Description

Israeli intelligence agent Maya Rimon teams up with Ethiopian activist lawyer Dani Solomon to track down the serial killer who has targeted the prominent Ethiopian Jewish family of Moshe Aklilu a member of the Israeli Knesset The murderer leaves cryptic clues on the victims bodies slash wounds made by a doubleedged ceremonial knife images of hyenas and vengeful spirit animals associated with Jews back in Ethiopia

Because Aklilu is a member of the Knesset Maya Rimon an agent of the Service Israels elite Intelligence agency takes on the case So does her chief rival Sarit Levine Chief Inspector of the Jerusalem Police Already biased against black Jews Sarit suspects that the murder is a gang hit payback for a failed drug deal Maya suspects something far more sinister

Spiced with Ethiopian folklore and superstition including Evil Eye curses spirit possession witchs brews and spells The Hyena Murders explores the timely theme of racism among the various tribes of Israeli Jews among politicians and bureaucrats and within Mayas own family In the course of the novel as she grows closer to Dani these social tensions take on an increasingly personal meaning for Maya