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Nick Hoffman #8
Assault with a Deadly Lie
Successful professor Nick Hoffman finds his secure, happy, college-town life changed forever after a nightmarish encounter with police. But even when that horrible night is over, life doesn't return to normal. Someone is clearly out to destroy him. Nick and his partner Stefan Borowski face an escalating series of threats that lead to a brutal and stunning confrontation.
A novel of suspense set in the academic world, Assault with a Deadly Lie probes the disturbing psychological impact of slander, harassment, stalking, police brutality, and the loss of personal safety. What will Nick do when his world threatens to collapse? How can he reestablish order in a suddenly chaotic life?
Assault with a Deadly Lie, the eighth installment of Lev Raphael's Nick Hoffman Mysteries, propels the series to a new level of danger and intrigue as Nick and Stefan are catapulted out of their tranquil existence by shocking accusations.
A novel of suspense set in the academic world, Assault with a Deadly Lie probes the disturbing psychological impact of slander, harassment, stalking, police brutality, and the loss of personal safety. What will Nick do when his world threatens to collapse? How can he reestablish order in a suddenly chaotic life?
Assault with a Deadly Lie, the eighth installment of Lev Raphael's Nick Hoffman Mysteries, propels the series to a new level of danger and intrigue as Nick and Stefan are catapulted out of their tranquil existence by shocking accusations.
190 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2014
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Lev Raphael
46 books54 followersI've wanted to be an author since I was in second grade and fell in love with "The Three Musketeers", which I read to pieces. It hasn't been a swashbuckling life exactly, but one full of surprises, including recently selling my literary papers to Michigan State University's Libraries.
Since second grade, I've loved all sorts of books and have ended up writing nineteen books in many genres: memoir, mystery, short story collections, a children's book, and more. I've been an academic, a radio DJ, had my own talk show, and currently have three terrific giugs.
I write a monthly column for Bibliobuffet.com called Book Brunch. I blog at Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lev-rap...). And I do a monthly "Under the Radar" book review for WKAR 90.5 FM in East Lansing, MI. I'm always on the lookout for beautifully written books in any genre, but I more and more favor books from smaller presses, because they need more exposure.
I love reading my work and have done hundreds of readings on three different continents. Readings are performances, and I practice, practice, practice.
Since second grade, I've loved all sorts of books and have ended up writing nineteen books in many genres: memoir, mystery, short story collections, a children's book, and more. I've been an academic, a radio DJ, had my own talk show, and currently have three terrific giugs.
I write a monthly column for Bibliobuffet.com called Book Brunch. I blog at Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lev-rap...). And I do a monthly "Under the Radar" book review for WKAR 90.5 FM in East Lansing, MI. I'm always on the lookout for beautifully written books in any genre, but I more and more favor books from smaller presses, because they need more exposure.
I love reading my work and have done hundreds of readings on three different continents. Readings are performances, and I practice, practice, practice.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 6, 2015
Nick and Stefan have a lovely life full of expensive furniture, a cute little dog, jobs they love and great food/drink. But like most illusions, this one is shattered, seemingly forever within the first couple of pages of the novel in such a way that leaves the reader breathless with dismay.
The cops burst into their home, drag them out onto the lawn without anything resembling an explanation much less a warrant, take Stefan off to be interrogated and leave poor Nick standing there, wondering what in the hell just happened.
Luckily, their quirky, upscale neighborhood in "Michiganopolis" is also home to a feisty lady lawyer with a bug up her ass about the police state. She swoops in to calm things, give advice and get both Nick and Stefan thinking about just who in the heck would want to set them up for such a shocking display of force.
Mr. Raphael sets up his fast moving mystery/thriller in classic fashion, jumping straight into the plot fray with both feet. And the narrative never slows from there.
It turns out that there are several potential perps--from homophobic academic colleagues to surly journalists all ate up with professional jealousy. The "lie" in the title is to me, less "lie" and more "misunderstanding" but it's one that's the catalyst for one whacked out individual's action.
