The Missing File

As an avid reader of international crime fiction, I have books from several countries around the world, but The Missing File is my first crime-fiction novel from Israel. It is also the first in a projected series (which I deduced from the final words "to be continued" at the end of the book) to feature detective Avraham (Avi) Avraham, who works out of a small, depressing office in Holon, close to Tel Aviv. As a police procedural it is not quite the same as most books in that category, although Avi shares the what's-becoming-ever-more-traditional detective/personal life angst of many other well known fictional crime solvers. Right away the reader is clued in that this story may actually be something different: a mom comes in to report show more her son missing and Avraham tells her to go home. The story continues with different twists and turns that also signal that this is not going to be your average police detective novel. No formulaic resolution for this author -- he is bringing something a little different to the crime-reading table in this book, and that's a good thing.

The case of missing 16 year-old Ofer causes Avraham a great deal of anxiety and causes him a major amount of second guessing himself throughout the story. Without going into any great detail about plot, the case takes some very strange turns. The Missing File, however, is less about the plot and more driven by character -- Avraham is supposed to be an ace detective but there are times that as a reader, you'll find yourself a) questioning decisions he makes to the point where it's difficult to understand why he's held in such high regard and b) wondering whether or not this case is ever going to be solved.

Avraham works in shabby surroundings, has to deal with a younger, more tech-savvy fellow detective in his squad who gets his boss's attention with his modern theories, and Avraham also comes home to an empty house every night, to watch Law and Order while picking off every mistake in the TV detectives' cases that would make them unprosecutable. He is constantly second guessing himself on the job and when he makes mistakes, he's virtually inconsolable; when he realizes he's brushed off a mother's concerns and the son still hasn't returned the next day, it causes him to dive into the case with a vengeance.

If you're looking for the average point A to point B solution, this is not the place where you'll find it. I appreciate anything beyond the ordinary, and Mishani has certainly given me that in this novel. Many readers have noted that the action in this book is slow, and that is definitely true. They've also noted that the action in The Missing File is not exactly what they're used to in a police procedural, and that is also the case, but from where I see it, that's a plus. My issue isn't with either one of these points; for me careful character development is key to any first novel in an ongoing series. Plot, pacing and solutions are important to me as well, but when I pick up what may be a series opener, I want to know if I like the main character enough to continue with a second installment. On finishing the book, Avraham still remains a mystery -- while we have a few clues as to what makes Avraham tick, I'm still not sure what lies beneath this very different detective. Then again, trying to discover that unknown factor just might be a very good reason to pick up the next book in the series. Definitely recommended, it should appeal to international crime-fiction lovers. show less

First Line: Across the desk from him sat a mother. Another mother.


A teenage boy has disappeared from a sleepy suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel, yet when the boy's worried mother goes to the police station and asks Detective Avraham for help, he tells the woman to wait until the morning. It's been one of those days for Avraham, and this woman is the third one to talk to him about her child. When faced with her emotional appeal, Avraham can only ask her, "Do you know why there are no detective novels in Hebrew?" In reply to her puzzlement, he goes on to say, "Because we don't have crimes like that. We don't have serial killers; we don't have kidnappings; and there aren't many rapists out there attacking women on the streets."

Mrs. Sharabi takes show more her fear and worry home with her, just as she's been told. But when morning comes and young Ofer Sharabi still isn't home, Avraham must begin an investigation into his disappearance-- an investigation where clues are few and far between. It's not long before the police detective wishes he hadn't been quite so glib with the frantic mother-- and he wonders just what part helpful schoolteacher Ze'ev Avni has to play in what's happened.

Most of your enjoyment of this book is going to hinge on your opinion of the main character, Avraham Avraham (no, that's not a typo). I found it almost impossible to like or even to respect him. He suffers from low self-esteem, is lonely and insecure. He doesn't even have confidence in his own abilities, resenting being overshadowed by others in the department who know how to "play the game." The only real pleasure he seems to have in life is to pick holes in the detective novels he reads and the cop shows he watches. More than once, I found myself wondering when he was going to stop whining and start investigating. One of the other characters in the book does a lot more investigating than the detective, and I really began to think that Avraham was right in worrying about his job security.

My pleasure in this book came from the setting of the Tel Aviv suburbs, the longer passages where the reader could begin to get inside the heads of Avraham and Ze'ev Avni, and my gradual realization that the missing boy was very different from the way he was originally portrayed.

I'm glad I read The Missing File, but I would have to think long and hard before I spent any more time with Detective Avraham. I found him way too annoying, but your mileage could certainly vary. show less

Inspector Avi Avraham is on duty at the Holon police station when Hannah Sharabi reports her teenage son, Ofer, missing. He’s a little blasé about it though as it’s only been a couple of hours since the boy should have been home from school and anyway, he explains, the reason they don’t produce crime novels like Christie or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Israel is

“…we don’t have crimes like that. We don’t have serial killers; we don’t have kidnappings; and there aren’t many rapists out there attacking women on the streets. Here, when a crime is committed, it’s usually the neighbor, the uncle, the grandfather, and there’s no need for a complex investigation to find the criminal and clear up the mystery.”

