The Labyrinth of Osiris (Yusuf Khalifa, Book 3)
The late Sussman’s fourth novel utilizes his knowledge of archaeology and journalism. Detective Arieh Ben-Roi works for the Jerusalem police department, and he cannot keep his job away from his private life. His ex-wife is pregnant with his child, and every time she needs him, he’s away on a case. A journalist named Rivka Kleinberg is strangled in a cathedral, and what initially appears to be a random killing turns out to be related to an article the victim was researching. Ben-Roi teams up with his friend, Egyptian policeman Yusuf Khalifa. Toss in computer hacking and the Russian Mafia, and the end result should be a gripping page-turner. Instead, the slow and overlong narrative never really kicks into high gear until the final 75 pages or so. At more than 550 pages, this is a problem. Readers of other Jerusalem-set crime novels, including those by Batya Gur, might be curious but probably will skip to the end. --Jeff Ayers