Murder in Jerusalem: A Michael Ohayon Mystery (Michael Ohayon Series, 6)

This is in many ways Batya Gur's best mystery. In this one, the murderer is not easily guessed, and although the motive may seem a little out of the blue, it's a really exciting read. The first few pages are a bit tough to read as this novel takes place at Israel Television and we are introduced to a barrage of people in a very short amount of time - pretty much everyone it takes to put on a news show is there (and that's a lot of people). Once you have them sorted out in your head, though, it's a really great read. It has a really broad scope and deals with Israeli culture, religion, politics, and art, for which the vantage point of the TV studio is very well suited. Unfortunately, the issues that are brought up in the aftermath of the book's plot will not be explored - this was Gur's last novel (she passed away in 2005, Aleha Hashalom).

This is a masterful novel in which the tightly packed and chaotic prose reflects the chaos in the action itself. If you're looking for easy reading, this is not it. If you're looking for a powerful and complex story set firmly in the chaos of modern-day Israel, this just the book for you.