Hip Set, A Police Mystery Set in Israel, Book Review

Hip Set  by Michael Fertik is full of surprises. Police/detective mysteries is a favorite genre of mine. Fertik's book didn't disappoint at all.

Hip Set is set in Tel Aviv, which isn't a city I know well, especially the neighborhoods he describes. As small as Israel is, it seems that many of us are pretty ignorant of cities and neighborhoods out of our comfort zones. And I can't imagine a situation that would require me to wander those Tel Aviv neighborhoods which are the refuge for Africans, who find Israel their safety net.

The main character is Oscar Orleans, a Congolese refugee and long-time resident of Israel. Oscar identifies as a Jew, though it's not clear if he has actually converted. With perfect Hebrew, Oscar is the liaison for the African refugee community and finds himself helping his good buddy Inspector Kobi Sambinsky of the Asylum Unit.

When a young African is found murdered, Oscar and Kobi work together to solve the crime and in the process clear up another very surprising mystery or two. The book ends with a teaser, which makes me think that there's another one in the works featuring the same team. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Yes, I definitely recommend Hip Set. It can be enjoyed by old and young readers.

Product details

• Publisher : Tall Tree Creative Arts LLC (January 1, 2021)
• Language : English
• ISBN-10 : 0988413140
• ISBN-13 : 978-0988413146

Where was The Police?

Yesterday afternoon we got stuck in a humongous mess of a traffic jam at the junction of Sha'ar Binyamin. Apparently, a car had seriously stalled between Sha'ar Binyamin and Adam, and by the time our bus was ready to rejoin traffic on Route 60, the traffic was already backed up a kilometer to the north.

There was total bedlam as cars, vans and trucks cut and U-turned wherever they dared. Traffic on the dirt security road was heavy.

There's a police station in Sha'ar Binyamin, and a fit policeman could have walked over in about five minutes, even faster by car. There should have been a police crew directing traffic. It's a total miracle that we didn't get totally tangled up for hours. That was my fear, since we were in a rush to make it to Jerusalem on time for Israel's Place Among the Nations, in the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

I sent an email to the police at the time and don't know if they actually sent anyone, since the bus driver managed to join the slow-moving traffic on Route 60 to Jerusalem. We crawled for a couple of miles and by then the stalled car must have been towed. Thank Gd we got to Jerusalem and the Begin Center on time, no thanks to the local police.