The Man Who Wanted to Know by D. A. Mishani

This is the story of a crime within a crime or rather the repercussions of a crime. The way crime leaves more than just the actual victim in its wake.

The scene between Avraham and Ilana is pivotal for the investigation and his own insight. She questions his motives, which really rattles his cage. In turn he realises that she doesn't really belong on a pedestal.

In fact she agrees with the decisions made by Saban. The conversation shatters this imaginary image he had in his head, of his ex-supervisor and himself. It makes him doubt his gut intuition as a detective.

I have to say the story progresses a wee bit like someone fishing in a huge lake waiting for a fish to nibble. I'm not sure any fish gets caught to be completely honest, which is probably the charm of this book.

It has a conclusion, and yet it still seems as if the fisherman is still casting away. It's hard to explain, perhaps it was the topic in general. I think Mishani was trying to create the kind of atmosphere that exists for victims of rape and their loved ones.

There is a before and an after, except the after never really goes away. It hangs around like a lingering smell, pushed to the back of the victim's mind. Even if the rapist is punished, and in our society that isn't a given, it doesn't change the facts. The punishment also doesn't take all the casualties into account.

The author leaves the reader with the same feeling of frustration and sense that somehow nothing has really been resolved.

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