The Meaning of the Murder

The father of a modern orthodox Jewish family works as a compliance officer at a bank in New York. When he discovers that his bank is violating OFAC laws and funding terrorists in the Middle East he alerts the bank's top brass. They ignore him. After struggling with the conflict between his position as a fully assimilated member of his professional community and his moral obligations as a man and a Jew, he turns whistle-blower and goes to the DOJ. The night before his deposition he disappears.

Eliana Golden was thirteen when her father disappeared. Years later, after surprising her family by joining the NYPD, Eliana meets a mysterious and alluring soldier, a man who is far more dangerous than Eliana-and everyone except those at the highest and most secret levels of the U.S. government-understands. And he knows exactly what happened to her father.

What follows is a journey into the darkest depths of America's covert war against terrorism and the horrific moral compromises it can entail.

The Meaning of the Murder is a psychological drama and a meditation on the moral ambiguity of violence, telling the multi-layered story of a family recovering from trauma, a detective determined to solve a crime, and the price we pay for safety in the war on terror.

"The Meaning of the Murder is both a compelling story, populated with strikingly memorable characters, and also a nuanced and deeply intelligent examination of violence. Walter Levis has written a first-rate crime novel." -Lou Berney, author of November Road

"Walter Levis' exquisitely crafted, utterly enthralling The Meaning of the Murder probes the relationship between love and violence in a searing, original way. His gorgeously textured novel also makes us understand the ways our private lives are now inextricably linked to lethal worldly forces. This is an astonishing and necessary novel." -Jay Neugeboren, author of The Stolen Jew, and Imagining Robert

"The Meaning of the Murder is more than an engaging narrative; it's an authentic and profound exploration of the moral complexities law enforcement officers face in the relentless fight against terrorism. Having stood on the front lines, I highly recommend this book for its insightful portrayal of these critical challenges." -Matthew Jones, NYPD Ret. Sergeant; U.S. Dept. of Justice, Int. Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP); U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Int. Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL)

Walter B. Levis, a former crime reporter, lives in New York City. His articles have appeared in The NY Daily News, The National Law Journal, The Chicago Reporter, The Chicago Lawyer, The New Republic, Show Business Magazine, and The New Yorker, among others. He is author of the novel Moments of Doubt. His short stories have appeared widely and have been chosen for a Henfield Prize and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His website is walterblevis.com.

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