A mysterious Israeli who refers to himself by the codename “Shakespeare,” and who seems to be a former Mossad agent, is either cracking up or cracking the case of a bungled assignment from long ago-one that left his partner and best friend dead, and himself in an agony of despair. His only solace: friends in the espionage business tell him the murderer is dead. Now, years later, in another life, Shakespeare spots the murderer on the streets of New york…or does he?

In the hands of esteemed Israeli author Joshua Sobol, the tale is a masterful blend of genres: It’s beautifully written work filled with literary allusions and a taut spy thriller. It’s a moving recollection of a purposeful youth and a graphic account of the hunt for terrorists. It’s the story of a mid-life crisis and the endless crisis of the middle east. It’s a work of wild and whimsical word-play and fast-paced, deadly gun-play.

It is, in short, the English-language debut of a mesmerizing writer at the top of his form.