ten-year period with no apparent connection between them. Lapid will find the connections and discover additional crimes along the way. He will also exact his own unique punishments where his conscience feels the need, and sometimes a character in the novel will meet an unfortunate fate, due to the sudden interest in the cold case. Eventually, for the sake of expediency, Lapid will suggest that the police claim the credit for solving one or any of the cases, in order to placate and preclude any interest in the methods he employed to do so.
The essential elements of Lapid’s background, noted above, are repeated in part in all the books in the series, thus, as noted above, all of the books can be read as standalones.
Did I remember to mention that I LOVE the series?
This is perhaps the most complex of the plots that I have read to date. In general, Adam Lapid, now a private investigator, served as a police detective in Hungary before being transported by the Nazis to Auschwitz in 1943. His wife and two daughters were exterminated immediately upon arrival to Auschwitz, and he suffered additional, great hardships before the camp was liberated by the Allies. He immigrated to Israel prior to statehood and was a decorated war hero in Israel’s War of Independence. He took his vengeance murdering numerous Nazis, after the war, and he is no longer the man he was. In Israel, he is unable and unwilling to conform to restrictions of police work, he now makes his living as a PI who plays by his own rules. He has a small circle of friends with whom he relies on for assistance – Shmuel Birnbaum, a newspaperman, Reuben Tzanani an old army buddy who saved his life and is now police officer, and Greta, the woman who owns the café where he sits for many hours daily, eating, playing chess with himself, and meeting with clients. Many aspects of his past and his habits are referred to in all the books so that any one of them can be read as a standalone.
In the instant case, Lapid is called in to investigate the (cold case) murder of a theater actress five years earlier. His client, Dahlia Rotner (DR), is a famous retired actress, founder and owner of the Shoresh theater company. She can no longer perform as she was severely injured and almost killed in a car accident, several years earlier.
DR has hired Lapid to prove that her husband, Isser Rotner, murdered the young actress, Anna Hartman, despite the fact that it was she who, at the time of the police investigation, diverted all suspicion from her husband by claiming that her husband was with her all evening on the night the murder. Lapid explains that if he does succeed in proving that her husband killed Anna Hartman (which may not be the case) she will be exposed as a liar, but she is unconcerned. Isser has strayed before with young actresses and continues to do so and she will have her pound of flesh (no reference to any of the plays performed).
Aside from the historical ambiance of the Adam Lapid mystery series, Israel circa 1949+, I love Dunsky’s writing style. Some Runyanese comes through, though somewhat more sophisticated, and at times the use of certain words and turns of phrase make me smile. I love the way he develops his plots and following Lapid as he pulls the threads, unraveling facts that are at once germane then no longer relevant and finally pulled back in as the circle of suspects and related or unrelated crimes come together. He is also nearly murdered by one of the suspects. This, too, often occurs in the series. Fear not! Lapid is tough and a survivor. He will prevail even if getting banged up or sliced up in his quest.
As it turns out the murder of Hartman was only one of a string of murders/deaths/suicides/accidents befalling members of the theater ensemble – spread out over a ten-year period with no apparent connection between them. Lapid will find the connections and discover additional crimes along the way. He will also exact his own unique punishments where his conscience feels the need, and sometimes a character in the novel will meet an unfortunate fate, due to the sudden interest in the cold case. Eventually, for the sake of expediency, Lapid will suggest that the police claim the credit for solving one or any of the cases, in order to placate and preclude any interest in the methods he employed to do so.
The essential elements of Lapid’s background, noted above, are repeated in part in all the books in the series, thus, as noted above, all of the books can be read as standalones.
Did I remember to mention that I LOVE the series?
November 9, 2022
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CONTENT WARNING: murder, Holocaust imagery, blood, antisemitism, alcoholism, molestation, suicide, drug use, violence
Clearly I’m hooked on this series, and I couldn’t wait to read this after finishing the last book. It starts with one hell of an opening line, and when I read this, my jaw absolutely dropped:
“The old man howled as he carried his dead daughter in his arms.”
