This is a swift spy thriller from the author in the know - and this knowledge of the world of the secret services gives the novel another extra layer, as if the main characters were not smart and intelligent enough!
Israeli agents Colonel Abadi and his second-in-command Oriana are exactly the duo you should trust to solve the mystery of a kidnapped Israeli young man from the Paris international airport. Because it is not even that...the things are complicated and twisty and it takes real capabilities, very fast thinking and moving to catch the “bad guys” (and sometimes you must behave like the bad guy!). Throw in some politics, some foreign spies and one frustrated police commissionner and you are in for a fast ride! Solid, witty and even educative read this is.

I thought this book was a bit heavy on exposition. In the early part we see events in the airport from several different points of view. The scene with all the intelligence personnel being introduced also felt long-winded. Not for me. DNF

Fantastic read. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Wondering what’s coming next. The storyline will capture your imagination and pull you in wanting more

What's exceptional about this is the sharpness of its prose .. kind of a mix of feel of drama and news report. Abadi gets it right and is surprising and unusual disaffected and his deputy the sharp and knowing Oriana, also in Israeli office is on his side and clever, engaging and comes up with ideas seeming from out of left field. As people are abducted and we don't know why, the amusing French detective working with (and often disgruntled with) Abadi is wrong footed. Really great atmospheres and set up .. it's too non English to be anything like le carre although I can see why publishers might call this espionage internal thriller similar. Really cool.. hope there are more.

A terrific debut thriller. Pacy, complex, entertaining, funny, and two very attractive lead characters in Abadi and Oriana. Interesting setting within the Israeli intelligence operation which will be new territory for most readers. Well written and well constructed. A great read with definite promise for an ongoing series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy of this book.

I enjoyed that this was a thriller set in primarily in Paris but not a love letter to Paris.

A tech entrepreneur goes missing and is discovered to be kidnapped by a blonde in a red uniform and murdered. An Israeli Colonel cooperates with the French police - a second Israeli disappears from the flight... A race against time to locate him before the killers do.

I found the book OK - not great and not bad. I didn't feel like I wanted to devour the book (my typical sign that it should be 5*), I didn't feel motivated to dig into the story.. The pacing feels off - it takes a long time to get going, and then it speeds through to the end too quickly once the story is established.

There were some good lines - "The security business was a circus and every circus allows time for clowns to express themselves"

Right, confession time. Having read and struggled to review John Le Carre’s convoluted and uber-ponderous The Little Drummer Girl (and then been bored witless by the equally uber-ponderous TV adaptation) last year, I was understandably nervous about a thriller that, on the face of it, may tread slightly similar ground. Thankfully my fears were quickly dispelled- hallelujah, I hear you cry- and this turned out to be a really rather clever, and absorbing thriller indeed, with an undeniable literary quality in its writing and execution…

Opening with the baffling kidnap of a, it has to be said, quite annoying Israeli tourist from Charles de Gaulles airport in Paris, Dov Alfon constructs a intense and absorbing thriller which brings to the fore the global problem of not only the secrecy and power games within national security agencies, but their inexplicable need to withhold and conceal information from each other. Few are better placed than Alfon, as a former Israeli Intelligence officer himself, to expose to some degree the daily frustrations and power struggles that lay behind these most secret of organisations, and through the power of fiction serve it up to us in its startling reality. I think this was the single most notable factor of this book for me, that all this, for want of a better word, childish squabbling, and some pretty damn deep-seated corruption (that could not all be entirely fictional) frustrates and confuses the investigation, and those charged to carry it out. It was fascinating to bear witness to this and with Alfon’s personal experiences undoubtedly woven into the story, it added an extra level of enjoyment to the book itself. Admittedly at first it was a little confusing to grasp which particular branch of security was which, but as the main players began to be more fully fleshed out, it was easier to decipher who was working with who, and against who for whatever nefarious reason.

I thought the characterisation was superb from the beleaguered and world weary Commissaire Leger in Paris, finding himself involved in a difficult position liaising with the secretive and highly intuitive Colonel Zeev Abadi of the Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200. Abadi is a flawed but incredibly interesting character, whose unique style of investigation and distillation of information received, frustrates not only Leger but others within the disparate branches of Israeli Intelligence. Taken in tandem with the experiences of Abadi’s deputy, the feisty, and at times, wonderfully insubordinate Lieutenant Oriana Talmor, Alfon has succeeded in not only crafting a gripping thriller, but populating this with a cast of entirely credible and absorbing characters. As all their inherent frustrations come to the surface during the course of the investigation, and the external forces that seek to thwart them tighten their grip, Alfon puts his characters under pressure to an alarming degree, but not without its entertainment for the reader. Abadi is a mesmeric character in the way that brooding, loner men always are, and thankfully Talmor has more than enough grit about her to hold her own in the misogynistic institutions that try to suppress her more instinctive methods, and use her steely determination to overcome her recent professional disappointments.

