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notinjersey's review
4.0
When Trish from TLC Book Tours suggested this book to me, I was quick to accept. I noted that the author is Israeli and the book takes place in Israel and I expected a story involving Israeli politics and intrigue. I found instead a crime novel that took place in Israel. Other than the names of the characters, the story really could have taken place anywhere.
“A brutal rape in a quiet Tel Aviv neighborhood has the police baffled. There are no witnesses, suspects, or clues, until the victim’s father steps in and finds overwhelming evidence pointing to Ziv Nevo. Veteran detective Eli Nahum questions Nevo, but can’t get anything out of him. That’s because Nevo has a secret. He works for the mafia, and telling the truth about why he was near the crime scene could get him killed. Lineup focuses on these two men, detective and suspect, as they both end up betraying what they value most, fighting for their lives, and struggling make amends for their mistakes in this gritty, fast-paced, complex novel of suspense.”
This book is straightforward, entertaining, and easy to read. You may worry that having been translated from Hebrew it would be harder to understand, but it was not. There aren’t a lot of extraneous details blocking the way of the story either. The story itself is relatively easy to follow, though I did find myself mixing up some of the characters at times. The group of characters and how they are all connected is my favorite part of the story – interconnected characters is one of my favorite plot devices.
The mystery of who committed the crime becomes clear towards the end of the book and a minor character from the beginning is important in the end. I enjoyed reading this and I hope more of Liad Shoham’s books are translated to English. On a side note, my husband has been reading this book as well and he seems to really like it!
“A brutal rape in a quiet Tel Aviv neighborhood has the police baffled. There are no witnesses, suspects, or clues, until the victim’s father steps in and finds overwhelming evidence pointing to Ziv Nevo. Veteran detective Eli Nahum questions Nevo, but can’t get anything out of him. That’s because Nevo has a secret. He works for the mafia, and telling the truth about why he was near the crime scene could get him killed. Lineup focuses on these two men, detective and suspect, as they both end up betraying what they value most, fighting for their lives, and struggling make amends for their mistakes in this gritty, fast-paced, complex novel of suspense.”
This book is straightforward, entertaining, and easy to read. You may worry that having been translated from Hebrew it would be harder to understand, but it was not. There aren’t a lot of extraneous details blocking the way of the story either. The story itself is relatively easy to follow, though I did find myself mixing up some of the characters at times. The group of characters and how they are all connected is my favorite part of the story – interconnected characters is one of my favorite plot devices.
The mystery of who committed the crime becomes clear towards the end of the book and a minor character from the beginning is important in the end. I enjoyed reading this and I hope more of Liad Shoham’s books are translated to English. On a side note, my husband has been reading this book as well and he seems to really like it!
hoserlauren's review
3.0
A girl is assaulted and raped in a good Tel Aviv neighbourhood and at first she doesn't want to tell police. Her father forces her to report the crime, resulting in not much evidence since time has passed. The girl's father watches over her apartment every night and a few nights after the rape, notices a suspicious person. He follows this man home and reports him to the police. The father tells his daughter he has found the rapist and when the police bring him in, a faulty line up is performed even though the father has polluted his daughter's mind to think this is her rapist.
The man brought in is Ziv Nevo and is definitely guilty of something. Detective Eli Nahum is desperate to make the rape charge stick. Everyone does the absolute worst thing they possibly could, resulting in a massive mistake with rather tragic consequences.
The book starts off strong, though there are a few characters that all have similar last names making things a tad confusing. However it fizzles out by about 2/3rd the way through. The characters weren't enough to grab you and by the end of the book I didn't really care who the real rapist was.
The man brought in is Ziv Nevo and is definitely guilty of something. Detective Eli Nahum is desperate to make the rape charge stick. Everyone does the absolute worst thing they possibly could, resulting in a massive mistake with rather tragic consequences.
The book starts off strong, though there are a few characters that all have similar last names making things a tad confusing. However it fizzles out by about 2/3rd the way through. The characters weren't enough to grab you and by the end of the book I didn't really care who the real rapist was.
ohanleyjk's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit, overall the book deserves 3 stars for being just an average thriller, but I'm tempted to toss in a half star more due to an ending that did still totally take me by surprise.
directorpurry's review against another edition
1.0
CW: yes. Like, SUPER uncomfy throughout. Moderately graphic rape scene, violence against women, "fake" rape/assault/harassment accusations.
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
I have a bad habit of not reading the back cover synopsis of books. I know it sounds like I'm joking, but hear me out. I read a ton of classics or have go-to, no regrets authors. When I learn about a new book, I usually will hear about it online or from a friend and get interested. If I buy the book, I'll probably check the synopsis again and then it will sit on my shelves long enough for me to forget the particulars and then go in blind with only the barest idea of what's happening.
Which is usually fine, because I enjoy my own taste in books!
It's less fine when I randomly pick up books from my parents' bookshelves and read them.
I actually think the premise of this book would have made a great thriller, but it's ruined by having the, basically, throw away crime being a rape. Literally any other premise crime and I'm down, but not for this.
Despite it being a crime that directly targets women, there are only three important female characters in this book who are never on page together. I found the main male characters' backstories to be uninteresting and unsympathetic.
Also, if one more male author/script writer gives the line "my life didn't matter until I had children!" to a woman, I will S C R E A M.
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
I have a bad habit of not reading the back cover synopsis of books. I know it sounds like I'm joking, but hear me out. I read a ton of classics or have go-to, no regrets authors. When I learn about a new book, I usually will hear about it online or from a friend and get interested. If I buy the book, I'll probably check the synopsis again and then it will sit on my shelves long enough for me to forget the particulars and then go in blind with only the barest idea of what's happening.
Which is usually fine, because I enjoy my own taste in books!
It's less fine when I randomly pick up books from my parents' bookshelves and read them.
I actually think the premise of this book would have made a great thriller, but it's ruined by having the, basically, throw away crime being a rape. Literally any other premise crime and I'm down, but not for this.
Despite it being a crime that directly targets women, there are only three important female characters in this book who are never on page together. I found the main male characters' backstories to be uninteresting and unsympathetic.
Also, if one more male author/script writer gives the line "my life didn't matter until I had children!" to a woman, I will S C R E A M.
beckylej's review
4.0
While walking home one evening, Adi Regev is attacked and raped. After her parents found her and made her come forward, her father set up camp outside her apartment intent on catching the man responsible. Ziv Nevo was kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time. But even though he's not the man who raped Adi, he was up to something when he was caught in her neighborhood. Inspector Eli Nachum is under pressure to close the case quickly. He's certain that they have their man but when Adi recants her statement, he's not sure what to do next.
This is the first of Liad Shoham's novels to be translated into English, readers, and I certainly hope it's not the last! LINEUP reads at literal breakneck speed. I've read some quick books - and a lot of one sitting books - but this is the first I've read in a while that progressed quite this quickly. I read about 70 pages while hubs watched Colbert!
LINEUP raises some interesting questions. First, the nosy neighbor who witnesses the whole thing. At what point do you step in? Sure, she's willing to report a guy who doesn't pick up after his dog, but all in all the reader can't totally fault a retiree living on her own who's scared to come forward. But of course what comes later could have been completely avoided if she had. (Slippery slope!)
Second, Adi goes along with both her father and Nachum at first. It's understandable that she so desperately wants to put the whole thing behind her but she makes a pretty grave mistake. Her father's motivations are seemingly pure - he just wants to take care of his daughter, but at the expense of someone else? And Nachum, while he's sure that Ziv is guilty, knows that they don't have the evidence to keep him. Nachum is so convinced, though, that he's willing to risk everything just to close the case with a conviction.
And that's all in the first third of the book!
I loved the alternating viewpoints. I thought Shoham excelled at creating a cast of very different characters with very clearly unique viewpoints throughout the story. Too often I've seen authors try their hand at multiples like this only to result in the same voice out of a handful of people. Definitely not the case here. Adi, her father, Nachum, Ziv, and Amit (the reporter I haven't mentioned until now) each clearly stand out against one another.
Since this is translated from Hebrew, I have to give a little space to Sara Kitai. Her translation here is flawless. It's been ages since I've read a book translated quite this well (no hang ups, no odd phrasing). Lineup reads smooth and easy thanks to her work.
All in all, LINEUP is a pretty excellent thriller on all levels. Shoham's research and personal knowledge plays a huge role as well, giving the reader a really fantastic look at how the system works in Israel.
This is the first of Liad Shoham's novels to be translated into English, readers, and I certainly hope it's not the last! LINEUP reads at literal breakneck speed. I've read some quick books - and a lot of one sitting books - but this is the first I've read in a while that progressed quite this quickly. I read about 70 pages while hubs watched Colbert!
LINEUP raises some interesting questions. First, the nosy neighbor who witnesses the whole thing. At what point do you step in? Sure, she's willing to report a guy who doesn't pick up after his dog, but all in all the reader can't totally fault a retiree living on her own who's scared to come forward. But of course what comes later could have been completely avoided if she had. (Slippery slope!)
Second, Adi goes along with both her father and Nachum at first. It's understandable that she so desperately wants to put the whole thing behind her but she makes a pretty grave mistake. Her father's motivations are seemingly pure - he just wants to take care of his daughter, but at the expense of someone else? And Nachum, while he's sure that Ziv is guilty, knows that they don't have the evidence to keep him. Nachum is so convinced, though, that he's willing to risk everything just to close the case with a conviction.
And that's all in the first third of the book!
I loved the alternating viewpoints. I thought Shoham excelled at creating a cast of very different characters with very clearly unique viewpoints throughout the story. Too often I've seen authors try their hand at multiples like this only to result in the same voice out of a handful of people. Definitely not the case here. Adi, her father, Nachum, Ziv, and Amit (the reporter I haven't mentioned until now) each clearly stand out against one another.
Since this is translated from Hebrew, I have to give a little space to Sara Kitai. Her translation here is flawless. It's been ages since I've read a book translated quite this well (no hang ups, no odd phrasing). Lineup reads smooth and easy thanks to her work.
All in all, LINEUP is a pretty excellent thriller on all levels. Shoham's research and personal knowledge plays a huge role as well, giving the reader a really fantastic look at how the system works in Israel.
covertocovergirl's review
4.0
Solid pick on a randomly selected book. Two plots that ultimately converge. The setting is in Tel Aviv- wish the author would’ve expounded a lot more this point- initially involves a rape, then enter the mafia and you’re off and running. I will say that I didn’t find Ziv a very sympathetic character though-out. He pretty much put things in motion himself by making a terrible choice and compounding it several times over.
mftaylor's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great read. Lots of interesting characters, a great interlinking story, and also managed a few surprises along the way. It's a great suspense/crime story. Very well written but I will admit I did have a little trouble keeping up with all the characters as most of their names were unfamiliar to me (the author is Israeli). Plan to read more from this author.
rosseroo's review against another edition
2.0
I read a lot of crime fiction from other countries, and having lived throughout the Middle East, including Tel Aviv for a year, I was excited to read this Israeli bestseller. It opens with the rape of a young single woman and shows the trauma this causes her and her parents. Inspector Eli Nachum is assigned the case, and in his eagerness to bring closure for the family, makes an error in judgement that allows the prime suspect off on a technicality and results in his suspension. As he struggles to come to grips with his error, he teams up with a bullied newspaper reporter to try and uncover the truth. Meanwhile, freed suspect has to try to untangle himself from the crime gang that's got their hooks in him.
The excellently-translated story is told from a few different angles (Nachum, the reporter, some lawyers, and the suspect primarily), and if this shades-of-grey, multiple-perspective narrative, and the themes remind you of The Wire, they should. The author has spoken about that show's influence on his work, and it permeates the story, right down to the police politics and namechecking of Comstat. In many ways, the story could be set in any large city -- there's not too much that mark it as specifically Israeli. I suppose one aspect that's germane to the plot is that some of the connections among characters are rooted in their shared Army service. Another is the proximity and primacy of family in the lives of the characters.
The book's a page-turner, but by the end I was left largely unsatisfied. Many of the characters felt rather generic, and many of the subplots (for example, a will-they, won't-they romance between a prosecutor and defense lawyer) felt recycled. But easily the biggest sin is that the plotting relies on several outlandish coincidences in order to work, and that's something that I can't stand. And if you're the kind of person who likes to suss out who the killer is, at a certain point about two-thirds of the way through, it becomes readily apparent who it is, simply because they're the last significant character who hasn't been checked out (plus, there's a pretty obvious clue about them early on). A much more interesting recent Israeli police procedural is D.A. Mishani's [b:The Missing File|15818350|The Missing File|D.A. Mishani|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356062382s/15818350.jpg|21546021] and I've heard that the Jerusalem-set Avram Cohen series from the 1990s is worthwhile (starting with [b:Crimes of the City|1011585|Crimes of the City An Avram Cohen Mystery|Robert Rosenberg|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348924939s/1011585.jpg|997709]). I also highly recommend the film Ajami for an unvarnished look at the criminal side of contemporary Israel.
The excellently-translated story is told from a few different angles (Nachum, the reporter, some lawyers, and the suspect primarily), and if this shades-of-grey, multiple-perspective narrative, and the themes remind you of The Wire, they should. The author has spoken about that show's influence on his work, and it permeates the story, right down to the police politics and namechecking of Comstat. In many ways, the story could be set in any large city -- there's not too much that mark it as specifically Israeli. I suppose one aspect that's germane to the plot is that some of the connections among characters are rooted in their shared Army service. Another is the proximity and primacy of family in the lives of the characters.
The book's a page-turner, but by the end I was left largely unsatisfied. Many of the characters felt rather generic, and many of the subplots (for example, a will-they, won't-they romance between a prosecutor and defense lawyer) felt recycled. But easily the biggest sin is that the plotting relies on several outlandish coincidences in order to work, and that's something that I can't stand. And if you're the kind of person who likes to suss out who the killer is, at a certain point about two-thirds of the way through, it becomes readily apparent who it is, simply because they're the last significant character who hasn't been checked out (plus, there's a pretty obvious clue about them early on). A much more interesting recent Israeli police procedural is D.A. Mishani's [b:The Missing File|15818350|The Missing File|D.A. Mishani|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356062382s/15818350.jpg|21546021] and I've heard that the Jerusalem-set Avram Cohen series from the 1990s is worthwhile (starting with [b:Crimes of the City|1011585|Crimes of the City An Avram Cohen Mystery|Robert Rosenberg|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348924939s/1011585.jpg|997709]). I also highly recommend the film Ajami for an unvarnished look at the criminal side of contemporary Israel.
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