The Man Who Wanted to Know

'Impressive! Dror Mishani writes with profound originality' - Henning Mankell

Groundbreaking translated police thriller that channels the great detective philosophies of Sherlock Holmes and Wallander.

Mazal Bengtson doesn't know what her husband was doing on the night of the storm. His search for a job is still hopeless - his moods even more unpredictable. But she had believed he would never leave her to sleep alone again.

Inspector Avraham Avraham doesn't know how to begin his first murder case. The only clue is a witness who saw a policeman walk down the stairs after it happened. But no policeman was sent there that day.

What both of them do know is something about the victim's past. They haven't yet realized - but this holds the key to understanding not just the murder, but stranger events; seemingly small, but unforgettable.

For the things that happen in a relationship - in a long marriage, under strain - may not always be against the law. And as desperate as Avraham is to solve the unhappiness of his victims' lives, he cannot mend what he can never truly know.

D. A. Mishani has broken ground with his Avraham series. Inspired by his lifelong study of detective literature, he has created an Inspector of flawed humanity who, uncovering the crimes behind closed doors, takes us on a journey within ourselves. Deeply moving and beautifully written, they are the first crime novels to be shortlisted for Israel's biggest literature prize and are published in eighteen countries.