Fact and fiction, past history and present circumstances meld together in this novel by Lawrence Wright, staff writer for The New Yorker and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower. The Human Scale is a fulfilling read for both mystery and political thriller fans as well as readers interested in a retrospective of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian state. The storyline is taut, the characters are tense, and the setting is explosive. The plot is fiction based upon reality with a clear aura of hopelessness.
Palestinian American FBI agent Tony Malik, half Irish, half Arab, and Yossi Ben-Gal, an Isreali police officer, become unlikely partners trying to solve the murder of the Israeli police chief in Gaza.
Malik, having been injured on the job and with his career going forward in question, travels to the West Bank to attend his niece’s wedding and to visit his father’s birthplace while working on an FBI assignment. The New York agent gets caught up in the investigation of the police chief’s murder, first as a suspect and then, due to his investigative skills, with the reluctant acceptance of Yossi, the anti-Arab officer put in charge of the investigation. Yossi learns that the murdered police chief did not believe he could trust anyone, including the police, so he and Malik form a team with only each other to count on and trust. Yossi’s daughter, a student in Paris, visits her father and becomes immersed in the violence stemming from the murder but always at a boiling point. Malik’s niece is to marry a man who had connections to Hamas in the past and is now accused of the murder,
The story is told from the perspectives of the Israelis and the Palestinians. The history of both sides, the experiences each side has endured, the prejudices they have all faced, is told in graphic detail. The telling of the history of the region along with characters who are all as complex as is their situation, bring the story home. It is important and serious and even the warmth of the characters, their love for family, their celebrations, or the friendship that evolves between Yossi and Tony never lessens the gravity of the dilemma they all face. Murderers, corrupt police officers, misguided zealots, innocents, and the righteous all exist in space limited in size and each believing it is their given right to own. The anger, the hatred, and the retributions all climax with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that is fictionalized yet could not be more vivid or realistic.
The author tells an illuminating tale with a narrative that weighs questions while depicting characters that bear witness to the fragility of life. The Human Scale succeeds in affirming how unlikely peace will ever be in the Middle East.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf for an advance copy of The Human Scale. This is my honest review of Lawrence Wright’s book.

This is a new to me author and I was intrigued by the blurb for this book. What I hadn't expected was that it would be almost a third of the way into the story before the two main characters met or the amount of time that was devoted to the historical information of the area where the story takes place. I found myself skipping parts in order to get to the meat of the story, the case of who had killed the police chief.

"The Human Scale" by Lawrence Wright is a literary masterpiece that deserves nothing less than a five-star review. Wright's storytelling prowess is on full display as he delves into the complex intricacies of human nature and societal dynamics. His ability to weave together intricate narratives with factual accuracy is truly remarkable.

In "The Human Scale," Wright masterfully explores the delicate balance between Palestinians and the people of Israel challenging readers to rethink their own perspectives on how we live and interact in a rapidly evolving world. Each chapter is a carefully constructed analysis that offers profound insights and thought-provoking commentary. It delves into the issues of the present as well as past actions.

What makes this book stand out is Wright’s meticulous research and engaging prose. He presents compelling arguments supported by comprehensive data and real-world examples that captivate the reader's attention from beginning to end. Wright's narrative style is not only informative but also deeply engaging, making complex topics accessible and enjoyable.

The characters are compelling and meticulously developed. The author presents each character with a comprehensive and balanced perspective, allowing them to perceive both their positive and negative traits. The setting and scenes are exceptionally detailed and descriptive, providing the reader with profound insight into the narrative.

THE HUMAN SCALE is an absolutely outstanding novel, one I can enthusiastically recommend.

With one major reservation.

Lawrence Wright is a fine reporter, an excellent historian, and an outstanding author of nonfiction. But as so often happens when a writer from that background turns his hand to fiction, the reporter and the historian gang up on and overwhelm the novelist.. In a novel, the drive of the narrative is everything. The factual background and the historical context matter only when they add to that drive.

In THE HUMAN SCALE, Wright all too often allows his absorption in history and context to overwhelm the narrative to the point of burying it entirely. And that's a shame, because it's a terrific narrative when he allows it to run. A ten or twenty percent reduction in the length of this book by cutting out the background explanations not strictly necessary to understanding the narrative would have made this an extraordinary novel. As it is, it's merely outstanding, but that's still more than good enough to earn its five stars.

