The sixth and final novel from beloved and critically-acclaimed Israeli crime novelist Batya Gur—a stunning tale of a beautiful and secretive woman’s murder, set against the politically charged backdrop of the Israeli media Acclaimed Israeli director Benny Meyuhas’ film production of the heartbreaking work “Iddo and Eynam” promises to be a landmark of Israeli film—until his wife and the films’ set designer Tirzah Rubin is crushed under a set piece, stalling the production indefinitely. But more shocking is what comes to light in the investigation—that Tirzah’s storybook life wasn’t at all what it seemed, and that her death may have been part of a larger network of social and political unrest. The brooding Chief Superintendent Michael Ohayon has spent his career surrounded by horrific crimes, but perhaps none most deeply disturbs him than Tirzah’s murder, its strange connection to Israeli labor disputes and religious corruption shaking him to the core. The crowning achievement to a magnificent career, this final installment in the Michael Ohayon series is a wonderful parting gift from the incomparable Batya Gur—one last fascinating visit to an always tumtultous land, in the company of a detective the author and her devoted readers have loved so well. “Batya Gur finely lays bare the contradictions that tear modern-day Israel apart…she reveals the incredible love of life in this little country that dances on a volcano.” - Elle (French Edition), praise for Bethlehem Road Murder “Gur’s novels were insightful, thought provoking and eminently readable…” - BookPage, Mystery of the Month “[A] biting cultural expose” - New York Times Book Review “Gur’s tremendous literary gifts are on full display in her sixth contemporary Israeli mystery...a sophistication equal to that of P.D. James and other better known authors of psychological crime fiction. - Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[U]niquely Israeli take on the paradox of the sacred and profane in the Holy Land.” - Kirkus Reviews When a woman's body is discovered in the wardrobe warehouses of Israel Television, Chief Superintendent Michael Ohayon embarks on a tangled and bloody trail of detection through the corridors and studios of Israel's official television station, and through the fears, loves, and contradictions of the people who work there. It is an eye-opening journey that brings into question the very ideals upon which Ohayon&;and indeed the entire nation&;was raised, ideals that may have led to terrible crimes. Batya Gur (1947-2005) lived in Jerusalem, where she was a literary critic for Haaretz , Israel's most prestigious paper. She earned her master's in Hebrew literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and she also taught literature for nearly twenty years. Murder in Jerusalem A Michael Ohayon Mystery By Batya Gur HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2007 Batya Gur All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060852948 Chapter One Michael Ohayon laid A Suitable Boy , the heavy volume in which he had been immersed for weeks, especially the past two, during his vacation, at the foot of his bed. How was it possible to write a novel like this and at the same time live one's life? How suddenly familiar and true were the claims voiced by many women in his life, claims he had heard often enough from his only son as well, about the manner in which he lost himself in his work, how there was no approaching him while he was on a case. To create and write about some reality or to investigate it seemed suddenly to him like the very same effort, the very same anxiety. A sudden noise cut his thoughts short. He hurried to the hallway, and from there to the bathroom. He had left the cabinet door under the sink open so that the dampness there would not grow moldy. The bucket he had placed under the sink had overturned, as if a cat had passed by. But no cat had passed by. The windows were shut and the blinds were closed and rain was pounding and a puddle of dirty water was gathering by the front door. There was no explanation for the overturned bucket. "The butterfly effect," Tzilla would say had she witnessed the scene, which would be certain to irritate Balilty: "Effects again?" he would exclaim. "Butterflies again? Aren't you fed up with all that yet? What's the matter, aren't there any other explanations in the world? Let's see you, for once, just say ?I don't know'!" Michael returned to his bedroom and glanced at the full packet of cigarettes lying next to the reading lamp on the small night table. He had not smoked the whole day. The first week of his vacation he had spent counting and rationing. Each day he had smoked two fewer cigarettes than the day before. Later, when he understood that he would need twenty days in order to quit smoking entirely while he had at his disposal only one last week to make his abstinence a fait accompli, he had stopped smoking all at once. Five days had passed since his last cigarette. Perhaps th