But show more after convincing her to go home and wait for her son Avraham is worried that he ought to have done more…at least instigated some kind of search…and definitely not shared his theory about Israel’s lack of detective stories. So when Mrs Sharabi returns the next morning with her husband’s brother (her husband is away for his work) to report Ofer’s continued absence Avraham is quick to set the gears in motion to start looking for a missing person, though he will be haunted for some time by the fear that his lack of immediate action has led to the difficulties in solving the case.

I almost held my breath at the beginning of the novel because I was a little fearful that Avraham would be a bundle of genre clichés but I needn’t have worried and I soon started to enjoy the process of getting to know this rarity in crime fiction – an Israeli policeman. He has his 38th birthday during the story, is a bit of a loner, has lived and worked in a fairly small area for his whole life, has a somewhat awkward relationship with his parents and is a dedicated cop though not a terribly confident one.

The other character we come to know well is Ze’ev. He teaches English and lives in the same apartment block as the Sharabi family and through him we see the missing persons investigation from another perspective. But it is not clear what perspective he is offering – was he involved in the disappearance? Does he know something more than he is letting on? He certainly tries to insert himself into things at first by making sure the police know he tutored Ofer for some months and then by undertaking some bizarre, and possibly sinister, actions.

I really loved the way the plot developed in this novel. Partly I think that was because of this dual structure which allowed some events to only be seen from one perspective and other events to be seen from two points of view which added just the right amount of uncertainty to my thinking about what might have transpired. The investigation smacks of realism: things happen in real time rather than ‘tv crime fiction time’, when the key players do not reveal all they know about a thing it is believable, and there is a real sense of Avraham’s frustration and worry that he is not doing enough or the right things. Happily the book even has a cracking, if disturbing, ending.

As Israel is one of my favourite places to have visited and I’ve long wanted to find some crime fiction set there my only disappointment in the book is that it really doesn’t have much sense of its setting (aside from a few place names dropped during a bit of tourism towards the end of the book). However, I can’t really hold this against the author as he’s done a great job of depicting a realistic modern police investigation, versions of which might take place just about anywhere in the world.

I bought this book as soon as I saw it was set in Israel and knew nothing else about it and am happy to report it was a most enjoyable read. I’m not the only one who thinks so either as last weekend it was shortlisted for this year’s International Dagger Award for translated crime fiction. I can’t promise you a particularly Israeli-feeling book if you decide to give it a go but if you’re looking for a first rate missing persons story that deftly unpicks the layers of secrets people carry with them then I highly recommend it show less

I am somewhat confused as to why this novel was called the Missing File as the name appears to have nothing to do with the story told in this novel. Perhaps this is merely a lost in translation issue.

In contrast to the more fast paced USA mystery type novels, this one sets a slower pace and feels as though the actions of the protagonist are more authentic.

In this novel the detective is ‘ploddy’ he takes his time working through this investigation and in so doing the author describes the more mundane aspects of police work. This detective constantly doubts himself and often misses major clues proving he is not a good detective. He is aware of his own limitations and the limitations of his office. The detective has the makings of a show more very complex and compelling character. But this reader did not find him a likeable character with very few redeemable characteristics (it may be that some of the protagonists characteristics have been lost in translation). Perhaps this is something that the author will deal with in later novels in the series.

This novel deals more with police procedure and the need for run of the mill detectives to constantly report to their superiors than actually investigating the incident in question. The interactions between the bungling detective and the more astute, quick humoured colleagues and officials are inspired, as are the conflicts which are inherent when working as part of a team.

What is refreshing is that Avraham made mistakes and takes time to acknowledge those mistakes. Although this book is readable it failed to fully engage me and the author missed a great opportunity of providing the reader with a real taste of Israel. What I did find confounding was the side trip. I really could not work out what, if anything, this had to do with the plot.

The plot was slow and ploddy, much like the detective, with some twists and turns and the final reveal was a surprise. Due to the two points of view many things are repeated which was unnecessary, tedious and did not help the novel’s development. I found both protagonists unlikeable and unreliable.

Although the plot is cleaver it did feel as though it became secondary to the development of the characters. The book never really picked up any speed; rather the book seemed to drag and I found myself struggling to remain invested. Overall I was disappointed with this potentially intriguing novel.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review. show less

This is the first entry in a crime series featuring Israeli detective Avraham Avraham. While I found it somewhat slow moving, I much prefer that to crime novels that are all action and shoot-'em-up.

This case involves a school-boy teenager who left for school one morning and never came home. At first (and probably for too long) the case is treated as a simple runaway situation.

The interesting twist about this book for me is that Avraham's hobby is to read detective novels and prove to himself that the solutions the fictional detectives in these novels come up with are incorrect, with Avraham then determining what the correct solution is. Here, after the case of the missing teen is solved, Avraham's girlfriend poses an alternative show more solution, equally plausible. As the book ends, we cannot know whether the potential new culprit will be pursued, whether there will be further investigation, or whether the case will stand closed as is.

Which is why I have to go on to read the next volume--will there be further developments regarding this first case? And will alternate solutions be offered in all Avraham's cases?