As one of the many people who is confused, saddened, and frequently overwhelmed by the situation in the Middle East, I thought The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright might help me out. I am not up to reading a vast litany of historic facts, and I didn’t want a totally one-sided overview of the situation…so a fictional account written by a well-regarded (Pulitzer Prize-winning) author sounded like just the ticket. Wright, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is affiliated with the Center for Law and Security at New York University School of Law, and is perhaps best known as the author of Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, published in 2006.

New York-based FBI agent Tony Malik, son of a Palestinian father and an Irish mother, decides that the end of a long-term relationship and the precarious future of his job is the perfect time to go to his father’s ancestral homeland for his niece’s wedding. The FBI asks him to perform what seems like a simple assignment while he is there. When he arrives, the Israeli Police Chief has just been murdered, and Malik is a suspect. There are lots of complications: the wedding is overshadowed by violence, the intended groom has ties to Hamas, there are corrupt cops galore, and the whole thing seems like an insurmountable mess. Yossi, the extremely anti-Arab Israeli police officer leading the investigation, learns to work with Malik as the two men come to learn they can’t really trust anyone on either side – except the other. 

Tons of familiar events are noted, up to and including the Hamas attack on Israel in October, 2023, and I am sure I was not the only reader looking for some hope along with the exploration of the unending tragedy this religious and political conflict continues to reveal. Along with the many characters in the story, there is a ton of factual information and history woven throughout. A difficult and challenging read, it is also a very entertaining thriller. Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor as well as NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review. Five exhausted stars.

Reworking the gruff, stoic, but always marvelous Toshiro Mifune as YOJIMBO into something more palatable for western audiences, Sergio Leone managed to upset traditional genre lovers with a Spaghetti flavor, albeit without sauce. Delivering Clint Eastwood in his first starring vehicle, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS followed in '64 much of what YOJIMBO established three years earlier. A man with no name arrives in a town, hiring out his services to both warring factions who're looking to gain control, while playing the opponents against each other. Throwing A FISTFUL OF SHEKELS onto THE HUMAN SCALE, an FBI agent on the fringe arrives in Hebron, center mass of a conflict that's been burning forever, two societies that draw meaning from death. A place where the cause matters more than life, and death is always awaiting a careless move. Can one American with a DEATH WISH and ties to both sides help solve a brutal murder and get payback? But this isn't a crime. Not like Agatha Christie. This is Israel. It's terror.

Out in the pouring rain of animosity without an umbrella, one Tony Malik, American, half-breed and the best of the best in the anti-terror squad in the NYC FBI Field Office, should be taking it easy to recoup from a huge bomb blast in Jordan. Malik is familiar with the Middle East, though never Palestine or Israel, and 'easy' is not in his vocabulary. While enjoying plausible deniability via a cousin's wedding, Malik is armed with a name and an eye for seeing what's missing. It remains to be seen whether that is enough in a region drowning in drugs and black-market weapons. Knocking heads with Mossad, Shabak, politicians, the IDF, terrorists, and a small hicktown police department in the middle of an ancient strife, the realities of criminal investigations loom large; evidence grows cold, people disappear, memories fade. After all, occupied land is a place where force is valued and hesitation can be fatal. THE HUMAN SCALE basically tries to find a path from one piece of data to another and hopes to eventually uncover a pattern. Or perhaps not, as nothing defeats detecting like the randomness of human nature. And in the blood and sand of the Middle East, there's no rhyme or reason, only bullets, bombs, and baklava.

Chomping through much of the mess between Israel and Palestinians and trouble in the Middle East, including the Six Day War, PLO, Arafat, Oslo Peace Accord and Bibi Netanyahu, THE HUMAN SCALE is somewhere between love letter to Israel and condemnation of Israeli policies in the modern world. Nonetheless, THE HUMAN SCALE is a balanced account of the eternal rivalries of Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians, Hamas and PLO; the headache and back and forth between two tribes making claim to an ancient land and fighting it out. Righting wrongs, fighting fire with fire. Hate with hate. Violence with violence. It is draining and difficult to keep at it, akin to watching worrisome news broadcasts all day long. Every hour, every minute. Thus, THE HUMAN SCALE is burning up valuable real estate, the first two-thirds being background, trudging along, rehashing history, exploring current events and figuring out the future. The reader is torn, part wants to leave this thing behind as it is and never return. The other: dive in deeper. Thence, THE HUMAN SCALE gets hella interesting when it comes to figuring out the murder mystery. Not quaint at all, THE HUMAN SCALE broadly proclaims that the peace process is a circular route leading nowhere, that whenever peace is near, a spoiler will arise, and that the best thing about the Middle East is the food. Partially responsible for penning 1998's THE SIEGE, the author impresses through THE HUMAN SCALE that a man without friends is a man in trouble, the FBI exploits FACEBOOK as an investigative tool, and that the Middle East Golden Rule is to do unto others before other do unto you. Asking what is the worth of one human life and whether the holy land will always be the field of battle in the name of God, THE HUMAN SCALE is definitely food for thought. As such, THE HUMAN SCALE deeply immerses the reader in the quicksand of ethnic hatred, a book charged with smoldering electricity, ready to hurl a lighting bolt. Mind the voltage and try to catch this one.

