Hungarian born microbiologist Alex Kertesz has developed a commercially valuable strain of bacteria in his laboratory at the University of Jerusalem. When a small French company acquires the rights to the organism a working visit by Alex is part of the deal. In fact the two owners of the company insisted that they needed his expertise to determine the optimum conditions for growing the genetically engineered organism, so it's surprising that when he arrives they're barely civil. Before Alex and lab technician Janine have even begun their project an apparent act of sabotage nearly destroys the...

Mystery Time An American microbiologist dies on stage as he is about to lecture at a scientific congress in Prague, an apparent victim of local criminals. Professor Hildegard Kraus from Heidelberg and her Hungarian born colleague Alex Kertesz from Jerusalem, who hear his last words, are left wondering whether one the the assembled scientists might be the real killer. Whoever it was has also taken Hildegard's watch, a treasured family keepsake with an intriguing history. Booklist said about The Wish to Kill, the first Alex Kertesz mystery, "First novelist Hannah has hit upon an engaging...