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

What Books Have You Been Reading Lately?

One of my daughters got me started on some amazing police detective series, Harry Bosch/Mickey Haller by Michael Connelly and NYPD Red by James Patterson. I'm in total awe of the authors who can spin amazing tales with so many characters and details and even unexpected plot twists. I'm always trying to second guess them and predict what will be discovered, but it's very hard with these two mystery writers.

The main characters are also amazingly compelling, likable and very intelligent. In addition, the side plots are fascinating, too. Both authors build total worlds, especially Connelly,  who keeps adding new series based on characters first introduced in the Harry Bosch books. And the characters continue to interact. Yes, it's very much like real life.

I could never write fiction, especially with such complicated plot lines. I only once tried writing something fictional but got stuck very early on.

These books must be returned to my daughter- so she can pass them onto other series addicts fans- unlike most books I read which are "disposable." That means that I can just pass them to others. I'm not in the "book collection" business. Our house has a gazillion too many books.

And as you may have noticed from the photos of the books, I read real paper books, not kindle screens.