Synopsis

The father of a modern orthodox Jewish family works as a compliance officer at a bank in New York. When he discovers that his bank is violating OFAC laws and funding terrorists in the Middle East he alerts the bank’s top brass. They ignore him. After struggling with the conflict between his position as a fully assimilated member of his professional community and his moral obligations as a man and a Jew, he turns whistle-blower and goes to the DOJ. The night before his deposition he disappears.

Eliana Golden was thirteen when her father disappeared. Years later, after surprising her family by joining the NYPD, Eliana meets a mysterious and alluring soldier, a man who is far more dangerous than Eliana—and everyone except those at the highest and most secret levels of the U.S. government—understands. And he knows exactly what happened to her father.

What follows is a journey into the darkest depths of America’s covert war against terrorism and the horrific moral compromises it can entail. THE MEANING OF THE MURDER tells the multi-layered story of a family recovering from trauma, a detective determined to solve a crime, and the price we pay for safety in the war on terror.

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Praise

“THE MEANING OF THE MURDER is both a compelling story, populated with strikingly memorable characters, and also a nuanced and deeply intelligent examination of violence. Walter Levis has written a first-rate crime novel.”—Lou Berney, author of November Road

“In THE MEANING OF THE MURDER, Walter Levis combines the urgency of crime fiction with the depth of literary fiction. It’s a smart, morally serious novel—unafraid to ask hard questions.”—Edward Conlon, New York Times best-selling author of The Police Woman’s Bureau, Red on Red, and Blue Blood. 

“Walter Levis’ exquisitely crafted, utterly enthralling THE MEANING OF THE MURDER probes the relationship between love and violence in a searing, original way. His gorgeously textured novel also makes us understand the ways our private lives are now inextricably linked to lethal worldly forces. This is an astonishing and necessary novel.” —Jay Neugeboren, author of The Stolen Jew, and Imagining Robert

Review

This suspense/thriller gets down in the trenches with the police, government organizations, and a cold case.

Eliana is a police detective who just can’t let go of her father’s disappearance. One couldn’t blame her since he was all set to testify against a bank for shady practices regarding OFAC. A tip leads her to a man with a past, and someone you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

This book changes perspective mid-chapter, which could be a bit jarring. It does give us a look into each of the characters, their motives, and their background. It also gives a look into perspective, and is revenge worth it? And does killing while undercover justify the actions?

I’m not sure if I connected to any of the characters, but I could empathize with their situation. I did enjoy the scenes between Eliana and her sister Char. It showed a softer side to Eliana. There is even a bit of role reversal at the end between these two. I also wondered if Danny, Eliana’s ex-husband, should continue to pursue restarting a relationship with her, or if it was just the memories of what they had in the past.

We give the book 3 1/2 paws.

About the Author

Walter B. Levis, a former crime reporter, lives in New York City. His articles have appeared in The NY Daily News, The National Law Journal, The Chicago Reporter, The Chicago Lawyer, The New Republic, Show Business Magazine, and The New Yorker, among others. He is the author of the novel Moments of Doubt. His short stories have appeared widely and have been chosen for a Henfield Prize and nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

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