Despite my slightly disparaging comments on Le Carre’s book at the beginning I am a lover of his work, and in terms of the plot construction, Alfon weaves a similar spell, in this dark tale of subterfuge and diplomatic difficulties. Focussing not only on the world of espionage, Alfon also incorporates Israeli- Palestinian relations, embezzlement, a Chinese hit squad and more, using the backdrop of Paris both in its grandeur and grinding poverty to great effect. This is an intelligent but not too complex thriller, less high octane and more measured than some, but nonetheless a fascinating and highly enjoyable read, which kept me hooked. Recommended.

It is a wonderful fact that modern readers have such a rich source of novels translated into their own language to be taken into whole new worlds.
A Long Night in Paris is a clever title for a clever book. While all the action does not take place in the French capital it does all take place in the timeframe of a very long night.
The time in Israel focuses on the other vital member of the State’s most secretive arm of the country’s Defence Forces Unit 8200.
She is Oriana Talmor, her boss she tries to join in Paris is Aluf Mishne Abadi. The mission to save a young Israeli who appears to have ruffled the feathers of a Chinese warlord.
The author Dov Alfon spent his youth in Paris and Tel Aviv and uses all that knowledge to create a wonderful backdrop to this political thriller. However, it is his time as a former intelligence officer that lifts this novel. He makes it sing with authenticity and knows how to reflect both the paranoia and secrecy demanded of operations by Israel.
The result is a very intense mystery full of intrigued and layered with a high body count.
Perhaps a little slow to start and the beginning is less accessible to the general reader as it seems technical and playing politics. This does finally all fall into place and completes the plot, yet it may put off some. Don’t be despondent, Oriana is a great female character feeling her way. Once the action starts the story takes on a life of it’s own and becomes engrossing and totally captivating.
Paris is a city scarred by recent terrorist events and the attempts to down play the events unfolding there to minimise political fallout in Israel leaves the leading French investigator high and dry. Abadi also feels he too could be set up to take a fall so the two unlikely officers combined their knowledge to avoid being scapegoats to the respective governments.
These two propel the story and it hums along when they are involved in the action or mopping up the pieces. The levels of manipulation are truly worrying when so much violence is at risk of the capital’s streets. In looking for some suspects in an area of Paris local police officers are dispatched almost as in a Maigret novel to enquire of the concierge is they recognise them as residents from their photos.
I sincerely hope more stories will follow it is great to be involved in a different type of spy novel.

Strong characters, twisty plot what more could you ask for? The book proceeds at a cracking pace and it is all too easy to just keep reading "one more chapter" . The cast is large but each are very distinct & plausible. Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for providing me with a free reading copy that gave me so much pleasure.

I inhaled this one. It is pacey and addictive and I can see why it is already such an enormous hit in other languages.

With the caveat that I have absolutely no idea how secret intelligence services actually work, this all felt very authentic to me. Not just in terms of the toys and techniques they have at their disposal, but even more than this, in the way they spent as much time squabbling over who gets to play with what as they did actually getting on with their jobs.

Does this thing actually go on in real life? Again, I have no idea. But for the time I spent escaping from my own (rather dull) life, Dov Alfon certainly had me believing wholeheartedly in his far more interesting world! I was utterly gripped.

One of the things I really loved was the wealth of clever asides and snippets of everything from tourist information to philosophical treatises which were then woven through the narrative and used illuminate something there. Alfon is clearly an extremely well-read and learned person and deploys the benefit of this liberally and lucidly with the reader.

I see other reviews have mentioned that there are a lot of official titles and ranks to take on board and that this probably makes more sense to an Israeli audience. Personally, I have no idea what any Israeli military ranks are. I knew there was a table explaining all of this at the end, but I decided to just press on and not bother trying to work out what the English equivalents were unless I needed to. I didn't. When I saw an unfamiliar word in front of someone's name, I thought, ah, that'll be their military rank and just kept reading. It was always VERY clear from the context who was the superior officer and so my not knowing what the *exact* translation of these ranks was had absolutely no bearing on my understanding of the plot.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who enjoys macho, authoritative thrillers, such as the Jason Bourne series or I Am Pilgrim.

With many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for letting me have an advance read of this title.