This book is a little slower to get moving than previous books, as Adam takes on a cold case from five years earlier, where a key suspect was given a false alibi by his wife, and she has just come clean to Adam. Now he’s tasked with figuring out if her husband is a murderer. While the wife is sure of it, he’s on the fence, but wants to solve the murder if he can. The only problem? Nothing is what it seems, and there doesn’t seem to be much to go on …
“‘It’s one of those frustrating cases where there was never the end of a thread on which to pull and unravel the whole business. No real leads, no main suspect. Just a heinous crime and one dead girl.’”
Naturally, there wouldn’t be much of a story if it was a cold case with absolutely no leads. And since we already know from the previous four books that Adam is tenacious, observant, and the kind of detective (excuse me, former detective/current private investigator) who notices things and connections that others might miss, if there’s someone that has any chance of solving this case, it’s most likely going to be him.
The story was admittedly slower-paced at first. It took a while for Adam to make connections, but he investigated every single lead and suspect thoroughly. I love his methodical process, and I’m kind of familiar with his process. He examines everything for himself, not taking anything at face value, and leaving no stone left unturned. It’s worked for him thus far, and I had no reason to believe it wouldn’t work in this case either.
It picks up the pace a bit as he starts to gather clues and formulate an idea of what was going on five years ago. However, as I mentioned earlier, nothing was what it seemed, and I was blindsided by plot twists so many times! It wound up being one of the more exciting reads in the series in the second half despite the slow start, and there’s some action. I was ultimately surprised by who the killer was, and how the crime unfolded (because of course he solves it in the end). This was ultimately an intriguing story, with some politics of early Israel thrown in. I am absolutely looking forward to reading the rest of the books, while simultaneously dreading coming to the end of the books and hoping that there are more in the works sooner rather than later!
CONTENT WARNING: murder, Holocaust imagery, blood, antisemitism, alcoholism, molestation, suicide, drug use, violence
Clearly I’m hooked on this series, and I couldn’t wait to read this after finishing the last book. It starts with one hell of an opening line, and when I read this, my jaw absolutely dropped:
“The old man howled as he carried his dead daughter in his arms.”
This book is a little slower to get moving than previous books, as Adam takes on a cold case from five years earlier, where a key suspect was given a false alibi by his wife, and she has just come clean to Adam. Now he’s tasked with figuring out if her husband is a murderer. While the wife is sure of it, he’s on the fence, but wants to solve the murder if he can. The only problem? Nothing is what it seems, and there doesn’t seem to be much to go on …
“‘It’s one of those frustrating cases where there was never the end of a thread on which to pull and unravel the whole business. No real leads, no main suspect. Just a heinous crime and one dead girl.’”
Naturally, there wouldn’t be much of a story if it was a cold case with absolutely no leads. And since we already know from the previous four books that Adam is tenacious, observant, and the kind of detective (excuse me, former detective/current private investigator) who notices things and connections that others might miss, if there’s someone that has any chance of solving this case, it’s most likely going to be him.
The story was admittedly slower-paced at first. It took a while for Adam to make connections, but he investigated every single lead and suspect thoroughly. I love his methodical process, and I’m kind of familiar with his process. He examines everything for himself, not taking anything at face value, and leaving no stone left unturned. It’s worked for him thus far, and I had no reason to believe it wouldn’t work in this case either.
It picks up the pace a bit as he starts to gather clues and formulate an idea of what was going on five years ago. However, as I mentioned earlier, nothing was what it seemed, and I was blindsided by plot twists so many times! It wound up being one of the more exciting reads in the series in the second half despite the slow start, and there’s some action. I was ultimately surprised by who the killer was, and how the crime unfolded (because of course he solves it in the end). This was ultimately an intriguing story, with some politics of early Israel thrown in. I am absolutely looking forward to reading the rest of the books, while simultaneously dreading coming to the end of the books and hoping that there are more in the works sooner rather than later!
February 19, 2021
A DEADLY ACT opens in an Israeli theater during a production of KING LEAR in Hebrew. The play is mesmerizing and deeply moving. The lead actor, Isser Rotner, is deservedly honored. He is also the man that Adam Lapid wants to see, but for a totally different reason.
