A Possibility of Violence

Winner of the Bernstein prize for best Israeli novel
Translated to more than 20 languages

The 2nd Avraham novel 

In every investigation there is a moment when it seems that the picture would never clear up. The details are too many, too strange, too far apart – like people sitting on a seashore. But after a while, the links emerge, the view becomes clear. Suddenly, in the darkness, a new point comes alight and illuminates the rest; details seem different, gather meaning, join up. What appeared far away turns up close. This time there was a small suitcase with an explosive device and a man that fled the scene, limping. A telephone warning by a female voice: “the suitcase was only the beginning”. A woman that flew to the Philippines but wasn’t on board any plane. A father of two who was running away although nobody chased him. And a police Inspector determined to save the innocent and the helpless this time.

A Possibility of Violence, the second novel in the Israeli crime series that gained unprecedented international success, is a story of Inspector Avraham’s attempt to redeem himself from the trauma of his first investigation, through a case even more deceiving and hideous; and it is the story of a father on the run, desperately trying to save his children from something he dares not reveal.

What readers wrote:

– “The freshness of Mishani’s novel comes from its striking locale (…) and from the way the story is told through alternating points of view” (Wall street Journal, US)

– “An exceptional police procedural that should appeal to mystery lovers of all types” (Library Journal, US)

– “Tense yet heartfelt, Mishani’s second Avraham entry is even more riveting than his debut” (Kirkus, starred review)

– “A stellar sequel (…) Mishani makes good use of his study of the genre to create another psychologically complex case,
in the process deepening his lead character” (PW, starred review)

– “With a refreshingly average and self-doubting protagonist, A Possibility of Violence is both tense and touching (… ) definitely lives up to the promise of its excellent predecessor, The Missing File” (Laura Wilson, Best crime novels round-up, The Guardian, UK)

– “Compelling (…) Mishani has published a welcome sequel” (Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph, UK)

– “Morally complex and psychologically convincing, A Possibility Of Violence is a terrifying and disturbing psychological drama” (Russel D Mclean,  Herald Scotland, UK)

– “An engaging narrative, seen through the eyes of a young and perceptive Detective, one with a long future in the crime fiction genre. In two words, Highly Recommended” (Shots Magazine, UK)

– “Mishani is at his best presenting the psychology of interrogation from both sides, and the book’s satisfactions as crime fiction stem from the unfurling drama of guilt admitted” (Cameron Woodhead, Sidney Morning Herald, Australia)

– “Close to perfection” (Fred Braeckman, De Morgen, Netherlands)

– “Dror Mishani is one of the greatest new writers in the genre, with a literary language and great human insight” (Erik Jensen, Politiken, Denmark)

– “Mishani wrote a detective novel that has everything: power, style, empathy, plot, emotion” (Knack magazine, Belgium)

 

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