Avner Ehrlich is one of the premier agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, and facing a horrific enemy, he must sacrifice so much more than he bargained for. And figure how not to set off a bomb and blow himself to smithereens.
This is just some of The Danger Within this riveting new novel by E.L. Pini. The author draws on his own military experience to meticulously create a tense, and extraordinarily intense, action-packed espionage narrative. The protagonist is suffering a terrible loss, and another lead character, Anna, is suffering from a convoluted family history. Surviving high-tech weapons, explosions and the greatest enemies in this political sphere, Avner Ehrlich must confront his own internal psyche as well as all that external warfare.
The author is a jack-of-all-trades, employing a unique skillset to learn all sorts of skills and try all kinds of work environments. Yet, despite the action and adventure in his own life, he also found fulfillment in settling down to write a spy thriller. We asked him about his motivation, research and more in our interview below. Read the review here.
Q: Why did you write The Danger Within?
A: I wrote The Danger Within for the same reasons that led me to write the following two books: the narratives and especially the characters mesmerize me and I fell in love with them. I confess also to having a soft spot for the villains. I write about friends who have passed away and others who have not been born yet. In short, I invent friends for myself so I would not have to submit to tiresome introduction rituals replete with white lies, or maybe I write because it affords me the chance to look smart, creative, witty and sensitive – a man who can cry and make others laugh. A brave adventurer. All that I desire to be but am not.
Q: You have some experience with this subject matter. What did your background help you bring to the story?
A: There is an old Hebrew saying: I can only speak about myself. I, like many other writers, write about myself and my world. I make use of my life experience and many of the actions and incidents in the book are reminiscent of events in which I participated. My background and biography play a major part in the book including in the so-called “professional aspects” in it (military and intelligence).
Q: How much, and what kind of, research did you do to fill in the gaps? Did you learn anything surprising?
A: My own experience lessened the need for extensive research, but I had to update myself on military techniques and weaponry. I also examined carefully the various physical combat situations with the help of former combat soldiers. I was pleasantly surprised by some technological inventions encountered during my research such as the device which allows one to “see behind walls.” The second book in the trilogy involved underwater military actions which sent me to seek aid from former navy commandoes. The third book, which I am writing now, revolves around a horrifying terror attached in the US and it necessitated many hours of research to fathom the purpose, mandate and jurisdiction of 20 or so “Three-Lettered” agencies responsible for the security of the US.
Q: What are some key takeaways that you found from writing the book? What are some you’d like readers to take away from reading the book?
A: The most important takeaway for the readers of The Danger Within is to rush and read the second book. But seriously, I believe that almost from the dawn of history, we humans have had this fascination with gladiators, which might signify that there is something weird in our psychological makeup. On the other hand, gladiators are not necessarily mindless brutes (see Spartacus). They can and do evoke positive human emotions such as empathy and love and could serve to remind one that one’s enemy may indeed possess a valid rationale and justification for its enmity.
Q: Do you have any new writing projects planned?
A: I am working on the third book in the Avner Ehrlich trilogy, which as I mentioned before, takes place in the US. I am also in the process of cooking a cookbook and developing a new crime book series centering on the relations between a lesbian police detective and her nemesis, a split-personality senior executive who is a murderous pedophile and religious zealot.
The Danger Within is available for purchase here.
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About E.L. Pini:
After completing three years of military service in an IDF special unit, E.L. Pini went to London, where he studied scriptwriting and took on various jobs employing his unique skill set — bodyguard, bouncer, photographer and even getaway driver (for which he has yet to suffer consequences). He later found some success as a screenwriter for advertisements and documentaries. These days, Pini likes to spend his free time cooking, listening to operas and rock-crawling with his modified Jeep.
