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Adam Lapid Mysteries #7
A Death in Jerusalem
He knows who did the killing. Now he needs to figure out why.
Israel, 1952 – Private detective Adam Lapid tries to do the right thing. He may end up in prison because of it.
To stay free, Adam must work for a man he hates. The case is unusual. The identity of the killer is known, but the motive is a mystery.
As Adam scours the historical streets of West Jerusalem in search of the truth, he uncovers a connection between his case and a recent unsolved murder. He also meets an enigmatic woman with plenty of secrets and is hunted by a ruthless cop who blames Adam for a crime he didn’t commit.
In a case full of action and twists, Adam must use all his skills to solve the mystery. And if he doesn’t watch his back, he may end up paying the ultimate price in his quest for justice...
Israel, 1952 – Private detective Adam Lapid tries to do the right thing. He may end up in prison because of it.
To stay free, Adam must work for a man he hates. The case is unusual. The identity of the killer is known, but the motive is a mystery.
As Adam scours the historical streets of West Jerusalem in search of the truth, he uncovers a connection between his case and a recent unsolved murder. He also meets an enigmatic woman with plenty of secrets and is hunted by a ruthless cop who blames Adam for a crime he didn’t commit.
In a case full of action and twists, Adam must use all his skills to solve the mystery. And if he doesn’t watch his back, he may end up paying the ultimate price in his quest for justice...
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2022
97 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Dunsky
20 books211 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 62 reviews
June 11, 2022
5.0.
thank you for allowing me to edit this 2,000 times until I get it right :)
I have to applaud this book.
Jonathan Dunsky has entertained me with his books for over eight years including his short stories. So when his latest release "A Death in Jerusalem '' (# 7 in Adam Lapid series) came out, I was in my glory. Once again he delivers an outstanding novel.
Detective Adam Lapid was quite good at his job before he was sent to Auschwitz. Now as a survivor he struggles to build a second chance at a life in Israel. This is at a time when the subject of -reparations to Israel were in full swing; "the wounds of the war were still so raw" for many citizens of this new country to have the ability in recognizing any reasoning.
We meet Adam at a large demonstration with hundreds of others trying to storm the Knesset in protest of the upcoming vote by Ben-Gurion in accepting the German Reparations Agreement in 1952 - when Adam is suddenly arrested for the wrong reason, or was there another reason.
A surprise intervention shows itself as a man who knew a bit of Adam's history before the war. Knowing Adam needs work, he asks him to do a job for a well connected friend that would get him released and also pay him well. Adam wants to decline, but is well aware of the fact if he does, he will live out his life as a prisoner behind a set of different bars. once again. Adam isn't your everyday detective. His anger shows through, except our author allows us to get inside his heart to understand his moral compass and character.
It's a funny thing how history can repeat itself as we saw in contrast to the events of January 6th 2022.
Reparations didn't just happen as most people assume, nor was Israel standing with her arms wide open. As one of the first important issues in Israel's history, the author weaves together a story with take -away topics we know so well including what the alternative (s) are.
This novel is historical fiction which includes the genre in mystery.
It isn't- a who done it theme= as we know it.
It is -why.
thank you for allowing me to edit this 2,000 times until I get it right :)
I have to applaud this book.
Jonathan Dunsky has entertained me with his books for over eight years including his short stories. So when his latest release "A Death in Jerusalem '' (# 7 in Adam Lapid series) came out, I was in my glory. Once again he delivers an outstanding novel.
Detective Adam Lapid was quite good at his job before he was sent to Auschwitz. Now as a survivor he struggles to build a second chance at a life in Israel. This is at a time when the subject of -reparations to Israel were in full swing; "the wounds of the war were still so raw" for many citizens of this new country to have the ability in recognizing any reasoning.
We meet Adam at a large demonstration with hundreds of others trying to storm the Knesset in protest of the upcoming vote by Ben-Gurion in accepting the German Reparations Agreement in 1952 - when Adam is suddenly arrested for the wrong reason, or was there another reason.
A surprise intervention shows itself as a man who knew a bit of Adam's history before the war. Knowing Adam needs work, he asks him to do a job for a well connected friend that would get him released and also pay him well. Adam wants to decline, but is well aware of the fact if he does, he will live out his life as a prisoner behind a set of different bars. once again. Adam isn't your everyday detective. His anger shows through, except our author allows us to get inside his heart to understand his moral compass and character.
It's a funny thing how history can repeat itself as we saw in contrast to the events of January 6th 2022.
Reparations didn't just happen as most people assume, nor was Israel standing with her arms wide open. As one of the first important issues in Israel's history, the author weaves together a story with take -away topics we know so well including what the alternative (s) are.
This novel is historical fiction which includes the genre in mystery.
It isn't- a who done it theme= as we know it.
It is -why.
March 11, 2024
Rough, raw, rugged and intense. The novel begins with an actual event, the storming of the Knesset, Israel’s seat of government located in Jerusalem, in 1952, by Israelis themselves. From there we follow our anti-hero Adam Lipid, Holocaust survivor, through a maze of West Jerusalem’s streets and alleys and black holes into a labyrinth of twists and tangles of plot and a body count that rises and rises, until it seems like this is one conflict Lapid will not survive. Impeccable storytelling and narration.