The setting is the West Bank with its complex and complicated history, unending land and religious strife between Israelis and Palestinians, and human reality of survival and corruption. This is the scene into which American FBI agent Tony Malik, nursing his own personal and professional challenges and whose father was Palestinian, decides to visit his ancestral homeland and attend a cousin’s wedding. He’s asked to undertake a simple FBI assignment since he’s going to be there. Then the Israeli police chief is murdered and he is a suspect. There is so much to parse and understand about the complicated history, politics, relationships, and most importantly, the hardship, struggles and hopelessness, as well as drive and motivation of both Palestinians and Israelis living in close proximity, yet worlds apart. The author does a good job with the setting, history, major characters, and storyline. There was a significant amount of history, information, and multiple characters which sometimes felt like the author had created too large a scope. Overall, this was definitely a good read with a great sense of place and time. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Too much of the time I felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a novel. In my opinion, the author Lawrence Wright should have chosen one or the other and then gone full out to tell what he has to tell. As it is, the novel The Human Scale just didn't keep my interest.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This book just wasnt for me, I was expecting more out of it and it just fell super short. I am glad that other people have enjoyed it, but as we all know not every book is going to be enjoyed by every person.

THE HUMAN SCALE takes readers to Hebron and drops them squarely in the middle of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Author Lawrence Wright creates believable characters as he weaves the convoluted story of animosity and cruelty between two communities, each believing God is on their side. There’s a mystery to solve as well, a murder, but once the characters are well-known, the mystery is fairly well solved. Aside from that detail, the book moves quickly and is filled with historical information and place descriptors. This is a fascinating book for its unyielding descriptions of life and death in Hebron. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I have the utmost respect for Lawrence Wright's journalism, and I have loved his non-fiction works, but this novel left me disappointed.

When I started reading it, I was hoping that he had done to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict what Don Winslow has masterfully achieved regarding the US-Mexican so-called war on drugs. On the surface, there are many similarities between "The Human Scale" and the "Power of the Dog" trilogy: a scarred, deeply conflicted main character; a panoramic view of a very complicated geopolitical situation; the interweaving of fact and fast-paced narrative fiction. Unfortunately, the effect is so heavy-handed that I found myself constantly gritting my teeth. While trying to provide a glimpse of the eponymous human scale of the conflict, he made all the protagonists give loaded political speeches, embodying different points of view. It was excruciating for me.

So, if you want to know more about the Middle East and what led to the October 7, 2023 attack and the brutal war that followed, you will certainly learn a lot from this book. But if you are looking for great literature that makes you understand a piece of modern history while keeping you deeply involved in the fate of fictional characters, choose Don Winslow novels.

Thanks to the publisher, Knopf, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Lawrence Wright’s The Human Scale is a gripping and timely mystery/thriller that tackles the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict. It’s a bold story that walks a difficult tightrope, attempting to balance perspectives without alienating supporters of either side. That said, I did feel like the author may lean—if only slightly—toward one perspective.

At the heart of the novel is Tony Malik, a former FBI agent recovering from an injury and hoping to get back into the bureau. On his way to a family wedding, he’s suddenly thrust into a murder investigation—not as a detective, but as a suspect. As Tony works to clear his name, the novel builds toward a tense, real-world parallel: the Hamas attack.

One of the book’s most compelling elements is how it explores the chilling math behind the value of human life, a concept that shifts wildly depending on who is making the calculation. It’s an educational mystery that’s bound to spark strong reactions. While the subject matter is heavy and complex, the thriller elements keep the pages turning.

Overall, The Human Scale is a thought-provoking read, blending real-world events with a fast-paced narrative. I’d rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

FBI agent Tony Malik is on leave, recovering from a traumatic brain injury after a failed bomb defusal. His love life is a mess, and his career is uncertain, so he decides to visit his family in Hebron for his cousin’s wedding.

Meanwhile, Yossi Ben-Gal, a Hebron police officer, finds himself caught in a web of violence and politics. When his boss is beheaded in what looks like a Hamas execution, Yossi isn’t convinced—it doesn’t fit their usual methods. Suspicious, he starts digging, but he doesn’t trust his own colleagues. Through a twist of events, he forms an uneasy alliance with Malik, whose cousin’s fiancé has been accused of the crime.

This book is packed with action and tension, but it also takes time to explain the deep-rooted history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While some might take issue with its portrayal of both sides, it offers a gripping and thoughtful look at the human cost of war. A compelling read for anyone wanting both suspense and deeper insight into the region’s turmoil.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright is described as a thriller and an intricate tapestry. I found it to be anything but that. It starts with the death of an Israeli police officer with an FBI agent who is Muslim coming in to investigate. The book was hard to follow; it seemed to go all over the place. I didn’t feel it described the Israelis very well and appeared to be very one sided. Very controversial book. Definitely not for me.

Lawrence Wright is a fantastic non-fiction author and with this novel you can see the work he put in. Wright sets this novel in Palestine/Israel with characters from both nationalities. In the telling of his story he gives a excellent background on the conflict in the middle east, with a fairly objective view. ( I think he does favor one country more, but I'll leave that guess up to the reader). Over the course of this book we follow a murder case where there are suspects from all angles. One by one we piece together who did what and why. Overall I will give this 4 stars for a great book that was well researched. My only complaint is that Wright likes to throw in a romance and honestly I don't think he writes romance very well. But otherwise pick up this book if you want a new kind of mystery and want to learn a bit about the world as well.
4 stars.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest reivew.

“The Human Scale” is a lengthy, complex novel about the murder of an Israeli police chief in Gaza. Although billed as a thriller, it’s more a portrayal of relations between Israeli settlers and Palestinians than a merely entertaining murder mystery. Author Lawrence Wright packs his novel with a host of very human, very well-drawn characters to impart to readers the history of, and some of the many perspectives at play in, this troubled region. Mr. Wright's storytelling reminded me very much of authors like Herman Wouk, James Michener, and Leon Uris. Anyone interested in what it was like to be ‘on the ground” in Gaza before the beginning of the recent war may very well want to give “The Human Scale” a close look.

Lawrence Wright always writes fantastic books. This one, a very tough subject of Palestine and Israel relationships is part fiction but part history. There is a lot of emotion in it and can be a hard read. Overall a very good book that I highly recommend to anyone.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting book about the struggles between Israelis and Palestinians wrapped up in a mystery. The book opens with the decapitation of an Israeli police chief, which people assume was done by Hamas. A FBI agent of Arabian decent works with the Israeli murder investigator. I liked that the author would interject historical information as to the tensions within the Middle East. It took a bit for me to get involved with the book but once I did, found it interesting.

Gosh, this was a tough story to read. Melding a murder mystery with current events was very distressing for me. This will not be a book I'll ever be tempted to re-read. I will recommend this book to people who want a bit more history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict..

The informational portions of the book were the best parts in my opinion, and I learned something. Three stars because a book sometimes needs to be uncomfortable to allow us to understand other viewpoints.

Tony Malik, a Palestinian-American, an FBI agent, who is still recovering from his injuries suffered from a bomb detonation a year before. He's heading to the West Bank for a family wedding of relatives he has never met. He is asked by his supervisor to visit an Israeli police chief who would like an under the radar meeting. Once Malik arrives the police chief has been executed an it looks like it has been done by Hamas though they have not taken credit. Malik is then targeted as a suspect, but he starts working with Yossi Ben-Gal a bitter underling of the police chief. Together they start peeling back the layers who might be behind the chief's murder. What makes this an above average political thriller is that Wright has written extensively about the mideast and does an excellent job of looking at the various characters politcial motivations and how the Israeli-Palestine conflict has an extensive history with no simple or easy solutions and how the extremists on both sides continue to poor fuel on the fire. A must read for those who enjoy political thrillers but want a better understanding of underpinnings of this ongoing conflict.