A Taste for Treason

Gershom is the code name for a top Israeli agent who has been accepted as a Palestinian leader in Beirut for close to 20 years. But when his position as a mole is endangered, Dan Shemtov, chief of Israeli security, must devise a plan to protect his invaluable spy. Thus begins a convoluted tale of espionage and deceit that also offers a harsh look at the upper levels of Israeli society. The cynical and manipulative Shemtov decides to save Gershom by framing an innocent agent, Ben Landau, who falls into the trap even though he has been betrayed by Shemtov before. When Ben is accused of treason, his American-born wife, Kate, hires a shrewd and influential Israeli lawyer to defend him. Mendels ( Mandela's Children ) keeps a firm grip on her complex characters as she slowly peels away the veneer of an ideal Israeli society to reveal an intertwined, almost incestuous circle of power and the system of ``protectsia,'' the strategic use of influence. Corruption, disillusionment, betrayal and revenge are deftly handled themes. A profoundly moving conclusion gives this novel particular emotional clout. (Sept.)