This is my first novel by this author and I thought with all that’s going on in that area of the world I should read this one now.

Tony Malik, an FBI agent from a Palestinian American family is grievously injured as a demolitions crew attempts to deactivate a bomb identified in an airport suitcase. He awakes with a traumatic brain injury and puzzling and infuriating momentary lapses in short term memory.
The Bureau keeps him on staff, and in an attempt to give him something harmless but intriguing to do, sends him to Hebron in Israel in response to an oddly worded request from a local policeman.

Malik arrives to find that the cop has been murdered, and a wide and wild collection of blame, finger pointing, confusion, and hostility is hampering the investigation into the death.

As a parallel to the Israeli cops, Malik meets his father's uncle and a wide collection of other relatives. The family is preparing for a wedding, and Malik is welcomed and warmly included in early celebrations.

The book focuses on the search for the murderer and the enigmatic notes left by the murdered cop. Malik realizes there is more at stake than meets the eye. And a careful attention to chapter headings gives the reader important clues about the overall situation in real life Israel at the time of the fictional events.

Weight includes a great deal of historical and present day information about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. At times these non fictional interludes tend to disrupt reading of the flow of action as the investigations continue.

Thanks to the author publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I was hooked from the cover and first page during this book, it had that element that I was looking for and was glad it was so well done. I was engaged with what was happening with the characters and was everything that I wanted in this type of thriller novel. The characters were everything that I was looking for and worked with the story being told. Lawrence Wright has a strong writing style and had that concept that I was looking for.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Lawrence Wright’s The Human Scale is a novel of striking ambition, examining how urban landscapes shape (and often distort) human lives. Wright, known for his incisive nonfiction, brings his meticulous research and storytelling prowess to fiction, creating a narrative that feels urgent, relevant, and deeply affecting.

A City in Flux, A Humanity in Question
Set against the backdrop of Austin, Texas, The Human Scale follows the intertwined lives of urban planners, activists, and everyday citizens navigating a city in the throes of transformation. At its heart is Ted, an idealistic urban planner whose vision for a walkable, livable city clashes with political inertia, corporate interests, and the unpredictability of human nature.

Wright deftly illustrates how cities, much like people, evolve in ways both beautiful and tragic. The novel interrogates the tensions between progress and preservation, individual ambition and collective well-being. Through Ted’s story, Wright asks: What does it mean for a city to serve its people? And, more poignantly, what does it mean for people to truly belong in a city?

One of Wright’s greatest strengths is his ability to craft characters that feel utterly real. Ted is not a flawless protagonist; he wrestles with his own ego, disappointments, and moments of doubt. Surrounding him are vividly drawn figures: an activist fighting against gentrification, a developer chasing profit disguised as innovation, and a journalist uncovering truths that may reshape the city’s fate. Their struggles and intersections create a compelling tapestry of modern urban life.

The novel’s pacing mirrors the unpredictability of city planning - progress made in fits and starts, dreams derailed by unexpected forces. Wright allows space for reflection, for moments where the reader, like the characters, must pause and consider the bigger picture. While it’s undeniably rich in detail, it never feels weighed down by its themes. Instead, it pulses with energy, urgency, and human yearning.

The Human Scale is a profound meditation on the spaces we inhabit and the ideals we strive toward. Wright’s journalistic precision lends authenticity to the book’s exploration of urban policy, while his novelist instincts ensure that its emotional weight lingers long after the final page.

For readers interested in the intersection of politics, urban planning, and human stories, The Human Scale is a deeply rewarding read - a cautionary tale yet a hopeful vision of what cities, and the people within them, can become.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs warrants a careful analysis in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli retaliation. That conflict also could easily form the backdrop for a gripping political thriller. Noted author and journalist Lawrence Wright would appear to have the credentials to combine both concepts in the same book. His “The Looming Tower,” a detailed study of the attack on the World Trade Center, won the Pulitzer Prize. As a novelist, his fictional pandemic thriller, “The End of October,” released in April 2020, was hailed for its research and prescience and became a bestseller. He now adopts that same approach to the Israel/Palestine conflict in “The Human Scale.” Unfortunately, the result isn’t that thrilling and will frustrate fact-seekers.

“The Human Scale” takes place in late September and early October, 2023, with each chapter heading denoting its exact date. It’s no spoiler to reveal that the novel’s timeline is no coincidence and that the October 7 attack figures into the storyline. However, the bulk of the story takes place in Hebron, a city of great religious and historical significance in the West Bank of Palestine. Criminal investigations in Hebron are divided between Israeli and Palestinian entities, as the author describes at greater length. About two weeks before the Hamas attack, the Israeli police chief of Hebron was brutally murdered and decapitated. Most people suspect terrorism, but Yossi Ben-Gal, the veteran detective who winds up in charge of the investigation, is doubtful, in part because no one takes credit for the crime.

As Yossi investigates, he gains a de facto partner in Tony Malik, a half-Arab FBI agent in Hebron, who is attending a family wedding. Tony talked to the chief shortly before his death and became an immediate suspect. After convincing Yossi of his bona fides, Tony winds up assisting the Israeli in the investigation. Complicating matters (and arousing more suspicion against himself) is the fact that Tony was severely injured and lost an eye when a terrorist bomb went off in New York a year earlier. As a result, Tony experiences occasional memory loss and doesn’t recall his conversations with the chief.

As suggested by this plot capsule, “The Human Scale” has the makings of a taut, mismatched cop police thriller in an exotic setting. Indeed, in reading the book, I got the impression that the story may have originated as a screenplay treatment. However, the author had grander ideas in mind and decided to incorporate as much political and historical material as possible about the region and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As a result, the central storyline expanded into an unwieldy and often suspense-killing 500 pages.

Much of the material inserted by the author is interesting or educational by itself. Some aspects, such as a discussion of the internal politics of the division of police responsibilities in Hebron, are necessary to fully understand the plot. Other excerpts would make good standalone articles in various journals. Unfortunately, they also divert the reader’s attention from the central storyline and dispel suspense. For example, at one point, an Israeli cop notes Malik’s eyepatch and resemblance to Moshe Dayan. The author could have given a one-paragraph explanation of the comment by briefly noting who Moshe Dayan was and his trademark eyepatch. Instead, the author inserts an entire chapter titled “Moshe Dayan” after the comment. That chapter is a brief biography of Moshe Dayan and a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the man. It also has no connection to the author’s central narrative. Readers may be confused when the author resumes the central plot.

Besides inserting material providing a factual history of the Palestinian conflict at various disjointed places in “The Human Scale.” the author also has multiple characters engaging in lengthy monologues describing their views. Many thrillers allow the villains to explain their motivation, and those speeches can be some of the more entertaining sections of a book. However, a good thriller author knows how to limit these monologues to keep the story from resembling a Dr. Evil movie. The supporting characters in “The Human Scale” include both Israeli and Arab moderates and hardliners, all of whom the author gives the floor to explain their reasoning at length. Again, this is material that would make for an interesting non-fiction study of the region. However, in a thriller, these monologues become tiresome.

“The Human Scale” reads like a screenplay for a political thriller that wound up being combined with the first draft of a study of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict leading to the Hamas attack. As such, it’s a disappointment on both counts. Worse, this mashup squanders the talents of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who is uniquely positioned to report on the growing conflict. This book was obviously written in response to the Hamas attack. The author must have recognized the impact a well-written historical analysis would have had, yet he opted for the vehicle of a conventional thriller. As such, the story has a few interesting twists, but nothing readers haven’t seen many times before, with the extraneous material serving as a distraction. The result is a very ordinary book from an extraordinary talent.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

I have followed Lawrence Wright’s non fiction and recent transition to fiction work. The research he has done in the past makes him uniquely qualified to write this book. The blending of an FBI agent visiting Palestine who stumbles into a murder investigation (or is it terrorism ?). There are several religious parables and cultural histories from both the Jewish and Muslim perspective. The book is a thriller but also pushes emotional buttons, especially for a woman raised Catholic in the US. The book is set in the fall of 2023 - no spoilers, but warning, it is loyal to the political history of that time period. Fans of Apeirogon by Colum McCann will enjoy this novel.

