There is tension throughout as you just know that something will happen but it's definitely a slow burn. It's not your typical crime read - something to bear in mind when deciding whether to read. It is very thought-provoking though.

Three tells the stories of three women: Orna, a divorced single-mother looking for a new relationship; Emilia, a Latvian immigrant on a spiritual search; and Ella, married and mother of three, returning to University to write her thesis. All of them will meet the same man. His name is Gil. He won't tell them the whole truth about himself - but they don't tell him everything either.
This wasn't bad. Basically three different stories all involving relationships with the same man - Gil, seemingly available, loving and nice. Basically date him at your peril. The ending was good but overall not a particularly memorable book.

An abandoned woman searching for love, a deeply religious immigrant caretaker, a disillusioned researcher trapped in her marriage. Three women whose lives seem as far apart as possible, united by a common secret. When Orna meets Gil on an online dating site, their lacklustre affair seems like nothing more than a way to stave off the pain of her recent divorce. But soon it becomes clear that Gil may not be exactly who he claims to be and Orna’s own lies may be weaving an unexpected trap for her. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the gritty Holon neighbourhood in Tel Aviv, this enigmatic and intelligent novel is, in fact, an intricate puzzle.

Mishani’s first standalone book explores Israel’s forgotten margins, unearthing complicated layers, conflicts, and prejudices. At turns shocking, deceptive, and subversive, Three is a slow-burning psychological thriller from one of Israel’s most beloved writers. Although described as a psychological thriller, I feel the most fitting terminology for this story is women's fiction or an emotional drama as it does not adhere to the usual rules that apply when writing a thriller or crime fiction so please bear this in mind when deciding whether to purchase. Overall, a compelling and intense read from beginning to denouement. Many thanks to riverrun for an ARC.

An emotional and psychological drama, I found this novel from Israeli author D A Mishani gripping and compelling. There is crime at its heart, to be sure, but it is not a typical crime novel and to call it a thriller that will leave you “breathless”, as it has been described, is way off the mark and will cause some readers to be disappointed. Yes, there is tension and suspense, but it’s a slow-burn of a novel, with the emphasis on psychology and is both subtle and nuanced. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the dialogue authentic, the pacing spot-on. Set in Tel Aviv, it starts with Orna, a divorced woman, looking on a dating website and finding Gil, with whom she starts a new relationship. That’s all I’m going to say about the plot as the less the reader knows beforehand the better. This is a narrative that needs to creep up on you. It’s a dark, disturbing and unsettling tale, and one which I very much enjoyed.

My thanks to Quercus Books riverrun for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Three’ by D. A. Mishani in exchange for an honest review.

‘Three’ was originally published in Israel, 2018 and was translated from the Hebrew by Jessica Cohen. It is due to be published in the U.K. on 18 August 2020.

‘Three’ tells the stories of three women and one man. Orna is divorced with a young son, who is finding it hard to come to terms with his father leaving to start a new family. Orna is looking for a new relationship via a dating app. Emilia is a Latvian immigrant working as a care assistant. Ella is a married mother of three, who has returned to university to write her thesis.

The man is Gil, a lawyer. Each of the three women will meet him during the course of the novel though what he wants from each of them forms the thriller aspect of this unusual novel.

Like much international fiction, ‘Three’ does not conform to the tropes commonly associated with crime and psychological thrillers that readers in the U.K./USA would normally encounter.

I found this a subtle novel that explored the psyche of the three women and their relationships not only with Gil but with others in their worlds. It also offers glimpses into contemporary Israeli society.

I opened it yesterday morning with the intention of making a start, yet found that I didn’t want to put it down and so finished in a single sitting.