April 3, 2023
A Death in Jerusalem (2022), the seventh novel in Dunsky’s Adam Lapid series takes the prototypical American detective novel and sets it in Jerusalem in 1952. The time and place it is set in are of great significance. Lapid, who was once a Hungarian policeman, survived Auschwitz although his family did not. Though he has immigrated to Israel and made a life there, he still bears scars from a journey through Hell. The big topic on the streets in 1952 is German reparations, but for Lapid and so many others, the idea of putting a dollar figure in human life is unforgivable betrayal. An event in which a People came close to extinction cannot be forgiven. Germany cannot pay to rejoin civilized nations. The new idea that even economically failing Israel at the time could discuss the unthinkable led to violent protests on the streets, in which Lapid was involved. As the story opens, he, having come to the aid of a fallen police officer, is mistaken for an attacker and hauled off to be interrogated and to confess at some point.
Fortunately for Lapid, he is rescued by someone with pull who wants his daughter’s suicide investigated. Lapid, not liking his client, but feeling that he is only on parole, believes he has no choice but to accept the assignment. This, begins a rather interesting exploration in the deceased’s life, what made her tick, and what secrets she had. It also takes Lapid into a web if murder and blackmail while still being pursued by the officer who still thinks he beat another policeman to death.
Lapid appears thus as the lone private eye who can depend on no one and has to keep looking over his shoulder before the Law comes down on him. He is the bearer of everyone’s secrets, even secrets he never suspected he would be involved with investigating.
Even though this is the seventh book in the series, this reader found it to be a fine entry point into the series.
Fortunately for Lapid, he is rescued by someone with pull who wants his daughter’s suicide investigated. Lapid, not liking his client, but feeling that he is only on parole, believes he has no choice but to accept the assignment. This, begins a rather interesting exploration in the deceased’s life, what made her tick, and what secrets she had. It also takes Lapid into a web if murder and blackmail while still being pursued by the officer who still thinks he beat another policeman to death.
Lapid appears thus as the lone private eye who can depend on no one and has to keep looking over his shoulder before the Law comes down on him. He is the bearer of everyone’s secrets, even secrets he never suspected he would be involved with investigating.
Even though this is the seventh book in the series, this reader found it to be a fine entry point into the series.
March 9, 2022
It is January 1952 and Israel is facing a major political crisis. President David Ben- Gurion and the Knesset are getting ready to vote to end its boycott of Germany and have direct negotiations to accept reparations from Germany for the Jews killed and the property stolen by the Nazis during the Second World War. While there is opposition on both sides, Menanchem Begin was the leader of the opposition and called for a protest in Jerusalem.. But the necessity of Israel making the deal were valid.
Adam Lapid joined the protest. His wife and daughters had been slaughtered during the Shoah. He survived several concentration camps. He wanted no part of dealing with Germany and saw no way for that country to ever atone. He joined thousands of other protesters, hitting some police and being hit in return as the mob headed to the Knesset. But when he saw one police officer being severely attacked by one of the rioters, he got the man to quit and then began to try to help the officer. Another police officer thought he was the attacker, went after him, beat him, and arrested him.
The next day in prison, he was brought up before inspector Kulaski who refused to believe he had not been the attacker. The officer tried to get him to confess, saying it would go easier on him, bur Lapin refused. As the battle between the two men increased, Kulaski was called out of the room for a phone call. When he returned, had to release Lapid. (Lapid became a target for Kulaski’s fury throughout the remainder of the book.)
When Lapid walked out a the prison, Shmuel Birnbaum, a long-time acquaintance, a journalist, was waiting for him. He had made arrangements with a higher up to get Lapid released so he could help a very wealthy Israeli who was looking for an excellent private investigator.
Baruch Gafni ‘s daughter Moria had committed suicide a few weeks earlier. Twenty-three-years old, she had refused to see or talk to him for three years. She left a strange note which left more questions than it answered. Gafni wanted to know why she had done so.
Lapid sought information about Moira primarily from neighbors and co-workers in the hospital where she was a pediatric nurse. The results were mixed. They did, however, lead to more attacks on Lapid.
A DEATH IN JERUSALEM has some of the most nasty, greedy, egocentric characters in any of Jonathan Dunsky’s books. The story is elaborate with overlapping, twisting threads. It flows smoothly, answering the questions that arise. His descriptions and characters are real. The “Afterward” presents a lot of information about Israel’s history and choices in early 1952 which reinforce the reasons for the actions Ben-Gurion took. There are also questions for discussions that focus on the decisions made by people in the book.
The riot in Jerusalem is very similar to what happened in Washington DC on January 6, 2021 as Trump supporters tried to stop the counting of ballots to prevent Biden from taking office. As the protesters are beginning to be arrested and come to trial, some of their reactions are similar to what Lapid experienced: Decent, law abiding people attacked fellow citizens, police officers, and the government. “The Nazis would have loved seeing this, us fighting among ourselves. It had to stop.
"Yesterday," Ben-Gurion said, "a nefarious hand was raised against the sovereignty of the Knesset. An attempt was made to destroy Israeli democracy. It was proclaimed that Israeli policy would not be decided by the people's representatives, but by men of the fist and the political murder.”
Verbal images:
“Vibrant colors swayed and swirled on the horizon like a rainbow trying to piece itself together.”
“His lips were parted and moist, and I could see greed glistening in his eyes like blood-drenched pieces of silver”.
“None of which I could share with Paula, who was standing rigid on the other side of the counter, her lips compressed to a line as hard as the one I'd evidently crossed.”
