Duet in Beirut
Mishka Ben-David; Evan Fallenberg (translator)
Overlook, Apr 14 2015, $26.95
ISBN 9781468310207
In a busy Jerusalem street, terrorists detonate a car bomb leaving
many dead and maimed. The angry Israeli
government wants an “eye for an eye” starting with the Hezbollah planner of
that attack Abu-Khaled. Mossad sends a
team led by Gadi on an operation in Beirut to take down this killer. However, the assassination flops when the
trigger Ronen fails to take the shot.
Kicked out of Mossad in disgrace, Ronen vanishes. One year later, Mossad operatives learn that
their ignominious former compatriot is in Lebanon without official sanctioning
most likely seeking redemption by finishing the mission. Fearing a catastrophic disaster, also without
approval Gadi heads to Beirut to prevent his former sniper from compounding the
mess.
Filled with action yet character-driven, Duet In Beirut is a
profound look at government sponsored assassinations and the emotional problems
when a person’s values collide with that of the organization (most people defer
their own to that of the entity; i.e., Penn State). Although some of the personal sides of the
leads seem unnecessary and distracting, Mishka Ben-David provides a fresh look
at the psyche of agents working ethically-challenged dark ops.
Harriet Klausner
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