Recommended.

3 stars show less

The Missing File is a debut crime/procedural novel by D. A. Mishani, an Israeli crime writer, editor and literary scholar. When Hannah Sharabi, the mother of teenager Ofer Sharabi, reports her son as missing in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, Detective Avraham Avraham is sure that he will turn up and doesn't take her seriously. However, when she returns the next morning saying Ofer is still missing, Avraham realizes that he must start an investigation into the missing teen. The obvious suspect is neighbor Ze'ev Avni who was also Ofer's English tutor. Since the reader is privy to Ze'ev's thoughts and actions, he is clearly the main suspect right from the beginning.

Avraham approaches his investigation almost reluctantly and with what feels show more like a lot of trepidation. He does not seem to have a great deal of confidence in his abilities and in his team. In contrast to the clever, spot-on detective of most police procedurals who is one step ahead of everyone, Avraham is seemingly one step behind and confused. It is an odd feeling in a crime novel to wonder if the detective is up to the challenge of the investigation. In the meantime, the reader knows all about the activities of neighbor Ze'ev and he is clearly setting off all sorts of red flags.

The story does take a turn and comes together in the end but it follows few of the formula's we are used to, especially concerning the twist at the very end (which I wondered if it was the true reason earlier, so other's might also guess this.) Avraham is a protagonist who doesn't seem to have many heroic virtues, which can make it difficult to feel a great amount of sympathy for him. On the other hand, The Missing File is written to reflect a more realistic picture of an investigation rather than the idealized fictional version we are all so used to seeing.

There were some instances where I felt like something was lost in this translated novel, but since I have an advanced reader's copy some of those mis-steps could have been corrected in the final published novel. In the end I did feel connected enough with Avraham to want follow him on future investigations and maybe get a better hold on this melancholy character.
Highly Recommended


Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the
publisher and TLC for review purposes. show less

She's Got Books on Her Mind

Avraham Avraham is an investigator who usually has to deal with mothers who want their daughters followed or class bullies to get reprimanded so when a new mother walks in telling him that her son is missing he thinks nothing of it. He think he ran away or will come back soon after a wild night partying because nothing ever really goes wrong where he lives. This time he is proven wrong. Racked with guilt he gets on the case as soon as he can to find the missing boy. He tries to make up for lost time but seems more frazzled than usual with this case. Meanwhile there is Ze'ev, the missing boy's neighbor and once English tutor, who seems to take a great interest in the case. He's a little more than suspicious show more when he starts wanting to see Avraham all the time to tell him the type of person Ofer really is. This is a mystery that will keep you questioning until the end: W hat really happened to Ofer Sharabi?

Avraham is supposed to be this great investigator so initially I thought he would have it all together. He dismisses this mother's fears that something horrible happened to her son which I can easily forgive him for because it was an obvious mistake. The thing about Avraham and all the characters were that they were the quiet, pensive type so any shake or disruption in how their world is startles them. Avraham seemed not to recover for most of the story because he felt so guilty for not taking the case so seriously in the beginning. I know that's not supposed to be the case based on something the book said later on but it feels that way. I like that Avraham was the quiet, pensive type like I think all the other characters were like too. It created this atmosphere of just... quiet tension. Tension when things didn't go a certain way. Again like the whole world turned upside down because things weren't how that character thought it would turn out.

Ze'ev was such a great character. When his part came around I made sure I paid attention. There were always moments with him where I'm surprised Avraham didn't turn around and say "Did you really just say that?" I mean he gave off definite crazy vibes. Him and his "relationship" with Ofer was all up in the air throughout the book. You think you know what he's about and what's going to happen but in the end you really don't. All I can tell you is that I felt like it was obvious he had something to do with Ofer's disappearance throughout the book. I felt like if I was there listening in or seeing what he was doing I would have stopped what I was doing, raised my eyebrow, and seriously doubt what type of person he was and what he had to do with Ofer's disappearance. The stuff he does or says... he's so suspicious! I mean WOW. This guy... How can you not question his motives?

So it definitely kept my attention. I really liked that this book was a translation from Hebrew. I liked that the book's main character, Avraham, referenced a couple of times about how come there wasn't any Hebrew crime novels or something to that affect. And here this book is. I really enjoyed the feel of the book and the intelligent way about it (in a good way). It kept me interested from start to finish and that's all you can really hope for in any book. I am so surprised by the number of surprises in this book which might not make sense but it is true. More accurately I am surprised by the twists because there oh so good twists people. They make me so happy it's crazy. It feels like they come out of left field or something. It makes you think.

I really wonder how this series is going to continue because it did have two POV's for this first book. One was an investigator and another was someone close to the person that everyone was looking for. Is the author planning on continuing with that theme or is it going to be based solely on the life of Avraham Avraham? Also, with that ending... What's going to happen with that!? Such a crazy ending. I absolutely loved it. I feel like the author might just leave it like that but then again it's like you can;t possibly leave it like that... I really enjoyed almost every aspect of this book. The feel of it, it's characters, and the intelligent way about it. It's just so good. I hope to continue on with this series and to read more books by this author. show less