Adam Lapid joined the protest. His wife and daughters had been slaughtered during the Shoah. He survived several concentration camps. He wanted no part of dealing with Germany and saw no way for that country to ever atone. He joined thousands of other protesters, hitting some police and being hit in return as the mob headed to the Knesset. But when he saw one police officer being severely attacked by one of the rioters, he got the man to quit and then began to try to help the officer. Another police officer thought he was the attacker, went after him, beat him, and arrested him.
The next day in prison, he was brought up before inspector Kulaski who refused to believe he had not been the attacker. The officer tried to get him to confess, saying it would go easier on him, bur Lapin refused. As the battle between the two men increased, Kulaski was called out of the room for a phone call. When he returned, had to release Lapid. (Lapid became a target for Kulaski’s fury throughout the remainder of the book.)
When Lapid walked out a the prison, Shmuel Birnbaum, a long-time acquaintance, a journalist, was waiting for him. He had made arrangements with a higher up to get Lapid released so he could help a very wealthy Israeli who was looking for an excellent private investigator.
Baruch Gafni ‘s daughter Moria had committed suicide a few weeks earlier. Twenty-three-years old, she had refused to see or talk to him for three years. She left a strange note which left more questions than it answered. Gafni wanted to know why she had done so.
Lapid sought information about Moira primarily from neighbors and co-workers in the hospital where she was a pediatric nurse. The results were mixed. They did, however, lead to more attacks on Lapid.
A DEATH IN JERUSALEM has some of the most nasty, greedy, egocentric characters in any of Jonathan Dunsky’s books. The story is elaborate with overlapping, twisting threads. It flows smoothly, answering the questions that arise. His descriptions and characters are real. The “Afterward” presents a lot of information about Israel’s history and choices in early 1952 which reinforce the reasons for the actions Ben-Gurion took. There are also questions for discussions that focus on the decisions made by people in the book.
The riot in Jerusalem is very similar to what happened in Washington DC on January 6, 2021 as Trump supporters tried to stop the counting of ballots to prevent Biden from taking office. As the protesters are beginning to be arrested and come to trial, some of their reactions are similar to what Lapid experienced: Decent, law abiding people attacked fellow citizens, police officers, and the government. “The Nazis would have loved seeing this, us fighting among ourselves. It had to stop.
"Yesterday," Ben-Gurion said, "a nefarious hand was raised against the sovereignty of the Knesset. An attempt was made to destroy Israeli democracy. It was proclaimed that Israeli policy would not be decided by the people's representatives, but by men of the fist and the political murder.”
Verbal images:
“Vibrant colors swayed and swirled on the horizon like a rainbow trying to piece itself together.”
“His lips were parted and moist, and I could see greed glistening in his eyes like blood-drenched pieces of silver”.
“None of which I could share with Paula, who was standing rigid on the other side of the counter, her lips compressed to a line as hard as the one I'd evidently crossed.”
March 10, 2022
A Death in Jerusalem is Jonathan Dunsky’s seventh novel featuring Adam Lapid.
It opens in January 1952 in Jerusalem, when Lapid marches on the Knesset to protest a proposed law allowing Israel to negotiate directly with West German about Holocaust reparations. Having lost his family in the Shoah, Lapid is angry that Israel would allow Germany to put a price tag on the value of its victims.
Tempers flare, and the protest turns violent. Lapid is caught up in the violence until a sight of the Israeli flag reminds him of the value of Jewish community and the nation Jews have built, whose independence he has fought for. When he goes to pull a fellow protester off a police officer, however, he is mistaken for the perpetrator, beaten by the cops, and thrown in jail.
Though innocent, his fate seems sealed until a phone call miraculously springs him from prison. A wealthy Tel Aviv industrialist has pulled strings with political acquaintances and wants Lapid to investigate the suicide of his daughter Moria. This is the titular “death in Jerusalem.”
The problem is that the officer who arrested Lapid in Jerusalem has taken an irrational hatred toward him, for reasons having to do with Israeli politics and the death of his sister. The more Lapid investigates Moria’s death in Jerusalem, the more he places his life in danger from the cop.
The question is: Will Lapid figure out why Moria killed herself before this deranged officer kills him?
I have read all Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid novels, as well as his short story, “The Unlucky Woman.” What I enjoy about these novels is the way Dunsky incorporates aspects of Israel’s early history into the mystery. You learn something about Israel as you wonder how Lapid will solve the crime.
This is especially true in A Death in Jerusalem. The intense hatred political factions—specifically, Mapai and Herut—had for one another helps explain the psychological motivations of the characters. Israel’s poverty and desperate straits at this point in its history also gives the story an intensely noir feel. In my opinion, this is the grittiest and best novel in the series.
I don’t know when Dunsky plans to release his next novel, though I’m sure he’s already started it. I do know, however, that this book has cemented my interest in Adam Lapid for the foreseeable future.
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Dunsky, A Death in Jerusalem (Lion Cub Publishing, 2022).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
It opens in January 1952 in Jerusalem, when Lapid marches on the Knesset to protest a proposed law allowing Israel to negotiate directly with West German about Holocaust reparations. Having lost his family in the Shoah, Lapid is angry that Israel would allow Germany to put a price tag on the value of its victims.
Tempers flare, and the protest turns violent. Lapid is caught up in the violence until a sight of the Israeli flag reminds him of the value of Jewish community and the nation Jews have built, whose independence he has fought for. When he goes to pull a fellow protester off a police officer, however, he is mistaken for the perpetrator, beaten by the cops, and thrown in jail.
