The Human Scale

This superb thriller from Pulitzer winner Wright (The End of October) centers on Anthony Malik, a half-Irish, half-Arab FBI terrorism expert who’s seriously injured in a bombing in Jordan. After a lengthy hospital stay and before returning to active service, Malik visits Gaza—both to attend the wedding of a cousin he’s never met and to connect with his father’s roots. The trip takes a turn when an Israeli police chief who requested a confidential audience with the FBI is murdered shortly after meeting with Malik. At first, Malik is a suspect, but he soon becomes an unofficial coinvestigator alongside hard-edged police inspector Yossi Ben-Gal. Malik’s family gets entangled in the incident when his cousin’s fiancé, Jamal, falls under suspicion for the killing. The novel is populated with well-shaded supporting characters, most notably Yossi’s daughter, Sara, who flees Israel for Paris to escape the region’s cycle of violence. The story culminates with a gut-wrenching dramatization of the October 7 Hamas attacks, which land with thunderous thematic force. The result is an uncomfortable and unforgettable plunge into the heart of a devastating conflict. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency. (Mar.)