THE BOOKS
Part Time Detective is a romantic detective comedy and is the first book in a series.
The hero, Michael Krieger is a failing author, forced to make a living as an amateur private eye. To make ends meet, he moonlights for his uncle, a former military man who runs a security consulting company that conducts special investigations. Michael is asked to track down a comic book artist who had disappeared over thirty years ago and, in the process, finds himself drawn into a surprising mystery that leads him to dangerous far-off places and brings an odd national-security affair back to life.
A professional wall climber who happens to be pregnant; a musician suffering from hair loss, who is also a computer expert; a candidate for Prime Minister who harbors a deep, dark secret; a film star who turns into the leader of an underground organization; and a camel tour guide who shoots miniature darts at people. These are only some of the interesting characters who populate the world of Part Time Detective, a delightful, enjoyable Israeli detective mystery.
Michael Krieger is a talented, young bachelor who dreams of becoming a successful writer, but until then, he opens a detective agency in Tel Aviv and hopes to make a living by solving easy cases. Things go smoothly until one day, two women come into his office and disrupt all his plans. Corina, an underground punk singer, and Ariella, a teacher without any sense of style and a deep passion for bonsai trees, each ask him to handle unsolved mysteries from their past. Before he knows it, Michael finds himself tangled in a sequence of fast-paced and surprising events that turn his life upside-down. His troubles include hoodlums, intimidation letters, a bad back, an ex-girlfriend and a search for someone trying to take over his life.
Part-Time Detective will bring a smile to your face and keep you guessing where it will go next. Shaul Betser’s light, restrained, and amusing style conceals thought-provoking truths about the human condition and human nature. Betser uses the materials of daily life in Israel to create a wondrous, tumultuous plot that is fun and interest filled.