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The Burgas Affair Kindle Edition

3.9 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

She’s an Israeli data analyst. He’s a headstrong Bulgarian detective. Together they must track down those responsible for a horrific bombing.

In the wake of a deadly terrorist attack at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria, Israeli and Bulgarian intelligence agencies launch a joint investigation. Detective Boyko Stanchev on the police task force teams up with Ayala Navon, a young Israeli intelligence analyst on her first overseas assignment.

The two must establish whether the terrorists were assisted by a Bulgarian crime organization in laying the groundwork for the attack.

It should be a routine investigation, but shadows of the past keep interfering.

Boyko’s interactions with a crime boss pursuing a vendetta against him threaten to throw him off track. Ayala’s pursuit of the terrorists and their accomplices brings up painful memories of a family tragedy.

Boyko and Ayala form a shaky alliance, one that evolves into growing cooperation and affection as they desperately race against time to uncover who was behind the Burgas bombing.

The Burgas Affair is a fictional account of the aftermath of a very real terrorist attack. On July 18, 2012, a deadly explosive rocked a tourist bus at Burgas Airport, killing five Israelis and their Bulgarian bus driver. The terrorists responsible for this murderous attack have never been brought to justice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Each scene is packed with suspense" - Midwest Book Review

"The interplay between the characters felt realistic and added tension to an already tense story" - Terri Luvs Books

"It is a fast paced, well planned and thought out thriller that kept me gripped through to the end" - Donna's Book Blog

"I recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced, action packed, detailed description of a plot based on true events. You will not be disappointed!" - Brianna Remus Books

"The Burgas Affair is hard hitting and heart pounding!" - Amazon review

"A very engaging and thought-provoking read, a gripping thriller and a multi-layered read" - Writer Christoph Fischer

"A masterfully written fictional account that weaves personal tragedy into the intricacies of international police cooperation" - Goodreads review

About the Author

Ellis Shuman is an American-born, Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer. He served in the Israeli army; was a founding member of a kibbutz; and has worked in the hotel industry and online marketing. His writing has appeared in The Times of Israel, The Huffington Post, The Jerusalem Post, The Oslo Times, and Israel Insider. He is the author of The Virtual Kibbutz and Valley of Thracians. Shuman lived for two years in Sofia, Bulgaria, and today resides with his wife, children, and grandchildren on Moshav Neve Ilan, outside Jerusalem.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0767KHQPW
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 30, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

About the author

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Ellis Shuman
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Ellis Shuman is an American-born Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer. His writing has appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and The Huffington Post. His short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in Isele Magazine, Vagabond, The Write Launch, Esoterica, Jewish Literary Journal, San Antonio Review, and other literary publications. He is the author of The Virtual Kibbutz, Valley of Thracians, The Burgas Affair, and Rakiya.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
74 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good espionage story, with one describing it as a nail-biting thriller. They appreciate its authenticity.

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8 customers mention "Suspenseful"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful, describing it as a good espionage story that keeps readers involved, with one customer noting the fear of the crime syndicate feels real.

"...Navon's grief is palpable and Boyko's fear of the crime syndicate feels real. The interaction between these two main characters is authentic...." Read more

"...The pace is fast - altogether a great read!" Read more

"...The story is interesting, but I can't recommend it strongly. This review was provided in exchange for a free book...." Read more

"...It would have been three stars, but it really picked up at the end. Worth reading if you are a Mossad buff (I am!)" Read more

3 customers mention "Authenticity"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the authenticity of the book.

"...The action of this book moves between Israel and Bulgaria and it all feels authentic...." Read more

"Authentic and Intriguing..." Read more

"Authentic, well-researched and well-written..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Shulman does a great job of creating a gripping story in this novel based on an actual terrorist attack. His familiarity with Bulgaria, a country in which few novels are set, really enhanced my enjoyment of The Burgas Affair. I felt as if I were on a mini-vacation (albeit a dangerous one) to an exotic place.

    His characters are well-drawn. Navon's grief is palpable and Boyko's fear of the crime syndicate feels real. The interaction between these two main characters is authentic. The book's atmosphere reminds me of the tension that ghosts me during trips to Eastern Europe. I especially appreciate the finesse with which Shulman places the Israeli intelligence analyst (Navon) on foreign soil.

    I look forward to reading more of Shulman's work, and hope that he continues to take his readers to places few of us will ever visit.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Like Ellis Shuman I have lived for many years in Israel. He spent 2 years in Bulgaria and I have worked with Bulgarians for over 10 years including a number of short visits to Sofia.
    The action of this book moves between Israel and Bulgaria and it all feels authentic. At one level the plot is about the workings of the Israeli security services and the Bulgarian police and the tensions between them, and within that there are the personal relationships formed between the two main characters - the Israeli intelligence analyst and the Bulgarian detective.
    The pace is fast - altogether a great read!
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Title – The Burgas Affair
    Author – Ellis Shuman
    Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Terrorism
    328 Amazon Pages
    Rating 3 stars out of 5 Posted 2/23/2018
    No. 08 - 2018

    My Impressions: Betrayal, he's hard headed, she's weak and wimpy.

