The Terrorist's Holiday

When a young member of the Jewish Defense League, Daniel Goldstein, is murdered with an ice pick on a Bronx street at the start of this assured thriller from Neiderman (Game of the Dead), homicide detective Barry Wintraub's intuition tells him that something much more nefarious is in the works. Although Wintraub doesn't uncover solid evidence, the clues that he does find lead him to what he believes is a plot to assassinate an Israeli military hero who has agreed to speak at a fundraiser to be held at the New Prospect resort in the Catskills during Passover. After agreeing to spend the holiday at the resort with his wife and kids, Wintraub continues to search for the terrorists%E2%80%94and uncovers a plot much more ambitious (and terrifying) than he could have ever imagined. Realistic and insightful characterization fuels the story, and the profound revelations at the novel's end make this a particularly memorable read. (Mar.)