What do you think?
Rate this book
The Milk Moon Assassin: Betrayal & Vengeance In The Killing Hills
The past has come to haunt him.
Only the looming May full moon offers a chance at redemption.
In 1985, from the secluded veranda of his sprawling mountain estate, Moshe Roth-Vardi, a renowned Mossad assassin pushed into retirement, hatches a clandestine and chilling plot for revenge.
Haunted by the wreckage of his personal life, shattered relationships with his wife, children, colleagues, and a secret lover, the forsaken Milk Moon Assassin embarks on a desperate quest to piece together the fragments and find closure—no matter the cost.
It all traces back to 1948, when a fateful photograph captured a mysterious Israeli platoon marching into battle near Jerusalem. The encounter left no survivors—or so it seemed. Now, decades later, the lost image resurfaces, unearthing a trail of unanswered questions. Could a lone survivor have been snatched away amidst the chaos of war? Moshe suspects one person, someone he knows all too well. The path to vengeance appears clear.
But as he delves into the depths of his own tormented soul, Moshe discovers that everything he thought he knew is about to change. The chilling truth lies in the shadows, demanding a reckoning that transcends mere vengeance.
'The Milk Moon Assassin' is a gripping psychological thriller that navigates the harrowing journey of a man teetering on the edge of his own morality. With each turn of the page, readers are plunged into a world of secrets, betrayal, and self-discovery, where the line between right and wrong blurs and the price of revenge may be more than Moshe ever bargained for.
Only the looming May full moon offers a chance at redemption.
In 1985, from the secluded veranda of his sprawling mountain estate, Moshe Roth-Vardi, a renowned Mossad assassin pushed into retirement, hatches a clandestine and chilling plot for revenge.
Haunted by the wreckage of his personal life, shattered relationships with his wife, children, colleagues, and a secret lover, the forsaken Milk Moon Assassin embarks on a desperate quest to piece together the fragments and find closure—no matter the cost.
It all traces back to 1948, when a fateful photograph captured a mysterious Israeli platoon marching into battle near Jerusalem. The encounter left no survivors—or so it seemed. Now, decades later, the lost image resurfaces, unearthing a trail of unanswered questions. Could a lone survivor have been snatched away amidst the chaos of war? Moshe suspects one person, someone he knows all too well. The path to vengeance appears clear.
But as he delves into the depths of his own tormented soul, Moshe discovers that everything he thought he knew is about to change. The chilling truth lies in the shadows, demanding a reckoning that transcends mere vengeance.
'The Milk Moon Assassin' is a gripping psychological thriller that navigates the harrowing journey of a man teetering on the edge of his own morality. With each turn of the page, readers are plunged into a world of secrets, betrayal, and self-discovery, where the line between right and wrong blurs and the price of revenge may be more than Moshe ever bargained for.
500 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2019
92 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 23, 2019
ooo this kept me on my toes.. it was creepy.. and interesting.. and odd in some ways.. haha.. it was very well written.. very good!
February 13, 2020
Okay, I really tried to read it. But I honestly could not. I even gave myself a break from it a day and a half. And still could not get into. I got past Chapter 1 and I was done with it. Too much (*) those things, side notes, and etc. It was felt like I was back in high school. Having to brush up some history and geography. I can say it seems to be packed with political outlines, historic events, history in general and looks like a revenge plot starting to form. But it just wasn't grabbing my attention. Sorry not my cup of tea.
January 7, 2020
DISCLOSURE: I didn't 'read' it. I couldn't. I tried!!! 10%; 4 full {long} chapters; 90 min of my life ~ and I could bring myself to care. Just couldn't.
I have a Master's degree in Reading & Writing; I know a •lot• of words ~ but this book had words from, well ~ I'm not sure WHERE they came from (!?) "The misplaced stars were palely whitish, pentamerous lights . . . . " Huh?! It simply took too much brain power for not really any 'return' on my investment. Not invested in the character. Not invested in the plot. Don't care what happens ~
So I walked away. Left it. Reading something else.
I'd give it 1 star, but someone else may care for the politics of it all ~ I just don't.
I have a Master's degree in Reading & Writing; I know a •lot• of words ~ but this book had words from, well ~ I'm not sure WHERE they came from (!?) "The misplaced stars were palely whitish, pentamerous lights . . . . " Huh?! It simply took too much brain power for not really any 'return' on my investment. Not invested in the character. Not invested in the plot. Don't care what happens ~
So I walked away. Left it. Reading something else.
I'd give it 1 star, but someone else may care for the politics of it all ~ I just don't.
October 14, 2019
A brilliant international thriller
Author Lior A. Couriel is an architect and urban planner, an e-commerce specialist, an environmentalist, and a veteran of an airborne intelligence wing! Given these credentials it is obvious why his debut novel is so successful.
