The first Dotan Naor thriller to be translated into English finds the ex-Israeli operative trying to unravel the mystery of his friend Willy Mizrachi’s decapitation in a fleabag hotel in Delhi, against the backdrop of a terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in the Himalayas. Dotan, who erroneously feels responsible for his friend’s death, travels to India in the company of government agent Maya Kefir to track down the killers. Upon arrival, he embarks on his search, which also puts him on the trail of Willy’s son, Israeli expat Itiel, who has been resisting his father’s desperate entreaties to return home. As he pieces the complex puzzle together, he reconstructs the details of what appears to be an illicit arms deal gone sideways. In pursuing those responsible, however, he is also putting his and Maya’s heads on the chopping block.

Death in Shangri-La is a combination of traditional mystery (with Naor tracking down a killer), thriller (the backdrop of a terrorist attack), and travelogue (through India). Naor is a great character, an affable, insightful sort whose narrative voice proves irresistible, providing many informative and humorous asides as he relates this engaging tale. Readers will find themselves growing ever more interested in his quest and anxious to discover more about his undoubtedly complex backstory (the tidbits he casually provides seem as if they could justify their own novels). Hopefully, this is only the first of his adventures to be published in English.