International Suspense CHILD OF DUST with Yigal Zur

In a gripping thriller that exposes the dark underbelly of paradise, Israeli investigator Dotan Naor is thrust into a treacherous web of deceit when he takes on the case of Eden, a wealthy young woman who vanished without a trace from the pristine beaches of Thailand.

Joined by Iris, Eden’s beautiful and haunted mother, Dotan soon discovers that the girl’s disappearance is linked to a sinister real estate deal gone wrong. As they delve deeper into the mystery, the exotic landscapes of Thailand and Cambodia reveal a bloody arena where greed, corruption, and unspeakable evil reign supreme.

From the glittering facade of luxury hotels to the gritty backstreets teeming with danger, Dotan and Iris must navigate a treacherous maze of Russian and Israeli mafia, human trafficking, and dark business dealings. With every step, they uncover more secrets and face greater threats, risking everything to find the truth behind Eden’s disappearance.

Yigal Zur recently sat down with The Big Thrill to discuss his latest international suspense, CHILD OF DUST.

Yigal Zur

Can you pinpoint a moment or incident that sparked the idea for this book?

Yes. It was in my head but then I read few articles on the suffering in Cambodia written by Nicholas Kristof which triggered the writing. The other trigger was the story of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. I was part of many teams looking for lost persons.

A novel is such a major undertaking; there’s the writing of it, of course, then you’re spending months and months revising, polishing, and then promoting it. How did you know this was the book you wanted to spend the next couple of years on?

It was the matter inside, how to bring a story of a mom looking for her daughter in a far away place.

When you first created your protagonist for this book, did you see an empty space in crime lit that you wanted to fill? What can you share about the inspiration for that character?

I knew very closely a dispute of two high ranking officers in the IDF who grew together from childhood. One of them had to leave the army due to this and kind of got lost in South East Asia until he “found” himself and started to rescue lost persons and souls.

In addition to a great read, what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

To think about suffering in tough and corrupted places. It still exists.

What can you share about what you’re working on next?

Another thriller in the series based in China.