The book opens with a taut situation set in 1985 in the Judean Hills: ‘A kill? An actual kill? His practiced finger slid around and around the trigger guard. Clockwise. Counterclockwise. Around. And back. The pistol lay in front of him, a Smith & Wesson Model 41. Magazine. Ten bullets. Long barrel. The amber-colored grip responded silently to his touch. Clockwise. And back. Re-accustoming itself to the feel of his hand, to his fingertips, after years of not killing. His body, toned and tensed, began to sink into the old armchair. The dim veranda was surrounded by a thick jumble of low stone walls, sketching a plan many times more grandiose than his available budget, and they brought to mind the sides of some ancient unfinished fortress. His resources had dwindled, and now those walls were his testament, the echo of his legacy to the coming generations. As always, mid-month on the Hebrew calendar meant a full moon – but the moon, piercing through the sooty blue paint on the face of Moshe Roth-Vardi, was already beginning to abate…’
This quality of writing flows through every page of this thriller, and the story flows as follows: ‘The past has come to haunt him. Only a May full moon remains to compensate for his losses. Now, it's time for revenge. In January 1948, an entire Israeli platoon of thirty-five men mysteriously perished in battle near Jerusalem. Not a single survivor was left to tell their heroic story. Moshe was just fourteen years old at the time. The young boy, armed with nothing but his camera, took one last picture as they headed for battle. Thirty-seven years later, the photograph that had been lost in the turmoil of war, reappears to haunt his life. Moshe, who is now a skilled Mossad assassin, is executing his private, unauthorized, and cold-blooded plan for revenge. In the Milk Moon Assassin’s world the rules of competition for manhood, war, and vengeance are crystal clear. Those of love triangles and complex family affairs, however, remain obscure. Through psychological scrutiny into the depths of his own tortured soul, he realizes that everything he knows is about to change…’
It is obvious that we are in the presence of a gifted author whose literary future seems assured. This is one of those magnetic books that defies the reader to attempt to put it down before the concluding pages. In short, this is a brilliant historical fiction novel. Very highly recommended.
Author Lior A. Couriel is an architect and urban planner, an e-commerce specialist, an environmentalist, and a veteran of an airborne intelligence wing! Given these credentials it is obvious why his debut novel is so successful.
The book opens with a taut situation set in 1985 in the Judean Hills: ‘A kill? An actual kill? His practiced finger slid around and around the trigger guard. Clockwise. Counterclockwise. Around. And back. The pistol lay in front of him, a Smith & Wesson Model 41. Magazine. Ten bullets. Long barrel. The amber-colored grip responded silently to his touch. Clockwise. And back. Re-accustoming itself to the feel of his hand, to his fingertips, after years of not killing. His body, toned and tensed, began to sink into the old armchair. The dim veranda was surrounded by a thick jumble of low stone walls, sketching a plan many times more grandiose than his available budget, and they brought to mind the sides of some ancient unfinished fortress. His resources had dwindled, and now those walls were his testament, the echo of his legacy to the coming generations. As always, mid-month on the Hebrew calendar meant a full moon – but the moon, piercing through the sooty blue paint on the face of Moshe Roth-Vardi, was already beginning to abate…’
This quality of writing flows through every page of this thriller, and the story flows as follows: ‘The past has come to haunt him. Only a May full moon remains to compensate for his losses. Now, it's time for revenge. In January 1948, an entire Israeli platoon of thirty-five men mysteriously perished in battle near Jerusalem. Not a single survivor was left to tell their heroic story. Moshe was just fourteen years old at the time. The young boy, armed with nothing but his camera, took one last picture as they headed for battle. Thirty-seven years later, the photograph that had been lost in the turmoil of war, reappears to haunt his life. Moshe, who is now a skilled Mossad assassin, is executing his private, unauthorized, and cold-blooded plan for revenge. In the Milk Moon Assassin’s world the rules of competition for manhood, war, and vengeance are crystal clear. Those of love triangles and complex family affairs, however, remain obscure. Through psychological scrutiny into the depths of his own tortured soul, he realizes that everything he knows is about to change…’
It is obvious that we are in the presence of a gifted author whose literary future seems assured. This is one of those magnetic books that defies the reader to attempt to put it down before the concluding pages. In short, this is a brilliant historical fiction novel. Very highly recommended.
December 9, 2020
Complex multi-layered study of fascinating characters caught in a tangled web of conflicting relationships, set in the context of the fraught history of Israel and its War of Independence. Evocative, absorbing, poignant, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written.
August 3, 2020
Highly Recommended!
https://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershe...
https://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershe...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews