Ezekiel Nieto Benzion's grandfather gave him his most precious possession: twenty dusty old books. "These are the journals written by Judah Halevi two hundred years ago and kept safe by our family in the old country because they wanted their descendants to know their names and their stories. I beg you to make sure their tales are told."
The journals, alas, were written in codes and oblique references because Judah Halevi was torn between two goals: he wanted to be sure his descendants understood why he and his colleagues did what they did but he also wanted to protect their identities. So Benzion was left to piece together clues and to write fictionalized accounts based on what his research uncovered. Out of this research has emerged a series called The Judah Halevi Journals. Five novels and one novella have been published so far.
Cuts Close to the Heart: Instead of celebrating their eighteenth birthdays with lavish parties and gifts, the twins, Elizabeth and Ariel must flee London during the Napoleonic wars as they discover a plot swirling with ancient hatreds and dangers.
Here's how to buy Cuts Close to the Heart.