Nope, I’m afraid I just didn’t get this at all. I can totally understand why it was such a success in Alfon’s native Israel, and the book is not averse in showing some of the less admirable sides of the Israeli intelligence and defence services. There is certainly authenticity, and clearly it is the work of someone who has come from that background – and therein lies the problem for me, I think. The book wears its ‘reality’ on its sleeve: there are far too many characters in the book and I just lost any sense of selfhood with some of them, being nothing more than caricatures; there were far too many examples of acronyms, ranks and long-winded explanations and discussions. The whole concept of the book attracted me, but although the book moves through many Paris landmarks there was nothing like a sense of location or excitement or chase or momentum, because the ‘action’ would then switch to extended dialogues between characters that just, well, bored me.

I was also struck by the whole absurdity of the plot, especially given the background of the author and his knowledge of the Israeli intelligence services. I just couldn’t buy into the Chinese gangsters, the body count piling up, and the Israeli/French search for the culprits. But then maybe it’s just me – maybe this is reality and Alfon is right. But I just couldn’t quite believe it, and when we got the ‘romantic’ ending and the clear suggestion that there will be more books in a series featuring the main characters…honestly, I just let out a sigh of frustration.

I’m aware that this is all quite negative, and I apologise. For an undemanding conspiracy/international thriller, then this is fine. But comparisons to John le Carre made by reviewers are, for me, badly misplaced. This reads like a TV or film script at times – and the constant references to the day/time brought to mind the clock ticking in the series ‘24’. I’m sure the rights have already been snapped up by someone to film it, and good luck to Alfon for the future. Others will love this, but I did not I’m afraid. I think I'm not the target audience for this, so read it and make up your own mind!

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.)

A Long Night in Paris is former Unit 8200 intelligence officer Dov Alfon's exciting new novel and a masterclass in weaving a tangled web of shady goings-on, conspiracy, action and espionage. I'm guessing some of the incidents described here are based in truth, with Alfon having the inside line on all Israeli secret matters, and It's clear the author is incredibly knowledgeable on the subject of politics, intelligence and spying for your country. Throughout the story the suspense and excitement were palpable, but there were some points when it seemed to descend into chaos and confusion. It tells the tale of a single day and night in Paris, hence the title, when Israeli and Chinese intelligent organisations faced-off against each other.

As we get to about the halfway mark the narrative begins to drag quite a bit. We go round and round chasing our tails but move no further forward. It's definitely a slow-build, which isn't usually a problem for me, but this time I felt it added to the story in terms of it becoming even more stilted. I particularly enjoyed the information I learned about the secret world of intelligence; it was absolutely mind-blowing to learn about a world most of us will never encounter. Another minor annoyance was that some keywords throughout the novel have been written in Hebrew for bigger impact, and there is a handy glossary of terms, but it is at the back of the book making it difficult to reach each time. It definitely would've been better placed at the beginning. The plot is expertly plotted right down to the last detail and the characters of Oriana and Abadi are portrayed as patriots but with a deep self-interest. Overall, very interesting with some minor issues and worth the read.

Many thanks to MacLehose Press for an ARC.

Indiana Talmor is an intelligence officer in Israel's most secretive and sensitive section 8200.. in the unexpected replacement of her chief her star has risen swiftly - she is soon the second in command to the charismatic new chief, who has just launched a counter espionage action inn Paris against the unknown Chinese agents who kidnapped a young Israeli tourist from the airport at Charles De Gaulle. She hasn't met him, yet on the secure line between Paris and Tell Aviv, she follows his orders without really understanding them. What she does know is that she's being used as a pawn in a struggle for control, not just of section 8200 but the entire Israeli Defense Force; that her actions are being monitored and her communications with her new boss overheard, and that the missing Israeli tourist is not who everyone thought he was.
A lively thriller with an interesting duo - hope there's a follow up, even a few.

When an Israeli IT specialist is abducted at Charles de Gaulle airport, this is not given too much attention at first. But since it can serve as a great story to redirect public interest from the latest of the Prime Minister’s misconducts, suddenly this incident turns into the top issue. And as it turns out, the case of the abducted Israeli becomes one of the most complicated and deadly warfares on French ground. While the newly appointed head of the Israel Special Section 8200 Abadi is fighting Chinese killers with a clear and uncompromising mission in the French capital, his deputy Oriana Talmor is struggling in Tel Aviv with their own people who appear to be much more interested in their personal agendas than in the country’s security. A long day and an even longer night lies in front of this seemingly mismatched pair.

