In 1965, a statute of limitations on Nazi war crimes threatened to expire and Germany was seeking to reintegrate concentration camp commanders, pogrom leaders and executioners. The global hunt for Nazi criminals was stepped up, and a target was painted on the back of Cukurs. Yaakov Meidad, the Mossad agent who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann three years earlier, was called into action once more, leading to an astonishing undercover operation that saw Meidad travel to Brazil in an elaborate disguise before befriending Cukurs and earning his trust.
Uncovering a little-known part of Holocaust history and telling the story of one of the most daring operations in the history of the Israeli intelligence community, The Good Assassin is a thrilling story of a forgotten monster and the twenty-year quest to bring him to justice, told by a master of narrative non-fiction.
- The first time this fascinating chapter of holocaust and espionage history has taken centre stage - written with the pace and verve of a thriller, this book will appeal to fans of spy fiction as much as those who enjoy real-life tales from the shadowy world of intelligence operations
- Yaakov Meidad was an integral part of the team that captured Adolf Eichmann, while Cukurs is an enduringly controversial figure who invites discussion and debate today. This tale, masterfully told, tells their stories to produce a gripping story of crime and punishment
- Stephan Talty is a New York Times best-selling author famed for the readability of his narrative non-fiction. One book was adapted to an Oscar-winning film starring Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips
- Interest in Mossad and espionage is high - The Spy, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, was a major hit for Netflix in 2019