Yigal Zur Author

Yigal Zur is a noted writer, television program host and travel guide. His thriller series features the Israeli, former security services operative turned private investigator, Dotan Naor. Death in Shangri-La, while second in the series, is the first to be translated into English and to be published in the US, by Oceanview Publishing in the summer of 2018.

Yigal has travelled to more than 100 countries across six continents as a much sought after travel guide and as a journalist. Yigal has created, produced and hosted three different, well-acclaimed television programs covering world travel over seven seasons for Israeli television.

Aside from his three published books in the Dotan Naor thriller series (Trouble in Paradise, Death in Shangri-La and Lost in Lotusland), he has written three literary novels – The Monsoon’s End (Maariv Books, 1989), Spring of Almond’s Blossom (Am Oved, 1993), Dark Prune (Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1996), several travel and guide books to India and China, as well a film script for the 1999 documentary film “Menelik – Black Jewish Prince”, which was nominated for Best Drama by the Israeli Film Academy and won the New Foundation grant awarded by the  Jerusalem Film Festival. Yigal was the only Israeli journalist accredited to be embedded with the coalition military forces in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Yigal is married to Karin, have two sons and live in Jaffa, an old part of Tel-Aviv, Israel.

PASSPORT TO DEATH

IN A WORLD OF SHADOWS, IT IS EASY TO GET LOST

Dotan Naor, an Israeli private investigator, who was ousted from the Shin Bet security – Israel’s internal security service – goes to Thailand to find Sigal Bardon, a beautiful young girl from a wealthy Israeli family. Sigal has disappeared in Bangkok – completely. Dotan has connections in Thailand and he is familiar with Bangkok’s dark side – the narrow alleys with bars and hookers, trenches of stagnant water, hotel rooms with illicit activity. This is where he intends to start his search. But when the passport of the missing Israeli girl ends up in his hands during his first taxi ride in the city, he’s suspicious that someone is playing him. But who? And why?

As Dotan searches for Sigal, police corruption blocks his every path while he delves deeper. Every lead he pursues draws him closer and closer to a black hole in his “own” path – one intertwined with his pursuit of Sigal – one that leads him to Reuven – and the haunting failure that led to the dismissal of both of them from Shin Bet. The wound between Dotan and Reuven is raw and deep, but Dotan realizes it must be healed in order to save Sigal.

“A twisty, propulsive story, a sardonic and charismatic hero, evocative settings, drama, action, heartbreak, and a snappy translation – this book has it all.”
Lee Child, Author of Jack Reacher series

“Dotan Naor is a character Steve McQueen would have fought to play: though but insightful, ruthless but spiritually striving. Death in Shangri-La is a passport to a world most thriller readers haven’t seen before, and it’s a fascinating trip.”
Joseph Finder, New York best-selling author of The Switch

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