A Walk in the Darkness by Jon Land (Tor)

Jon Land is an American thriller writer. He has written two detective series - The Caitlin Strong novels about a fifth generation Texas ranger and the Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea series featuring a Palestinian Detective and an Inspector of Israel’s National Police. 

A Walk in the Darkness is the third book in the Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea series. The story opens with an incident that took place in Jerusalem in around 33 A.D. This relates to another incident which took place in Ephesus, Turkey almost 2000 years later.

“1948:  An archeological team in Turkey is slaughtered after making an earth-shattering discovery. More than fifty years later, a group of American archaeologists is murdered in the Judean desert”. 

Inspector Barnea is investigating a crime scene in the desert. A member of the Israeli Defense Force said he wasn’t expecting some from the National Police Force as the Judean desert falls under military jurisdiction. The Inspector informed the sergeant that it would be true if there were a security issue but the murder of foreign nationals is a civilian issue, unless terrorism is involved. However, the victims were part of an American archeological team who were invited at the request by the government of Israel. 

Fourteen people had been killed, shot at point blank range, in the back of the head. Twelve Americans and two others. She was given a list of the victims and was shocked to see the name at the bottom. It was a name she recognized, the nephew of Palestinain detective Ben Kamal. 

Detective Kamal was headed out to the Judean desert but was told by an Israeli army sergeant that he had entered a restricted area. Although he showed his ID and informed the Israelin army sergeant that he was there at the request of Pakad Barnea of the Israeli National Police Force. The sergeant refused to budge, insisting that his orders were to deny access to the area to all but those who have the proper authorization. Inspector Barnea intervened and Ben was allowed to pass.

Although Inspector Barnea told Ben that he was not there in an investigatory capacity, the death of Kama’s nephew sparked in him a need to find out more. There was one witness but nobody could understand what he was saying as he spoke in a dialect the Israeli’s were unfamiliar with, but it was a dialect that Ben’s father taught him when he was young. 

From what Ben could gather, the archeologists found something of great historic value. Barnea reluctantly recruits Kamal’s help in the investigation in which they discover more than just the discovery of an item that could change the world as we know it. But they discover a conspiracy that is an even greater threat to the Palestinain people and the entire West Bank. 

The Middle East remains one of the most volatile regions in the world. Tha Arab-Israeli issue remains at the heart of the conflict. Land’s depiction of both the Israelis and Palestinians put you in the heart of the region. Land’s latest story blends a bit of Dan Brown-like history as in The Da Vinci Code with current day politics in the Middle East. A fascinating blend of fact and fiction which will keep you on the edge of your seat. We can only hope that one day peace will come to the Middle East. ~Ernie Hoyt