Dov Alfon certainly knows what he is writing about and there are some interesting parallels between his own life and his protagonist Abadi. Both grew up in France which their parents left when they were still school boys. He did his military service in the IDF’s technological intelligence unit before becoming an awarded journalist. To sum up, “A Long Night in Paris” is a fast-paced spy novel which is highly complex in its plot and gives a lot of insight in what is going on behind the closed doors of one of the world’s most famous and most secretive services.

The story is simply addictive. Once you’ve started you can’t put the book down since you’re hooked and you want to know how all the different dots connect. What I liked most about it was the fact that it is not by surprising coincidences that the plot advances but by the doing of very intelligent characters. They are not only well-trained soldiers, but also the elite which is demonstrated breath-takingly. Even under the highest pressure, they keep calm and can control the situation.

Oriana Talmor is certainly a very interesting character. It is rare to have a female protagonist in a spy novel (who is not just the seductive sidekick of the big enemy), and in my impression she is well-balanced between the intelligent soldier and the human being who is sensitive and to whom also self-doubts aren’t unknown. This was especially shown in the scene where she motivates her female duty sergeant Rachel to continue her career as an officer.

The 2017 book sensation from Israel luckily now also available in other languages and without a doubt a novel that can compete with John Le Carré’s or Daniel Silva’s novels.

A Long Night in Paris by Dov Aflon is a good but not outstanding spy thriller.

It is clearly written by somebody who knows about the world of spying and espionage and the plot itself is good.

At times the writing seems a little pedestrian but overall it was an enjoyable read

I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus Books for an advance copy of A Long Night in Paris, a spy thriller set in Paris and Israel.

When Israeli, Yaniv Meidan, is abducted from Charles de Gaulle airport most people suspect an affair or rendezvous of some kind except Zeev Abadi, the newly appointed head of Unit 8200’s autonomous unit, who was coincidentally travelling on the same flight. He is soon proved right and together with French detective, Commissaire Léger, finds himself shoulder deep in intrigue, dead bodies and Chinese operatives. In the meantime his deputy, Oriana Talmor does her best to help him and negotiate the shark infested waters of Israeli intelligence.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Long Night in Paris, a compulsive thriller which offers a fascinating insight into the murky world of intelligence. I must admit that I got completely lost in identifying the hierarchy of the players and the various agencies involved. There is a glossary at the end of the novel which would have been more helpful if placed at the beginning and translating the job titles into western friendly equivalents instead of leaving them in Hebrew would make them more understandable.
Eventually I just ignored it all and went with the flow. The plot is fascinating and very well done. It is difficult to describe without spoilers but basically starts as one thing and morphs into something entirely different. The technology is eye opening if true and imaginative if not, but the irony is that it’s old school analogue at the heart of it all. It’s a great touch and not the only one. Mistakes are made and human error is all over the novel, with the exception of our protagonists (obviously!), it somehow makes the novel more relatable. As an aside I loved the idea of the high tech listening station having an antenna tuned to sports radio.

Both Oriana and Abadi are outsiders in the intelligence community which always makes for good reading. They are patriots but do not have the entrenched agendas of the majority of their colleagues who would like nothing better than to get rid of them in furtherance of these agendas. I found the way they work fascinating and their self interest nauseating but I have come to the conclusion that politics and intelligence work are far too exhausting to contemplate. On the other hand I like the effort Oriana and Abadi put in on behalf of their country to solve the case, even if the spin put on their results makes a mockery of the truth.

A Long Night in Paris is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Oh dear, once again I don't recognise the book I read from the reviews: Alfon certainly knows the world we're in, witness lots of insider information on the bureaucracy of the Israeli Intelligence community. Problem is, after an engaging opening as a young Israeli techie goes missing on arriving in Paris, the book circles round and round, lots of story wheels spinning, but no forward momentum in the plot. The writing is pedestrian rather than stylish but that doesn't necessarily matter in the thriller genre if the plot builds excitement but that doesn't happen either. Too leaden, messy and laboured for me.

Interesting, novel a bit zany and confusing too. I can see why this became a best seller in Israel as it tells the story of a face-off between the Israeli and Chinese intelligence organisations over the course of an extremely busy day and night in Paris featuring mistaken identities and murders.

The author has a deep knowledge of intelligence matters from his former career and it certainly shows. The tension and excitement are palpable and the lead characters interesting and credible.

There is also a lot - perhaps too much of inter-department rivalry and some of the terminology and ranks are confusing and hard for a non-Israeli to grasp.

I enjoyed it and even laughed a few times too.

Not bad at all.