Though innocent, his fate seems sealed until a phone call miraculously springs him from prison. A wealthy Tel Aviv industrialist has pulled strings with political acquaintances and wants Lapid to investigate the suicide of his daughter Moria. This is the titular “death in Jerusalem.”
The problem is that the officer who arrested Lapid in Jerusalem has taken an irrational hatred toward him, for reasons having to do with Israeli politics and the death of his sister. The more Lapid investigates Moria’s death in Jerusalem, the more he places his life in danger from the cop.
The question is: Will Lapid figure out why Moria killed herself before this deranged officer kills him?
I have read all Jonathan Dunsky’s Adam Lapid novels, as well as his short story, “The Unlucky Woman.” What I enjoy about these novels is the way Dunsky incorporates aspects of Israel’s early history into the mystery. You learn something about Israel as you wonder how Lapid will solve the crime.
This is especially true in A Death in Jerusalem. The intense hatred political factions—specifically, Mapai and Herut—had for one another helps explain the psychological motivations of the characters. Israel’s poverty and desperate straits at this point in its history also gives the story an intensely noir feel. In my opinion, this is the grittiest and best novel in the series.
I don’t know when Dunsky plans to release his next novel, though I’m sure he’s already started it. I do know, however, that this book has cemented my interest in Adam Lapid for the foreseeable future.
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Dunsky, A Death in Jerusalem (Lion Cub Publishing, 2022).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
March 23, 2022
Another great book in the series. I have read and enjoyed all six and this the seventh didn't disappoint.
This latest, set in Israel in 1952 opens with a bang and gripped me from the start.
The tension builds with each chapter full of action and twists and surprises. Some of the outcomes surprised me, some not so much, but I loved the vivid writing, the mix - as always - of historical content and background combined with action, twists and turns and well drawn characters, some familiar now and some new.
Adam Lapid himself really goes through the mill in this book and I worried for him.
Look forward - as always - to the next Adam Lapid book. Love the series.
This latest, set in Israel in 1952 opens with a bang and gripped me from the start.
The tension builds with each chapter full of action and twists and surprises. Some of the outcomes surprised me, some not so much, but I loved the vivid writing, the mix - as always - of historical content and background combined with action, twists and turns and well drawn characters, some familiar now and some new.
Adam Lapid himself really goes through the mill in this book and I worried for him.
Look forward - as always - to the next Adam Lapid book. Love the series.
February 19, 2023
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, grief, Holocaust imagery, mention of death, PTSD, suicide, mention of death of a child, misogyny, homophobia, murder, torture, mention of sexual abuse
This is the most recent release in the series, and I’ve been dragging my feet on reading it. Not because I don’t love the series (I absolutely do), but more so because I wasn’t ready to finish reading all the books that are out and have to wait for a new release. But my curiosity won out, and I had to find out what was going to happen next.
There’s a lot of things to love about this series. One of them is that I never fail to learn more about Israel and the history of this amazing country. In this case, the story moves settings from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and we get an inside view of what it was like when Jerusalem was still a divided city, and Jews weren’t allowed to access their holiest religious site. The atmosphere along the division line was tense, and Dunsky does a fantastic job of making readers feel like they’re right there alongside Adam as he travels through this city. But even more informative was the way he explores the political, economic, and emotional climate among people in Israel in the early 1950s.
As the country absorbed more and more immigrants fleeing antisemitism, the economic situation continued to worsen. The idea of reparations from Germany was on the table, yet it was hotly debated. Politicians knew that this could be the influx of money that could bail out a sinking economy, but there was an emotional component as well, most strongly felt by the people who survived the Holocaust, and those who lost loved ones to Nazi Germany. Adam himself sums up the issue here:
“For if we agreed to accept reparations from Germany, if we even entered into negotiations on that issue, it meant that the dead could be quantified in dollars or marks. That the crime could be redressed monetarily. And it couldn’t. Not for all the money in the world.”
The book starts with a protest against reparations that quickly turns violent, placing Adam in a tenuous situation that leads to serious danger. The danger lingers throughout the book, as he’s pulled into working on a case that tests his morals. While he doesn’t like or respect his client, investigating a suicide piques his interest, even as it challenges his morals and values. In addition, he’s also concerned about how others will react to his actions during the protest and the aftermath, since it’s such a polarizing issue in Israeli society.
He decides to work the case on behalf of the woman who committed suicide, rather than the client who is paying him, in order to appease his moral compass. But as usual, what he finds places him in danger. However, another thing I really love about this series is that it doesn’t follow the same old formula for each book. Every story in the series is vastly different, and carries an emotional punch that pulls a reader in and gets us emotionally invested not only in the outcome of the case, but also in Adam himself.
Adam struggles not only while working the case, but he also deals with his own internal issues throughout the story. Beginning with the riot and the issue of reparations, but also violence and what he discovers through his investigation, he is forced to confront his own past traumas. As a Holocaust survivor who lost his career, his entire family, his home, and a lot of who he used to be, he lives with that trauma. It shapes every single aspect of his life, from his eating habits to his sleeping habits to his personality, relationships, and career choice. Of all of the people in his life, he keeps nearly everyone at arms distance, except for two women, and that changes dramatically in this book. Circumstances lead him to push one of the women away, and the other one gets closer to him, and it was really intriguing to see how he deals with that.
I have to say, this book was exceptionally done. I love this series, and I can’t wait to find out where it goes next. There’s always something happening that I never see coming, and I love how the reveals come, always surprising me with who is behind the crime and how it all unfolds. I’ve become quite attached to Adam and the small group of people around him, and I want to see things turn out well for him, and see him end up happy and content, although I suspect that he’s got quite a struggle ahead of him before he can even consider getting to that point. But in the meantime, I love watching him get his own brand of vigilante justice and right wrongs in the world that aren’t being corrected, making the world a better place by solving one overlooked or ignored crime at a time. And I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, grief, Holocaust imagery, mention of death, PTSD, suicide, mention of death of a child, misogyny, homophobia, murder, torture, mention of sexual abuse
This is the most recent release in the series, and I’ve been dragging my feet on reading it. Not because I don’t love the series (I absolutely do), but more so because I wasn’t ready to finish reading all the books that are out and have to wait for a new release. But my curiosity won out, and I had to find out what was going to happen next.
There’s a lot of things to love about this series. One of them is that I never fail to learn more about Israel and the history of this amazing country. In this case, the story moves settings from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and we get an inside view of what it was like when Jerusalem was still a divided city, and Jews weren’t allowed to access their holiest religious site. The atmosphere along the division line was tense, and Dunsky does a fantastic job of making readers feel like they’re right there alongside Adam as he travels through this city. But even more informative was the way he explores the political, economic, and emotional climate among people in Israel in the early 1950s.
As the country absorbed more and more immigrants fleeing antisemitism, the economic situation continued to worsen. The idea of reparations from Germany was on the table, yet it was hotly debated. Politicians knew that this could be the influx of money that could bail out a sinking economy, but there was an emotional component as well, most strongly felt by the people who survived the Holocaust, and those who lost loved ones to Nazi Germany. Adam himself sums up the issue here:
“For if we agreed to accept reparations from Germany, if we even entered into negotiations on that issue, it meant that the dead could be quantified in dollars or marks. That the crime could be redressed monetarily. And it couldn’t. Not for all the money in the world.”
The book starts with a protest against reparations that quickly turns violent, placing Adam in a tenuous situation that leads to serious danger. The danger lingers throughout the book, as he’s pulled into working on a case that tests his morals. While he doesn’t like or respect his client, investigating a suicide piques his interest, even as it challenges his morals and values. In addition, he’s also concerned about how others will react to his actions during the protest and the aftermath, since it’s such a polarizing issue in Israeli society.
He decides to work the case on behalf of the woman who committed suicide, rather than the client who is paying him, in order to appease his moral compass. But as usual, what he finds places him in danger. However, another thing I really love about this series is that it doesn’t follow the same old formula for each book. Every story in the series is vastly different, and carries an emotional punch that pulls a reader in and gets us emotionally invested not only in the outcome of the case, but also in Adam himself.
Adam struggles not only while working the case, but he also deals with his own internal issues throughout the story. Beginning with the riot and the issue of reparations, but also violence and what he discovers through his investigation, he is forced to confront his own past traumas. As a Holocaust survivor who lost his career, his entire family, his home, and a lot of who he used to be, he lives with that trauma. It shapes every single aspect of his life, from his eating habits to his sleeping habits to his personality, relationships, and career choice. Of all of the people in his life, he keeps nearly everyone at arms distance, except for two women, and that changes dramatically in this book. Circumstances lead him to push one of the women away, and the other one gets closer to him, and it was really intriguing to see how he deals with that.
I have to say, this book was exceptionally done. I love this series, and I can’t wait to find out where it goes next. There’s always something happening that I never see coming, and I love how the reveals come, always surprising me with who is behind the crime and how it all unfolds. I’ve become quite attached to Adam and the small group of people around him, and I want to see things turn out well for him, and see him end up happy and content, although I suspect that he’s got quite a struggle ahead of him before he can even consider getting to that point. But in the meantime, I love watching him get his own brand of vigilante justice and right wrongs in the world that aren’t being corrected, making the world a better place by solving one overlooked or ignored crime at a time. And I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
March 6, 2024
An interesting glimpse into Israeli politics circa 1952 with the Ben-Gurion faction vs the Begin faction. The main character, Adam Lapid, participates in the storming of the Knesset and is arrested. He’s charged with assaulting a police officer who he was actually trying to save from the mob. He’s freed by connections that leaves the police vindictive and vengeful. His connection or new client wants him to investigate the suicide of his daughter who was a nurse in a Jerusalem hospital. Adam doesn’t like his client but out of a sense of obligation for being saved from the police embarks on what amounts to his most dangerous case yet. Unbelievable twists and turns until the very end with an alarming body count.
March 29, 2022
The best book yet
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all seven of Jonathons looks but this book is clearly on a different level from the others. I thought I'd guessed the plot only to be proved wrong. Brilliant
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all seven of Jonathons looks but this book is clearly on a different level from the others. I thought I'd guessed the plot only to be proved wrong. Brilliant
June 6, 2023
The Adam Lapid series are always told in the first person with Adam as our guide, our voice, and our conscience. Because of this, what I love most about the Adam Lapid books are being privy to Adam’s thoughts, feelings, and observations as he works a case. I feel as though I am being pulled around with him as an invisible, silent partner, looking over his shoulder, voicing my theories, and judging the suspects. All the clues are there for you to follow and analyze, but can you assemble them in the proper order? That is the challenge! As always, this book keeps your mind active as you spin your own theories about motivations and suspects and race to the finish to for the final reveal.
