Jonathan de Shalit

“Jonathan de Shalit” is a pseudonym for a former high-ranking member of the Israeli intelligence community, so his actual birth year and place are not publicly disclosed to protect his identity. Because of his former rank, all of his manuscripts must be vetted and approved by a special Israeli Governmental Ministers’ Committee before publication. He has translated several notable English works into Hebrew, including John le Carré’s autobiography, The Pigeon Tunnel.

Jonathan de Shalit’s books are described as “cerebral, slow-burning thrillers” that prioritize tradecraft and intellect over high-octane action. [Google/AI].

Traitor (2018): In 1983, a young Israeli man named Alon offers to spy for the Americans at an embassy in Rome. Unbeknownst to him, his recruiter is actually a Russian mole, leading Alon to spend decades unintentionally funneling Israeli secrets to the Kremlin as he rises to become a high-level government advisor. The story jumps to 2013, when a secret team - code-named “Cobra” - is assembled to hunt down this high-ranking mole.

A Spy in Exile (2019): This novel introduces Ya’ara Stein, a former Mossad agent forced out for being too aggressive. She is personally recruited by the Israeli Prime Minister to lead a deniable, top-secret unit that operates outside of government oversight. The team’s first mission involves a Russian-orchestrated terrorist plot in Europe involving remnants of the Red Army Faction and radical Islamist splinter groups.

Revelation (Forthcoming/Hebrew: Madagascar): This work continues the story of Ya’ara Stein. While details of the English translation are sparse, it reportedly follows her team as they navigate further high-stakes operations that require clearance from multiple Israeli governmental agencies. [Google/AI]

de Shalit, Jonathan, (Traitor: A Thriller [Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2018, trans. from the Hebrew by Steve Cohen] [hc] 978-1501170485 [pb]  978-1501170492

de Shalit, Jonathan, (A Spy in Exile [Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2019, trans. from the Hebrew by Steve Cohen] [hc] 978-1501170560 [pb] 978-1501170577