An Israeli thriller firmly set in Paris

15th January 2019

A Long Night In Paris by Dov Alfon (translated from the Hebrew by Daniella Zamir) – an Israeli thriller firmly set in Paris.

Just published in the UK, A Long Night In Paris comes with a pedigree of success for its native Hebrew edition. It was #1 Israeli best-seller, 22 weeks in the best-seller lists, and the fastest and biggest Israeli best-seller of 2016. Both TV and Movie rights have been sold. And it deserves the praise and plaudits it has won.

Dov Alfon is a former Israeli intelligence officer, and he clearly knows and understands what he is writing about. An Israeli citizen is mysteriously ‘disappeared’ at Charles de Gaulle airport having just arrived on a flight from Tel Aviv. A group of Chinese commandos are implicated – but did they seize the ‘wrong’ man? Is the ‘right’ man still out there and in danger? Colonel Abadi, the head of Special Section of Unit 8200 of Israeli security, just happens to be in Paris – and decides to investigate. He is aided by a French police inspector – who is increasingly alarmed and embarrassed as bodies appear on his patch, and by Oriana – his deputy back in Israel. The Inspector has enemies in the French establishment, and Abadi has enemies in high places back in Israel. They have to watch their backs as they try and figure out what is going on.

A Long Night In Paris is fast moving and bloody. It is also extremely well written (and well translated). Unlikely as the plot may be – Chinese commandos roaming Paris – the story doesn’t come over as anything but possible. It is detailed, well thought through, and plausible. It is also a fascinating and (given Dov’s background) quite likely to be true insight into the politics and scheming of the various branches of Israeli intelligence. One of the Israeli reviewers compares Dov to John le Carré in his complexity and style. Maybe a little over the top, but I can certainly see where he is coming from.

The book works well in TripFiction location terms. Dov now lives in Paris and uses his knowledge of the city to good effect. The Israeli scenes – set in Tel Aviv and the Negev desert – also have the ring of truth and experience.

A book that I found hard to put down which, for me, is always the mark to a good thriller.

Tony for the TripFiction team

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