March 17, 2022
Another excellent story in the series. One of the things I like most about the Adam Lapid series is the fact that I learn something new each time I read one of Dunsky's books. I was not aware that Israel made deals with Germany post WW 2 involving reparations. I looked up the time period and learned a little more of the deal in order to understand what was taking place and why it had such an affect on so many of the Israelis and Holocaust survivors
The story opens with Adam protesting the agreement and becoming involved in a riot. He is thrown into jail for allegedly attacking a police officer. While in jail, he encounters a vile, corrupt police captain out for his own vengeance. Adam is sprung from jail by a wealthy business owner to investigate the suicide of his daughter. From there the story takes place between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with many twists and turns typical of Dunsky.
Lapid is anti- hero with many flaws. However, as a reader I can understand and sympathize with the decisions he makes knowing what has gotten him to where he is now. I love that Dunsky has repeat characters like Greta which is like visiting with an old friend. I look forward to the next book in the series.
The story opens with Adam protesting the agreement and becoming involved in a riot. He is thrown into jail for allegedly attacking a police officer. While in jail, he encounters a vile, corrupt police captain out for his own vengeance. Adam is sprung from jail by a wealthy business owner to investigate the suicide of his daughter. From there the story takes place between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv with many twists and turns typical of Dunsky.
Lapid is anti- hero with many flaws. However, as a reader I can understand and sympathize with the decisions he makes knowing what has gotten him to where he is now. I love that Dunsky has repeat characters like Greta which is like visiting with an old friend. I look forward to the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyable hard boiled detective novel set in Jerusalem in 1952 with many twists and turns. Great series.
June 4, 2023
Vacation mode: no review...didn't feel it pulled enough punch although interesting to read re Israeli politics.
February 16, 2024
Another excellent book! Now I have to wait for the next one in this series to come out!!
March 16, 2022
The story was excellent with many twists and turns. I hate to say this because I enjoy the Adam Lapid series, but the author needs to work on his overuse of similes and errors in the use of the English language in general. When I come across these, it takes me out of the story. One small example. There is a description of a gunshot wound to the ankle. The word masticated is used. While masticated literally means chewed, there are other, better, words to convey that the bullet tore into the ankle. I kept getting the image of someone bent over chewing on the ankle and that made me laugh which was not the intent of the author.
One of the best things about this series is the vivid descriptions of old-time Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Zion theater in 1952 was owned by my ex-husband's maternal grandfather. Both his grandparents and his own family lived on the upper floors of the building. My ex showed me pictures and told me stories about how he and his brother would sneak down into the movie theater to watch whatever movie was being shown.
I hope to see more of Adam Lapid and I hope also to see some personal growth in the character.
One of the best things about this series is the vivid descriptions of old-time Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Zion theater in 1952 was owned by my ex-husband's maternal grandfather. Both his grandparents and his own family lived on the upper floors of the building. My ex showed me pictures and told me stories about how he and his brother would sneak down into the movie theater to watch whatever movie was being shown.
I hope to see more of Adam Lapid and I hope also to see some personal growth in the character.
March 23, 2022
Is the protagonist a good man, a bad man or is this truly a bogus question. Jonathan Dunsky's great power as an author is to tell a story that allows for ambiguity, but flows and is compelling. Set in Israel in 1952 this story commences with a violent demonstration before the Knesset, the parallels to the events of January 6, 2021 are inevitable. But that is not really the focus of this story. What we learn is that personal lives that are touched by such momentous events can be shaped by those events, but that the personal characteristics play a much greater role in the trajectory of our lives. Greed, ambition, the scars of memory and the trauma of perversion are much greater factors in shaping our lives.
October 11, 2022
This is another Adam Lapid PI novel set in 1952 at a contentious time in Israeli politics. This time, Lapid’s histrionics and jumping to incorrect conclusions (as in A Deadly Act) detract from a promising plot of a wealthy industrialist seeking an answer as to why his estranged daughter committed suicide. Lapid eventually, and with some barely believable and morally reprehensible acts to help remove some bad guys, stumbles on the answer. Worth the stars for the atmosphere but he’s just not a good investigator.
I'll come back for number 8 though.
I'll come back for number 8 though.
March 8, 2022
different and special
Somehow, living in a world I have never known, and am grateful for that, Adam has touched my heart each time I read one of the books about him. I feel his determination as well as his yearnings and look forward so much to the next time we meet on the pages.
Somehow, living in a world I have never known, and am grateful for that, Adam has touched my heart each time I read one of the books about him. I feel his determination as well as his yearnings and look forward so much to the next time we meet on the pages.
June 8, 2022
I have enjoyed all of the Adam Lapid series which can be read on several levels- for the vivid descriptions of neighborhoods of early state Israel, especially fun when they are streets and areas with which one is familiar- for the first person account of a deeply damaged protagonist who is using the skills he learned as a police detective a lifetime ago in prewar Hungary and adding a few that he was never taught in the police academy- and the supporting characters from various backgrounds making their way in a new reality- and the history which is so real and reveals aspects of life in Israel and the emotional challenges that I may not have read about elsewhere. In this book it was the wrenching decision by Ben-Gurion and the Knesset to enter into direct negotiations with Germany for reparations which many survivors viewed as putting a per capita price on the victims' lives. The opening scenes were so similar to what we witnessed at the US Capitol on One 6th that I had to wonder if they were accurate. They apparently were.