Adam, in his mid-thirties, had been a Police Detective in Budapest until the Shoah. The war took away his job, his wife, their two young daughters, and the person he had been. After being liberated from Auschwitz, he remained in Europe for a few years which he spent killing Nazis directly responsible for the deaths of some of the six million Jews killed by their regime. He then moved to Israel, fought in the War of Independence, and became a private detective.
Isser’s wife, Dahlia, used to be the lead actress in the theater company until she was in a serious accident and ended up confined to a wheelchair. She is the person who hired Adam to prove that Isser murdered a young actress five years previously. She is also the person who provided his alibi. She doesn’t think the police can do the job. “They'll fail to find the evidence necessary to convict him. If that happens, I'll be condemned as a liar or a madwoman. I'll have ruined my reputation for nothing. And my reputation is very dear to me, Mr. Lapid. It is practically the only thing of worth I have left.”
The plot focuses on life in the theater, the actors, their egos, their rivalries, their insecurities, their jealousies. It has twists and turns and an unexpected conclusion.
It takes place in the new state of Israel with descriptions of the area, the lives of the people, and the problems they faced. One of the main locations in the novel is Trumpeldor Cemetery, named for a famous soldier and opened in 1907 before Tel Aviv became a city and when Jaffa was ravaged by cholera. The stories of those buried there are a reminder of the history of the Arabs and Jews living there then and in the following few decades when Jews were slaughtered in Arab riots.
Tidbit It was strange, and disheartening, how these dismal memories could pop up at any time, without warning, like a body rising to disturb the placid surface of a lake in which it had long been submerged.
This is the fifth of Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid novels. All are well-written, historically accurate, informative page-turners with some very interesting characters.
Adam, in his mid-thirties, had been a Police Detective in Budapest until the Shoah. The war took away his job, his wife, their two young daughters, and the person he had been. After being liberated from Auschwitz, he remained in Europe for a few years which he spent killing Nazis directly responsible for the deaths of some of the six million Jews killed by their regime. He then moved to Israel, fought in the War of Independence, and became a private detective.
Isser’s wife, Dahlia, used to be the lead actress in the theater company until she was in a serious accident and ended up confined to a wheelchair. She is the person who hired Adam to prove that Isser murdered a young actress five years previously. She is also the person who provided his alibi. She doesn’t think the police can do the job. “They'll fail to find the evidence necessary to convict him. If that happens, I'll be condemned as a liar or a madwoman. I'll have ruined my reputation for nothing. And my reputation is very dear to me, Mr. Lapid. It is practically the only thing of worth I have left.”
The plot focuses on life in the theater, the actors, their egos, their rivalries, their insecurities, their jealousies. It has twists and turns and an unexpected conclusion.
It takes place in the new state of Israel with descriptions of the area, the lives of the people, and the problems they faced. One of the main locations in the novel is Trumpeldor Cemetery, named for a famous soldier and opened in 1907 before Tel Aviv became a city and when Jaffa was ravaged by cholera. The stories of those buried there are a reminder of the history of the Arabs and Jews living there then and in the following few decades when Jews were slaughtered in Arab riots.
Tidbit It was strange, and disheartening, how these dismal memories could pop up at any time, without warning, like a body rising to disturb the placid surface of a lake in which it had long been submerged.
This is the fifth of Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid novels. All are well-written, historically accurate, informative page-turners with some very interesting characters.
August 5, 2025
You know how a wheel of fortune works? You spin it, it twirls, but then it slows and you’re guessing it will land on the 5, or maybe the 7, or no, the 12, but no, maybe the 20…
That’s what it’s like to guess the murderer in an Adam Lapid mystery. There are lots of possibles, and you can guess all you want, but you’ll probably be wrong.
It’s a typical Lapid mystery. Lots of characters, lots of plot, lots of dialogue, lots of violence, the murderer comes out of left field.
I gulped it down in about 24 hours. :)
My one complaint about this series is the book covers, which have the slightly off, formulaic look of AI generation.
I can see why Dunsky prefers to generate the covers himself rather than pay an illustrator. But they don’t do justice to the content within.
