From Publishers Weekly
A mysterious killer who is targeting Holocaust survivors sends detective Ben Kamal a Palestinian-American who has been working on the West Bank for six years and his Israeli sidekick, Danielle Barnea, down a labyrinthine trail of conspiracy and deception in Land's (A Walk in the Darkness, etc.) latest installment in this ongoing series. Corpses litter the Middle East landscape throughout this action-packed story, but once the initial victims surface the investigation splits into two parts one involving a group of Nazi hunters who emerge in the middle of the ongoing detective work, the other dealing with a separate string of murders in which the victims are clever high school students who organize a high-level blackmail operation targeting Israeli companies. The link between the two is Paul Hessler, a wealthy company owner whose shady past also dates back to the Holocaust, and who becomes a blackmail target after the murder of his son helps his firm make a startling medical discovery that could save the lives of millions, including the genetically damaged child that Barnea is carrying. Land is adept at gauging the unique effects the Mideastern culture and history will have on the emotions and motivations of his protagonists, but he spends precious few pages developing the complex relationship between Kamal and Barnea as they narrow the list of suspects to a small group whose past intersects with the liberation of a concentration camp. What the book lacks in terms of character development, however, the author makes up for through a series of innovative plot twists that take the story in some intriguing directions. Land's penchant for overplotting mutes the impact of the surprise ending, but those who enjoyed the earlier Kamal/Barnea outings should find this a satisfying read. Agent, Toni Mendez. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The fourth Ben Kamal-Danielle Barnea mystery begins with a suicide that may be murder, the capture of a notorious fugitive, and an invention of something that could revolutionize the way war is fought. Things get more complicated quickly, as we learn that the murder of Holocaust survivors may be connected to the deaths of Israeli high-school students. This is a big, convoluted mystery propelled by a genuinely compelling plot and its likable lead characters (Kamal is a Palestinian cop, Barnea a member of the Israeli National Police). We enjoy watching these smart, efficient detectives sort out what's what, and we enjoy watching the author have fun with his bigger-than-life plot, carefully calculating how far he can go without turning his story into a cartoon. Readers unfamiliar with the earlier installments in the series can still enjoy this one, but to catch some of the nuances (especially concerning the difficult cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian police), it's perhaps best to start at the beginning (The Walls of Jericho, 1997). Either way, this is a lively and well-told yarn, sure to please fans of high-concept thrillers. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"Land writes exciting and believable political thrillers in the tradition of Clancy and Cornwall."--Midwest Book Review

"Land stands head and shoulders above his competition."--The Boston Book Review



Book Description
How are the shocking murders of elderly Holocaust survivors connected to the deaths of high school students in Israel and the West Bank?

Palestinian-American detective Ben Kamal and Israeli detective Danielle Barnea soon discover that the answer to this blood-drenched puzzle lies as much in the past as in the present, with the clues leading from a Nazi labor camp to the forefront of modern biotech research, while leaving a trail of deception and death behind.

At the center of the mystery lies Paul Hessler, a labor camp escapee and New York billionaire with secrets that stretch back over sixty years. Hessler is also in possession of a miraculous medical discovery that could affect the lives of thousands--inlcluding Ben and Danielle's unborn child.

To protect this discovery, and to rescue the future form the hidden evils of the past, Ben and Danielle must come face-to-face with the Keepers of the Gate.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Jon Land's thrilling novels of suspense and intrigue, set in the political powder keg of today's Middle East, have won praise for their gripping, fast-paced plots as well as for their evocative and convincing depiction of modern Israeli-Palestinian relaitons. Now Land returns to the tension-filled front lines of the Middle East for his most spectacular and compelling novel yet.

How are the shocking murders of elderly Holocaust survivors connected to the deaths of high school students in Israel and the West Bank?

Palestinian American detective Ben Kamal and his Israeli colleague, Danielle Barnea, soon discover that the answer to this blood-drenched puzzle lies as much in the past as in the present, with the clues leading from a Nazi labor camp to the forefront of modern biotechnological research, while leaving a trail of deception and death behind.

At the center of the mystery lies Paul Hessler, a labor camp escapee and New York billionaire with secrets that stretch back more than sixty years. Hessler is also in possession of a miraculous medical discovery that could affect the lives of thousands—including Ben and Danielle's unborn child.

To protect this discovery, and to rescue the future from the hidden evils of the past, this determined couple must travel halfway across the world to come face-to-face with the Keepers of the Gate.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A mysterious killer who is targeting Holocaust survivors sends detective Ben Kamal a Palestinian-American who has been working on the West Bank for six years and his Israeli sidekick, Danielle Barnea, down a labyrinthine trail of conspiracy and deception in Land's (A Walk in the Darkness, etc.) latest installment in this ongoing series. Corpses litter the Middle East landscape throughout this action-packed story, but once the initial victims surface the investigation splits into two parts one involving a group of Nazi hunters who emerge in the middle of the ongoing detective work, the other dealing with a separate string of murders in which the victims are clever high school students who organize a high-level blackmail operation targeting Israeli companies. The link between the two is Paul Hessler, a wealthy company owner whose shady past also dates back to the Holocaust, and who becomes a blackmail target after the murder of his son helps his firm make a startling medical discovery that could save the lives of millions, including the genetically damaged child that Barnea is carrying. Land is adept at gauging the unique effects the Mideastern culture and history will have on the emotions and motivations of his protagonists, but he spends precious few pages developing the complex relationship between Kamal and Barnea as they narrow the list of suspects to a small group whose past intersects with the liberation of a concentration camp. What the book lacks in terms of character development, however, the author makes up for through a series of innovative plot twists that take the story in some intriguing directions. Land's penchant for overplotting mutes the impact of the surprise ending, but those who enjoyed the earlier Kamal/Barnea outings should find this a satisfying read. Agent, Toni Mendez. (Apr.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The fourth in Land's series about Palestinian- American detective Ben Kamal and Israeli detective Danielle Barnea (The Pillars of Solomon, 1999, etc.), once rivals, then lovers, then parted by Danielle because, as a Jew, she could not see mothering a child crushed by religious conflict. Danielle, who has lost her entire family, has a miscarriage with an Israeli officer, breaks with him, returns to Ben, and now is four months pregnant with a fatally flawed fetus. Then she's assigned to a case involving Paul Hessler, tenth richest man in the world, whose late son has masterminded a new genetic marvel that may or may not help her child survive. A strongly plotted, impressively solid new entry.