My favorite of the series was the the one prior to this- the prequel which actually took place in Auschwitz, as it shed so much light on our private detective. For reasons I can't explain the violence in this book was more disturbing than usual- not because it was more graphic , but because it was so rationalized and easily resorted to by characters on all sides. I understood the rage and the desperation we were to believe caused it, but it still seemed so comfortably done even by people who may have never killed before that for me it didn't always ring true. This book had many tragic characters- maybe all of them had some tragedy coloring their lives, very sad.
My favorite of the series was the the one prior to this- the prequel which actually took place in Auschwitz, as it shed so much light on our private detective. For reasons I can't explain the violence in this book was more disturbing than usual- not because it was more graphic , but because it was so rationalized and easily resorted to by characters on all sides. I understood the rage and the desperation we were to believe caused it, but it still seemed so comfortably done even by people who may have never killed before that for me it didn't always ring true. This book had many tragic characters- maybe all of them had some tragedy coloring their lives, very sad.
August 25, 2025
Another delightful Adam Lapid mystery. This one starts with Adam being involved in a real event: the storming of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) by right wing activists who objected to reparations from Germany. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repar....
Other than that, it is a typical Lapid story. Many characters and subplots, dead bodies, fisticuffs, a little romance.
Of course, I wasn’t able to figure out whodunit. In fact, I’ve given up trying to anticipate the perp in the Adam Lapid books. I’m never right.
—-WARNING: POLITICAL COMMENTARY BELOW—-
The author says he saw a similarity between this event and the 1/6 riots in the US. The only similarities are that both groups attacked a governing body (in Israel, the Knesset, in the US, Congress) and in both events, protesters injured police.
Other than that: The Israelis were sincerely horrified by accepting what they described as “blood money.”
In contrast, the Proud Boys and other participants in the 1/6 riots were common thugs, manipulated by the Thug-in-chief in an attempt to prevent the legitimately elected president from taking office. It was an attempted coup.
The two events don’t seem similar to me.
Other than that, it is a typical Lapid story. Many characters and subplots, dead bodies, fisticuffs, a little romance.
Of course, I wasn’t able to figure out whodunit. In fact, I’ve given up trying to anticipate the perp in the Adam Lapid books. I’m never right.
—-WARNING: POLITICAL COMMENTARY BELOW—-
The author says he saw a similarity between this event and the 1/6 riots in the US. The only similarities are that both groups attacked a governing body (in Israel, the Knesset, in the US, Congress) and in both events, protesters injured police.
Other than that: The Israelis were sincerely horrified by accepting what they described as “blood money.”
In contrast, the Proud Boys and other participants in the 1/6 riots were common thugs, manipulated by the Thug-in-chief in an attempt to prevent the legitimately elected president from taking office. It was an attempted coup.
The two events don’t seem similar to me.
Read
April 6, 2023This is another series I've been reading on a monthly basis, and I can't tell you how sad I am that I've caught up! Hopefully, there are more to follow.
Adam Lapid is an investigator; an ex-policeman, he works alone and is very good at what he does, but Adam's back story is something else. In this seventh novel, he is hired by someone he hates, but with the threat of prison hanging over him, he can't get out of this job. Of course, Adam finds more that we expect him to . . .
I have learned something from each and every book in this series, and it has been a real eye-opener to me - and there are some things I shall never forget. My grandson is half Jewish and I think it has brought a few things home to me. Adam is an admirable investigator; like a terrier he never lets go but this time round he has a formidable opponent. I wondered quite how it was all going to go and, as always, was hooked from the beginning and read late into the night, always needing to find out just a little bit more. I'm a firm fan of this writer's work, and have no hesitation in recommending anything he has written. A full five stars, well deserved.
Adam Lapid is an investigator; an ex-policeman, he works alone and is very good at what he does, but Adam's back story is something else. In this seventh novel, he is hired by someone he hates, but with the threat of prison hanging over him, he can't get out of this job. Of course, Adam finds more that we expect him to . . .
I have learned something from each and every book in this series, and it has been a real eye-opener to me - and there are some things I shall never forget. My grandson is half Jewish and I think it has brought a few things home to me. Adam is an admirable investigator; like a terrier he never lets go but this time round he has a formidable opponent. I wondered quite how it was all going to go and, as always, was hooked from the beginning and read late into the night, always needing to find out just a little bit more. I'm a firm fan of this writer's work, and have no hesitation in recommending anything he has written. A full five stars, well deserved.
December 13, 2023
This was my introduction to Adam Lapid, and I don't think I would have known about the series if not for the Jewish Book Council's "Raid the Shelves". I love a good mystery, and this one was especially appealing due to the setting. Dunsky did his research and the setting of the book forms a kind of character of its own, Israel in the early 50's, the tone, tenor, and politics. The backdrop of the debate on German reparations was powerful and strongly conveyed, with plenty of emotion and sympathy for both sides (although I'll confess I'm more of a Begin fan than BG).
The only part of the book that took me out of the story was toward the end, with the relationship between the protagonist and his client. I also found the subplot of the murderous police inspector a little over the top.
Overall, a strong work, and I'll look for more Adam Lapid to read!
The only part of the book that took me out of the story was toward the end, with the relationship between the protagonist and his client. I also found the subplot of the murderous police inspector a little over the top.
