BOOK SYNOPSIS
An unexpected murder. A suspect with a reason. The power of unwavering belief.
A murder has been committed in an office in Jerusalem. That’s for sure. The rest is not as clear-cut as it might seem.
Asaf languishes in his cell , unable to tell his story even to himself. How can he tell it to someone who elicits such fear within him?
His colleague, Nathalie, has studied Beauty and the Beast. She understands its moral. Maybe that’s why she’s the only one who believes in Asaf, the suspect. But she’s new in the company – and in the country.
Would anyone take her opinion seriously? She coerces her flatmates, Yarden and Tehila, into helping her investigate. As they uncover new trails, will they be able to reverse popular opinion?
In the end, will Beauty’s belief be strong enough to waken the Beast? Or, in this case, can Style waken the Solitary?
This compelling murder mystery with a added sprinkling of romance is written from the perspectives of a number of authentic and realistic individuals including Nathalie and Asaf.
To all intents and purposes both Nathalie and Asaf were social outcasts, Nathalie due to her status as a immigrant and Asaf due to his debilitating social anxiety. I really like Nathalie, she was a very intelligent young lady who refused to write Asaf off as a weirdo like everyone else and was determined to do everything in her power to prove that he was innocent despite the fact that she hadn't known him for very long. I loved the interactions between Nathalie and her two flatmates Yarden and Tehila and the changes in their relationship as they worked together on the case. They had each been imbued with their own unique personalities and brought their own individual skills and talents into play in their roles as amateur detectives. Throughout the story, Nathalie occasionally made comments in her native French language and I really liked how the author had included the English translation of whatever Nathalie was saying. I find there is nothing more off putting than a story that includes words, phrases or conversations that I struggle to understand.
I felt so much sympathy for poor Asaf because he was such a likeable individual who it was revealed had spent his whole life being bullied and ridiculed. And now he had been accused of a horrific crime and his anxieties were preventing him from defending himself against the allegations that were being made against him. People can become emotionally damaged due to many reasons and as well as portraying the struggles of someone who is struggling with social anxiety the story also covered the effects that grief and drugs can have on a person's life. The plot also highlighted the damage that the press can inflict on a person's life with the ways that they very often word certain articles without really thinking or caring about the consequences.
There was quite a number of realistic characters to keep track of throughout the book but not so many that the story became confusing and difficult to follow. My stand out favourite secondary character was Chief Inspector Barak Elad who was in charge of the investigation into the crime that Asaf was suspected of committing and just wanted to solve the case so he could finally go away on holiday with his long suffering wife Shira.
The story also included descriptions of the scenery and different cultures of Jerusalem but just enough to set the scene and not so much that it felt like padding and bogged down the story.
This is a very well written, gripping mystery that has some heroine in danger scenes and a plot that keeps the reader guessing. To be honest, I preferred the mystery elements of the story more than the romantic elements but I'm sure there will be other readers who feel the complete opposite. I also thought that the killer's identity was revealed a bit too early for my liking. The story covers a number of relatable issues including mental health, grief and racism and the author had written about her subject matter with care and sensitivity. I did enjoy Nathalie and her friends first adventure as amateur sleuths and I hope the author has more investigations planned for them in the future.
AUTHOR INFO
When Miriam Drori says she loves to perform, people don’t believe her. When she says she’s not shy, they think she’s delusional. The fact is, things ain’t what they seem. A witch called social anxiety took away her ability to be spontaneous, but it didn’t change her exhibitionist nature. You need to watch her dancing or speaking before an audience to understand that.
Fortunately, she has found an outlet for her thoughts in writing, a solitary activity with multiple recipients. She never doubted her ability to write, but only in recent years has she managed to gather her views and observations together into papier-mâché balls worth throwing far and wide.
If you ignore the witch, life has been good to Miriam, especially since she made the decision to move from the UK to Israel. She has a wonderful husband, three lovely children and a delightful house. She loves to read, travel, hike and dance. She has worked in computer programming and technical writing, and now enjoys the freedom and versatility of creative writing. And she believes passionately in raising awareness of social anxiety.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/miriamdroriauthor/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/MiriamDrori
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com
website/ blog: https://www.wattpad.com
Amazon page: amazon.co.uk/Miriam-Drori/e/B00L11J6D4/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1476790132&geniuslink=true
PUBLICATION DATE: 26th April 2021
PURCHASE LINK....
amazon.co.uk/dp/B08X7GG82V?geniuslink=true
Giveaway to Win 5 x PB copies of Cultivating a Fuji by Miriam Drori (Open INT)
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Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the novel.
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