For those well-versed in both the ancient and modern history of The Holy Land, one might echo the law enforcement adage: there is nothing new here—move along. For those less acquainted with the millennia of hope and despair culminating the contemporary Holy Land, Human Scale may serve as an introduction to the seemingly inescapable tragedy. The Palestinian and Jewish people are remarkable, rich in history, culture, achievements, and a profound passion for life. Yet, they remain ensnared in a deadly, fratricidal conflict that both astonishes and horrifies humanity. Like a Middle Eastern version of the Hatfields and McCoys, it a sorrowful narrative with no apparent resolution. Only love, understanding, and forgiveness hold the potential to bridge the divide. It would require a miracle, and that is what we all fervently hope for.

The Human Scale is a thought-provoking read, combining real world events with a mystery. It's a timely story, ending with the Hamas attack in 2023. It's a difficult book to read but is it worth the time, especially if you are trying to understand the conflict in the Middle East.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my review copy.

Wow! A story that comes right from the headlines. A beautiful tragic story of current Israel and the characters are real and touch your heart. I have a deeper understanding of what really happens there. The characters are true to life and funny and sad. The end will blow you away. I will be searching this authors other books and look for any new ones he writes. An excellent read!

If I could make a narrower distinction of historical fiction, I’d label this book “near historical fiction”. The book ends with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Never having read this author before, perhaps I was unprepared for my fiction to be lost in the weeds at times by receiving expositions on the history of the conflict. The author veered back to the story at the last 10% as my eyes were starting to glaze over by the historical push and pull narrative of the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Having lived in the region for 13 years, including through October 7th and its aftermath, much of this book felt familiar, and spot-on. The grief and urge to escape through violence or fanaticism or a festival in the south. While I thought this was extremely well done, it did feel over-didactic at times, particularly when the author's history lessons or analysis stifled the characters' voices. I wish they had been the only ones to do the storytelling, even if some details were lost in the process. Also, two small errors that threw me off: 1) Uber isn't very popular in Israel/Palestine, better to say "Gett Taxi" or just "taxi." 2) An Israeli wouldn't name their dog "babka" because the cake is known as "Krantz" here.

The Human Scale
By Lawrence Write

This is a horror story. Oh, not of the Stephen King variety. No this is a horror story based in truth. It is the story of the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Tony Malek is an American FBI agent, who has been severely damaged by a bomb during a case and is now trying to get reinstated as a field agent. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Tony decides to spend his time investigating just who he is and where he comes from.

Tony's deceased father Tariq had emigrated from Hebron in Palestine, but never talked about his past or his family. Tony is aware that his father had a twin brother Abdullah. While looking for him online, Tony discovers that Abdullah's daughter Dina is to be married in October 2023, just a month away. He decides this is an opportunity to get to know his family. When he tells his boss he is going, Tommy asks him to check out a call for help from a police chief in the area. Seems like a simple ask, right?

When Tony arrives in Palestine, everything goes south in a hurry. The police chief has been murdered. The bridegroom, a Palestinian who works for peace instead of violence, is accused of the crime and goes on the run. But nothing is that simple.

Malek is dragged into all the drama between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He witnesses the depredations which both sides employ to kill any chance for peace by ratcheting up the violence. Malek finds himself working with Yossi, an Israeli policeman, to solve the murder and lower the level of violence. But in the end, the long years of hatred and feelings of being victimized prove too strong.

This is a book which we all should read if we want to really understand the Middle East. It is a story to cry over. We would all wish for something better, but is that even possible? The saddest part of this ongoing story is that many believe that the Palestinians and Jews are both descended from the same people.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Tony Malik is an FBI agent who’s been out of the field for a year after surviving a bombing. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury, his life a mess, he decides to attend a cousin’s wedding in Hebron. Soon after arriving, the Jewish police chief is murdered and Malik is a suspect. Once cleared, he joins forces with a Jewish police officer to solve the murder.

The murder and its resolution are the framework for a story that takes us deep into the communities, minds and motivations of all sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, with just enough history to help readers understand the source of the conflict. The author is sympathetic to both sides of the conflict and is frustrated by extremists who insist on extermination of the other side and thus keep peace at bay.