Overall, a strong work, and I'll look for more Adam Lapid to read!
September 13, 2024
Another excellent book in the Adam Lapid series. Israel's political leaders are debating a vote to end its boycott of Germany and initiate negotiations to accept reparations from Germany for the Jews killed during the Holocaust and the property stolen by the Nazis from the Jews. Adam Lapid goes to a protest, where violence ensues. He tries to help a badly injured policeman, but instead is arrested on suspicion of causing the injuries. Adam is bailed out of jail by a journalist with an offer to assist a wealthy industrialist investigate the suicide of his 23-year old daughter. While Adam dislikes the client, he is happy to be away from the arresting officer, who is hell bent to render justice. As he investigates, Adam learns that the father and daughter have long been estranged, but his moral compass convinces him to solve the mystery of her death no matter the costs.
April 20, 2022
Five Stars
As with all of Jonathan Dunsky’s books the attention to detail is excellent. You are transported back in time to the post war era. A forgotten time when people still had to survive in a very different world. The description given of the cold and rain demonstrates how hard it was to live in this difficult period. All of the characters are brought to life and none better than Adam Lapid. Despite the horrors of the war he endured, he still has a compassion for humanity. He is a light in the darkness of reality. I highly recommend this book. A big thank you to the author for again producing a quality piece of work. I genuinely look forward to the next book. A well deserved 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
As with all of Jonathan Dunsky’s books the attention to detail is excellent. You are transported back in time to the post war era. A forgotten time when people still had to survive in a very different world. The description given of the cold and rain demonstrates how hard it was to live in this difficult period. All of the characters are brought to life and none better than Adam Lapid. Despite the horrors of the war he endured, he still has a compassion for humanity. He is a light in the darkness of reality. I highly recommend this book. A big thank you to the author for again producing a quality piece of work. I genuinely look forward to the next book. A well deserved 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
March 22, 2022
Wonderful mystery
Jonathan Dunsky has written another hard to put down Adam Lapid mystery. When Adam is hired to investigate the suicide of a nurse he is forced to return to Jerusalem where he must avoid a police officer who is determined to kill him. His investigation has him interacting with a variety of suspects and witnesses who are so well written that I was immediately drawn into the story. Mr. Dunsky has once again crafted a mystery so full of twists and turns that I was hooked from the beginning and had to keep reading. I am looking forward to the next book.
Jonathan Dunsky has written another hard to put down Adam Lapid mystery. When Adam is hired to investigate the suicide of a nurse he is forced to return to Jerusalem where he must avoid a police officer who is determined to kill him. His investigation has him interacting with a variety of suspects and witnesses who are so well written that I was immediately drawn into the story. Mr. Dunsky has once again crafted a mystery so full of twists and turns that I was hooked from the beginning and had to keep reading. I am looking forward to the next book.
March 23, 2022
Another Excellent Adam Lapid book -- Probably the best one yet!
This 7th Adam Lapid book is full of twists and turns, danger and intrigue - just what a good mystery novel should have plenty of! At the same time, the reader surreptitiously gets a history lesson about the young country of Israel in the early 1950s. It's definitely both a page-turner and a must-read. I couldn't put it down, and already I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released!
This 7th Adam Lapid book is full of twists and turns, danger and intrigue - just what a good mystery novel should have plenty of! At the same time, the reader surreptitiously gets a history lesson about the young country of Israel in the early 1950s. It's definitely both a page-turner and a must-read. I couldn't put it down, and already I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released!
May 13, 2022
Israel, 1952
Private Detective Adam Lapid is caught up in the midst of riots and escaping imprisonment has to work for a man he hates; yet something about the case intrigues him.
He knows the identity of the killer, but the motive is a mystery.
Trying to solve the case in the heart of Jerusalem, Adam Lapid gets tangled deeper and deeper in secrets and is hunted by a ruthless cop.
Things don't look good for Lapid. If he doesn't watch his back, he may end up dead like the mystery girl.
Private Detective Adam Lapid is caught up in the midst of riots and escaping imprisonment has to work for a man he hates; yet something about the case intrigues him.
He knows the identity of the killer, but the motive is a mystery.
Trying to solve the case in the heart of Jerusalem, Adam Lapid gets tangled deeper and deeper in secrets and is hunted by a ruthless cop.
Things don't look good for Lapid. If he doesn't watch his back, he may end up dead like the mystery girl.
July 1, 2022
So glad I discovered this series... I have read the most recent books in the series. Now I will go back and start at the beginning. I love the premise of this series. Adam Lapid is a Holocaust survivor who has lost his family to the atrocities of the war. he is in the new state of Israel at the end of 1948. He has become a private investigator . I am intrigued and becoming attached to the character.
May 24, 2024
I’m a big fan of Jonathan Dunsky and his protagonist, Adam Lapid. The books are at heart mysteries but Lapid is very different from other crime fighters. His years in Auschwitz have permanently damaged him. He views the world through a prism of grief and horrendous memories. That is what makes him such a memorable character. He doesn't resemble the stars of other crime novels. Dunsky has drawn a compelling and complex character that makes you want to read more.
March 18, 2022
Another amazing book by Jonathan Dunsky. I took my time reading it because I did not want it to end. The main character Adam Lapid has such a strong determination to make what’s wrong right and will go to any lights to do it even if it means being brought down by evil people. He bounces back and helps in a way that only he can do. Jonathan I can’t wait for the next book
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