That’s what it’s like to guess the murderer in an Adam Lapid mystery. There are lots of possibles, and you can guess all you want, but you’ll probably be wrong.
It’s a typical Lapid mystery. Lots of characters, lots of plot, lots of dialogue, lots of violence, the murderer comes out of left field.
I gulped it down in about 24 hours. :)
My one complaint about this series is the book covers, which have the slightly off, formulaic look of AI generation.
I can see why Dunsky prefers to generate the covers himself rather than pay an illustrator. But they don’t do justice to the content within.
February 23, 2020
A Magnificent Addition the Adam Lapid Collection
It has been interesting to see the evolution of Adam Lapid -the private detective- and Jonathan Dunsky - the author. As before, JD weaves a carefully plotted narrative that reveals the mystery to be solved as it unfolds inside the historical setting that was Israel circa 1951.
What struck me as I read was the author 's attention to detail as the characters come alive in a meticulously set forth narration. Bravo Mr. D.
It has been interesting to see the evolution of Adam Lapid -the private detective- and Jonathan Dunsky - the author. As before, JD weaves a carefully plotted narrative that reveals the mystery to be solved as it unfolds inside the historical setting that was Israel circa 1951.
What struck me as I read was the author 's attention to detail as the characters come alive in a meticulously set forth narration. Bravo Mr. D.
February 20, 2020
Good book
Man what alot of twist and turns. I have read all of your books with this character and I love him, he just so real. I hope you write more with his character. And I enjoy the
scene's and places in Isreal. I have visited the country in 1986, but did not make it to Tel Aviv.
Man what alot of twist and turns. I have read all of your books with this character and I love him, he just so real. I hope you write more with his character. And I enjoy the
scene's and places in Isreal. I have visited the country in 1986, but did not make it to Tel Aviv.
January 8, 2021
Again a winner
I liked this book for several reasons. 2. Good mystery with a twist. 2. The inside of a man who lost everything, the emotional turmoil he suffers 3. Adams brand of justice is like his westerns. 4. A look at Israel after WW2. 5. Good characters. 6. Hungry for more. On to book 6
I liked this book for several reasons. 2. Good mystery with a twist. 2. The inside of a man who lost everything, the emotional turmoil he suffers 3. Adams brand of justice is like his westerns. 4. A look at Israel after WW2. 5. Good characters. 6. Hungry for more. On to book 6
July 27, 2021
Outstanding mystery
The Adam Lapid mysteries are becoming one of my favorite mystery series. A Deadly Act had more than enough twists and turns to keep me guessing who the murderer was. I highly recommend this series of books to anyone who loves a good mystery. I hope that Jonathan Dunsky writes more books in this series because there is only one more book to read.
The Adam Lapid mysteries are becoming one of my favorite mystery series. A Deadly Act had more than enough twists and turns to keep me guessing who the murderer was. I highly recommend this series of books to anyone who loves a good mystery. I hope that Jonathan Dunsky writes more books in this series because there is only one more book to read.
December 7, 2023
This was the first book I’ve read by Jonathan Dunsky. It won’t be my last. It kept me guessing about many people. About two-thirds of the way through I did imagine who the murderer actually was, but then went on to consider several others, so that doesn’t count. There were many, many surprises packed into A Deadly Act. I loved that! I highly recommend this book.
January 8, 2024
surprised again
Again just when I thought I’d actually figured it out and the words in the page supported it, he goes a throws a winger it and out pops the totally unexpected murderer. I tell this he is the absolute best mystery author I have come across. I would dearly love to see all of his Adam Lapid novels turned into movies.
Again just when I thought I’d actually figured it out and the words in the page supported it, he goes a throws a winger it and out pops the totally unexpected murderer. I tell this he is the absolute best mystery author I have come across. I would dearly love to see all of his Adam Lapid novels turned into movies.
April 3, 2025
I’ve read most of the Adam Lapid mysteries and they never disappoint. The author has drawn a compelling character whose life will always bear the scars of the Holocaust. Lapid suffers from PTSD but that doesn’t deter him from drawing on his skills as a detective to solve the murders in these novels. Highly recommend.
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