    Main Characters:
    Det. Boyko Stanchev – Bulgaria State Agency for National Security. A chain smoking drunk.
    Ayala Navon – Israeli analyst with Mossad.
    Commander Ivan Zhekov – Burgas District Police
    Det. Kamen Petrov – Burgas police department.

    The story is built around an actual terrorist attack at the Burgas, Bulgaria, airport. A bomb exploded killing six people.
    Hard-headed Detective Boyko Stanchev was assigned to partner with a Mossad analyst to investigate the attack on a bus hired to transport a group of Israeli citizens.
    A portion of Boyko's past baggage caught up with him and exposed him and Ayala to attacks by Bulgarian criminals.
    During their time spent together, Boyko and Ayala developed romantic feeling for each other, but she controlled her emotions and wouldn't have sex with him. They were in love, but in the end they simply parted with no mention of seeing each other again.

    I found it hard to accept Mossad would send a desk-bound analyst on a field assignment to gather important clues about the perpetrators of the crime. Why would someone untrained and inept be utilized? She wasn't even allowed to carry a handgun. Her character was so weak she merely followed Boyko's lead and wouldn't stand up to him and make him listen to her ideas.
    Passages in the final action scene were contradictory as to who shot first to instigate the fight that wasn't supposed to happen. The contrived fire was too conveniently in Boyko's favor.
    When Boyko was severely beaten and lay in the middle of a burning inferno, Ayala ran to him and asked, "Are you all right?" Duh!

    The editing is good, but proofreading needs professional attention. Several sentences are out of place and make no sense. In one section lines are repeated almost verbatim.
    Sentence structure is good, and character development for the two main characters is good to overdone.
    Details of the plot are weak.
    The writing style is wordy with some dialog and internal thoughts overly melodramatic and cartoonish.
    Character's internal thoughts are given as narrative.

    The story is interesting, but I can't recommend it strongly.

    This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
    Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Based on a true story of a bomb in a bus killing Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, with the setting in Bulgaria excellently done, but the two protagonists, a likeable young Israeli woman and a less-than-likeable Bulgarian man, failed to make me identify with them as I usually do with such characters in such a story. It would have been three stars, but it really picked up at the end. Worth reading if you are a Mossad buff (I am!)
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Mystery, suspense, and thriller are lumped into The Burgas Affair -- a fictional account of the aftermath of a real terrorist attack that took place in 2012 in Bulgaria.
    We accompany a Bulgarian detective and a female Israeli intelligence data analyst temporarily seconded to Bulgaria during a joint investigation after a bomb explodes and kills a number of Israeli tourists on a bus at the Bulgarian airport.
    The Burgas Affair is written from two different Points of View: Detective Boyko Stanchev of the Bulgarian police task force is seen as a phlegmatic, scruffy, and inept individual while Ayala Navon is a disciplined and focused personality who becomes impatient with the pace of the investigation, especially when Boyko crosses the line of professional boundaries.
    Despite initial hiccups and lugged by a troubled past, they both develop a growing attachment and affection as they try to bring the culprits to justice.
    The novel ends on a note of bittersweet hopefulness.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Burgas Affair is a tense thriller based around a real-life terror attack in Bulgaria. I am a died-in-the-wool romance reader and even my thrillers need an element of romance. The Burgas Affair doesn’t have romance, but nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The last quarter of the book was a total page-turner, I just couldn’t put it down. Ellis Shuman writes very well and carries the reader along smoothly.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    While based on an actual event, the novel, and it's characters were painfully painted. The canvas splattered with abstract designs by an ineffectual brush.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
    Format: Kindle
    The story had real potential to thrill but in the end fell short of climax. Characters were endearing but never really excited.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Espionage Lover
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Read
    Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Ellis Shuman's The Burgas Affair hit the ground running. Vivid descriptions in Bulgaria and Israel, deep, believable characters and meticulous research weaved together skillfully kept me reading Shuman's debut suspense novel. The descriptions in Israel brought me back to a country I visited extensively in my youth. Reading about Bulgaria made me want to visit now. Truly eye-opening passages backdropped the flowering of an unlikely if difficult relationship between the detective, Boyko and the Israeli Mossad analyst, Ayala. Shuman made his interpretation of an unsolved terrorist bombing plausible. A little less backstory, though fascinating in and of itself, might have sped up the pace of this intriguing story. Can't wait for the next Shuman novel.
  • Robert Craven
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read that avoids the usual pitfalls for a thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Eliis Shuman takes the fish-out-of water scenario and cleverly avoids the clichés as he weaves a story about a terrorist outrage in Bulgaria and places Boyko Stanchev a jaded Bulgarian detective with Ayala Navon, an Israeli analyst.

    Shuman paces the story tightly while immersing the reader into the history of Bulgaria and his love for both countries shines through. A great thriller that keeps the reader on the edge and cleverly side-steps a tired old formula. One for fans of Lee Child and James Patterson.

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