I like books that entertain me while making me think. I want to learn more about the world, about other cultures. I want to understand why people do what they do. This book ticks all those boxes for me and I’ll be looking into Lawrence Wright’s other work.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @AAKnopf for a free review copy in exchange for this honest review.

Did not like the story and did not like the writing style.
Would not recommend this story as I was not the recommended target

“The Human Scale” felt like a novel ripped from the headlines of the Israeli-Hamas war. Yossi, a Jewish man in law enforcement, and Malik, an Muslim FBI agent on leave after having survived a bomb blast, are paired throughout the story. Their goal is to find out who killed Yossi’s boss but other critical situations arise.

The story was so well-written, although the back-and-forth hostilities were so hard to read about. Author Lawrence Wright has spent much of his life in the Middle East and I have confidence that he has written “The Human Scale” based on his true impressions.

I believe I learned something about Israel and the surrounding area from reading this book. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy. This is my honest review.

As promised, this is a murder mystery wrapped up in a conflict that has lasted centuries. The author was able to provide background and information about a topic many of us know only superficially while giving us an interesting novel with rich characters and realistic plot points. A great book; definitely worth reading.

For once, you can honestly say this is a story "ripped from the headlines:. Set in the West Bank territory in the Middle East in the days leading up to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, Wright describes the hopeless treadmill of violence and escalation between Israel and Palestine, interweaving history and politics into a fast paced story of the people caught up in the bloody whirlwind. Wright is one our best journalists and has written extensively on the Middle East, but it also turns out he can write a compelling thriller.

This novel got off to a slow start for me. I was expecting a thriller but I feel it is more of a book concentrating on the history and current relationships of the Israel Palestine complex. The plot often slowed with additional background information provided. For someone who has not paid attention to the area, this might be an enlightening book. Wright does a good job of building the characters so we understand the intense feelings and relationships. While there is a murder, it seems to be a means to an end, getting characters together who would not otherwise do so. This is a novel for readers looking to gain understanding of the situation in that part of the Middle East before the latest escalation of deadly action. It is not a novel for those looking for an engaging thriller.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Tony Malik is an FBI agent visiting Palestine to attend a wedding and to meet relatives from his father’s side of the family. Soon after Malik arrives, an Israeli police chief, who had reached out for FBI assistance, is murdered. Malik and an Israeli cop investigate the murder.

The mystery of the murder is really tangential to the actual point of this book. Malik, as an outsider, serves as a device for introducing the reader to the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. He also comes into contact with people from both sides of the conflict, and thus exposes the reader to varying points of view. I found the book interesting, but I might have preferred it as nonfiction.

The author’s frustration with the situation is summed up in the Acknowledgements:

“One cannot hope for an end to the strife without acknowledging the separate histories that each side claims.”

“… whenever a real opportunity for a breakthrough arises it is incinerated by the killers who cling to the fantasy that their enemies can be ethnically cleansed or exterminated.”

“ Until the extremists and ideologues are pushed out of power, the conversation about moving on from the conflict will always be stillborn.”

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Tony Malik, an FBI agent from a Palestinian American family is grievously injured as a demolitions crew attempts to deactivate a bomb identified in an airport suitcase. He awakes with a traumatic brain injury and puzzling and infuriating momentary lapses in short term memory.
The Bureau keeps him on staff, and in an attempt to give him something harmless but intriguing to do, sends him to Hebron in Israel in response to an oddly worded request from a local policeman.
Malik arrives to find that the cop has been murdered, and a wide and wild collection of blame, finger pointing, confusion, and hostility is hampering the investigation into the death.
As a parallel to the Israeli cops, Malik meets his father's uncle and a wide collection of other relatives. The family is preparing for a wedding, and Malik is welcomed and warmly included in early celebrations.
The novel focuses on the search for the murderer and the enigmatic notes left by the murdered cop. Malik realizes there is more at stake than meets the eye. And a careful attention to chapter headings gives the reader important clues about the overall situation in real life Israel at the time of the fictional events
The author includes a great deal of historical and present day information about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. At times these non fictional interludes tend to disrupt reading of the flow of action as the investigations continue.
Thanks to Alfred A Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy and the opportunity to review

From the opening paragraph, I was gripped by timely piece.
Lawrence Wright is an amazing writer!
I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.