Yogev Ben-Ari had married his long-time love Orit, but when he was recruited by the Mossad, Yogev and Orit's diverging views on what his chosen profession entailed ended their marriage. Dedicated to his work, Yogev never thought about love again until he was sent to St. Petersburg and fell head over heels in love with the beautiful Anna. Mossad agents are forbidden to form close friendships, let alone fall in love, and nothing will stop the Israeli agency from putting a stop to Yogev's folly. However, Yogev will not give up Anna at any price.
I have the uttermost respect for the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, and what a treat it was to read a novel written by one of its former operatives. Expertly translated by Dan Gillon, FORBIDDEN LOVE IN ST. PETERSBURG is very well written and flows smoothly. I had however expected the book to be very fast-paced, and it is not. The huge payoff consists in being privy to the inner workings of the elite spy agency as it functions on a daily basis, the toll it takes on the agents' personal life and how the Mossad keeps a close eye on its operatives -- which boggles the mind -- as well as the detachment required to retain a modicum of sanity. The tone of FORBIDDEN LOVE IN ST. PETERSBURG is very intimate, almost that of a personal diary at times, and not for one second did I have the impression of reading a novel; everything feels so authentic, it felt like a memoir. And for this reason, the characters never appeared fictional either: Yogev and Anna are both 40, she has grey hairs and is plumpish; he is slightly out of shape. Both are so atypical physically of our perception of spies, that it made the story even more appealing to me.
One specific literary element captured my attention: Yogev's life in one of shadows and grey obviously, a feeling of drabness permeates the atmosphere until the vividness of St. Petersburg's colourful surroundings lifts Yogev of the doldrums, and then Anna's presence illuminates his dreary life; Anna literally changes how Yogev sees the world and perceives his existence, as if black and white reverted to blazing colours. FORBIDDEN LOVE IN ST. PETERSBURG is in the vein of John Le CarrΓ©'s spy novels, where things are never quite what you expect, because that's what real spies are all about.
What does it take for a Mossad agent to defy his bosses? What will they do to bring him back?Yogev Ben-Ari has been sent to St. Petersburg by the Mossad--ostensibly to network and set up business connections. His life is solitary, ordered, and lonely, until he meets Anna. Neither is quite what they seem to be, but while her identity may be mysterious, there is no doubt about the love they feel for each other.
The affair, impassioned as it is, is not part of the Mossad plan and so the agency must hatch a dark scheme to drive the two apart. What began as a quiet, solitary mission has become a perilous exercise in survival, and Ben-Ari has no time to discover the truth about Annaβs real identity before the Mossad resolves the issue for him. Amid the shadowy manipulations of the secret services, the anguished agent finds himself at an impossible crossroads.Β
Written with the masterful skill of a seasoned novelist, and bringing to bear his years of experience as a Mossad agent himself, Ben-David once again delivers a powerful look into the mysterious Israeli intelligence agency in this action-packed page-turner.
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