Overall, a highly engaging, well plotted novel, that has been well translated. A thriller that offers something different, one that is likely to meet the criteria for lovers of both genre and literary fiction.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Three' is quite a difficult book to review. It is not quite crime fiction, not quite a psychological thriller, but has some of these elements woven into its intricately constructed narrative. It is, nevertheless, a compelling portrait of three women, their own distinct struggles, with one thing in common: a man named Gil. There is Orna, looking for love on a dating website for the recently divorced. Emilia, a Latvian, residing in Israel on a work-permit, also a carer for the elderly. Finally, there is Ella, a married mother of three children, returning to university to complete her PhD thesis. Each of these women's lives intersect with Gil, and despite having little in common, apart from their gender, the three are inextricably linked by a common fate... well maybe. You see, Gil is an unknown quantity. There is a certain blankness to his being that is usually filled in by everyday biographical details, those vague things we call 'character'. Those little details we exchange with one another to prove trust, to give depth to a budding relationship. There again, the same can be said of the three women, bound together, maybe, by their collective fate. I run into difficulties in this part of my review, because there is a distinct propelling force, or plot, running through the narrative, a main artery, so to speak, but there also some thread-like veins, or sub-plots, that give the story a certain richness of texture. This is undoubtedly a novel that straddles genres, an unusual, unconventional psychological thriller, if I had to pin my colours to the mast of inadequate literary categorisation, that is. Where Mishani excels is in her probing, astute understanding of the vagaries of human subjectivity. How little we know others, and how little we know ourselves. This is not always a deliberate contrivance - to intentionally deceive, but sometimes it is. A certain blankness amongst the cacophony of characteristics and objective nouns that make up every individual, if you like. So, if you like your fiction with a certain cerebral edge, that makes you think about the psychological aspect of a psychological thriller, this could be the book for you.

4.5 stars

The title of the book "Three" relates to the stories of three different women living in Israel.
Three women, who although with little in common, have a connection with something or rather with someone.

First there is Orna, who we meet about to go on her first date with someone she has met on a dating site for divorced singles.
Several years later there is Emilia, a Latvien, in the country on a work permit, a carer for the elderly, who is seeking some legal advice.
Finally there is Ella, who spends her mornings in the local café doing her PHD work.

These three women will never meet, but their ultimate fate may well be the same.

This is a cleverly plotted thriller where at first it is unclear, where the author D. A. Mishani is taking us. It looks at several issues, including how much do we somtimes really know about someone and how misplaced trust and assumptions can have unknown, and in this case, deadly consequences.

A spotlight is also shown on certain aspects of Israeli society, including (like most other developed countries) its reliance on foreign workers to fulfill the essential but mere menial jobs.

With a fine translation into English from the original Hebrew by Jessica Cohen, this was a novel that so intrigued and captivated me, that I finished it in one sitting.

Recommended for lovers of crime and mystery thrillers.

This was a quite a different book from what I was expecting, much more subtle in the way it was written and although it is a psychological thriller I would say it’s a whole lot more than that. Told in three parts it’s a slow build up but one that creeps up on you making you really want to know what will be the outcome. It’s a difficult read to describe without giving too much away but it is a book I enjoyed, I loved the first part but thought the second part dragged a little and the last part was a fitting climax to a book that is different from the norm. A read that may not be for everyone but one that I would recommend if you want something well written, stylish with a slow burn of a story and a 3+ star read rounded up to 4.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books, Riverrun for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#Three #NetGalley
Three tells the stories of three women: Orna, a divorced single-mother looking for a new relationship; Emilia, a Latvian immigrant on a spiritual search; and Ella, married and mother of three, returning to University to write her thesis. All of them will meet the same man. His name is Gil. He won't tell them the whole truth about himself - but they don't tell him everything either.
Its an ok read. Its a one time read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me an advance copy.

A gorgeous cover, but I suspect the strapline ('twisted... thriller... breathless') is setting up expectations that the book itself doesn't set out to satisfy. I would describe this only cautiously as crime fiction: it's more of an emotional drama that delves deeply into women's lives and, especially, their neediness that can have dire consequences.

The writing is very 'told' but that style works here - and there's a blank at the centre that feels deliberately opaque. I'm being reticent because of not wanting to give away spoilers. I'd say that if you want a fast-paced, conventional thriller this may well frustrate. I was absorbed in the first section; slightly less enamoured of the second; and found the third anti-climactic - that said, Mishani is intelligent about the way crime fiction operates, is even a bit subversive in reshaping conventional narratives, and the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts: 3.5 stars.