The Lie

January 27, 2014
Kestin (The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats) settles for soap opera instead of meaningfully engaging with the moral issues raised by the ticking-time-bomb scenario of this clever, if contrived thriller. In the prologue, set in an Israeli hospital 45 years earlier than the main narrative, an Arab woman gives birth to a daughter and a Jewish woman has a son. In the present, Edward Al-Masri, a passionate advocate for Palestinian independence, and Dahlia Barr, an Israeli human rights lawyer, both in their mid-40s, are at turning points. Edward is arrested on returning from America to Israel with some smuggled currency, and Dahlia accepts the unlikely role of deciding which of Israel’s prisoners are to be tortured in order to prevent terrorist attacks. One such prisoner is Edward, whom Dahlia happens to know. Hezbollah’s kidnapping of Dahlia’s 20-year-old Israeli soldier son makes her job personal. The closing twist will resonate with fans of Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson. Agent: Ellen Levine, Trident Media Group.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
Israeli human-rights lawyer Dahlia Barr specializes in defending Palestinians accused of terrorism. She's smart, tough, and totally surprised when her law-school mentor, now the prime minister's top advisor for security, drafts her to be the final arbiter of when the government can employ harsh interrogation techniquestortureto keep the country secure. But the issue becomes intensely personal when Dahlia's son, a lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is captured in a daring Hezbollah incursion on the Israel-Lebanon border, and an Arab man she has known since childhood appears to be involved. What begins as a brilliant portrait of a fascinating character and the stunningly complex culture in which she lives becomes an utterly riveting thriller that is likely to rank as one of the year's best. Kestin, who served in the IDF for 18 years as well as working as a foreign correspondent, seasons his story with brilliant bits about Israeli society, culture, and governmente.g., there is no word for subtlety in the Hebrew language; Israel is a first-name country, where even enlisted soldiers would address a general by his first name; Israeli officials refer to Arabs as the cousins in ironic recognition of their shared Semitic heritage. The Lie has everything: memorable characters, a compelling plot, white-knuckle military action, and an economy and clarity of prose that is direct, powerful, and at times beautiful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)