Book Summary and Reviews of Forbidden Love in St. Petersburg by Mishka Ben-David

Forbidden Love in St. Petersburg by Mishka Ben-David

Forbidden Love in St. Petersburg

A Thriller

by Mishka Ben-David

  • Critics' Consensus (1):
  • Published:
  • May 2016, 432 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

What does it take for a Mossad agent to defy his bosses? What will they do to bring him back?

Yogev Ben-Ari has been sent to St. Petersburg by the Mossad - ostensibly to network and set up business connections. His life is solitary, ordered, and lonely, until he meets Anna. Neither is quite what they seem to be, but while her identity may be mysterious, there is no doubt about the love they feel for each other.

The affair, impassioned as it is, is not part of the Mossad plan and so the agency must hatch a dark scheme to drive the two apart. What began as a quiet, solitary mission has become a perilous exercise in survival, and Ben-Ari has no time to discover the truth about Anna's real identity before the Mossad resolves the issue for him. Amid the shadowy manipulations of the secret services, the anguished agent finds himself at an impossible crossroads. 

Written with the masterful skill of a seasoned novelist, and bringing to bear his years of experience as a Mossad agent himself, Ben-David once again delivers a powerful look into the mysterious Israeli intelligence agency in this action-packed page-turner.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Convincing tradecraft, coupled with a plausible look at the inner life of a spy with a license to kill, will remind readers of the best of John le Carré." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. "The novel has a solid sense of intrigue and suspense, and its depiction of the world of international espionage feels accurate (as it should, since the author is a former Mossad agent)." - Booklist

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Author Information

Mishka Ben-David

Mishka Ben-David was born in 1952 in Israel. He holds an MA in comparative literature from the University of Wisconsin and a PhD in Hebrew literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ben-David served in the Mossad for twelve years, becoming a high-ranking officer, and he is now a full-time novelist living outside Jerusalem. His spy novels are being adapted for an international TV series.

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