But what made this book so incredibly entertaining in a true "can't put it down" way is the general fabulousness of the first person point of view protagonist, Nick Hoffman. Between them, he and his partner Sefan are a delightful mix of Jewish/Catholic, spiritual/materialistic, worry wart/amateur detective (and ultimately self-protective vigilante but I'm not gonna give away the ending).
The men are fun together, even though they are going through a god-awful set of days between the police raid, threatening neighbors with mini vans, and enemies with a penchant for road kill surprises. And while the ending was not a huge surprise to me, it is very well executed.
This book is perfect for fans of mysteries with a touch of "current events" reality. Go read it. You won't regret it. Me? I'm gonna grab another one of the Nick Hoffman novels....
June 2, 2015
From the first page, the reader is thrust into the world of Nick Hoffman and his spouse, Stefan Borowski, a world which is suddenly turned upside down, into nothing for which their imaginations or their lives up until then could have possibly prepared them. Nick is a full professor at the State University of Michigan (SUM), and heads a departmental speaker’s program, a Fellowship in his name, endowed by a former straight-A student with the proviso that Nick be the sole administrator. Stefan is a best-selling author and the university’s writer-in-residence. They have lived together for over 20 years, until their former relatively quiet lives are disrupted when a SWAT team barges into their home one night, searches the house, and takes Stefan into the police station. Nick ponders how his and Stefan’s lives could have been upended in this way, “blithely unaware that disaster was about to tear apart my assumptions that life was solid and safe.”
In quick succession over the next several days, things only get worse, with threatening phone calls, at home and on campus, Nick being followed and harassed, someone breaking into their home, and his and Stefan’s positions at the university, where they have been teaching for 15 years, in jeopardy as well. The author so convincingly portrays their plight that I found myself in a state of heightened awareness during the few short days it took me to read this page-turner of a book.
It is amazing that this novel, written a few years ago, could portray so convincingly what has become “the new normal” in today’s world. He is told “people like you - - and me - - we’re not citizens anymore. We’re the enemy. And it’s only gonna get worse because the more ex-soldiers go into the police, the more regular cops think they are soldiers,” and that they were “privileged white men who had never been treated the way millions of less fortunate Americas were treated all the time. Academia made our lives even more remote from reality. It was just a shock being manhandled and brutalized; it was as if we had been radically ripped from our lives and dumped into an alternative reality.” They are at a total loss to identity the perpetrator/instigator of these acts.
Lev Raphael is the author of 24 books. His non-fiction works include “My Germany,” which I must admit is the only book by Mr. Raphael outside of the Nick Hoffman series (in which this is the 8th entry) which I have read, and which was equally wonderful. The book is highly recommended.
In quick succession over the next several days, things only get worse, with threatening phone calls, at home and on campus, Nick being followed and harassed, someone breaking into their home, and his and Stefan’s positions at the university, where they have been teaching for 15 years, in jeopardy as well. The author so convincingly portrays their plight that I found myself in a state of heightened awareness during the few short days it took me to read this page-turner of a book.
It is amazing that this novel, written a few years ago, could portray so convincingly what has become “the new normal” in today’s world. He is told “people like you - - and me - - we’re not citizens anymore. We’re the enemy. And it’s only gonna get worse because the more ex-soldiers go into the police, the more regular cops think they are soldiers,” and that they were “privileged white men who had never been treated the way millions of less fortunate Americas were treated all the time. Academia made our lives even more remote from reality. It was just a shock being manhandled and brutalized; it was as if we had been radically ripped from our lives and dumped into an alternative reality.” They are at a total loss to identity the perpetrator/instigator of these acts.
Lev Raphael is the author of 24 books. His non-fiction works include “My Germany,” which I must admit is the only book by Mr. Raphael outside of the Nick Hoffman series (in which this is the 8th entry) which I have read, and which was equally wonderful. The book is highly recommended.
October 1, 2014
Assault with a Deadly Lie
Lev Raphael
University of Wisconsin Press, 2014
Lev Raphael has written a thoughtful, intelligent suspense novel that will scare you out of your wits.
The story begins with a home invasion. A dozen heavily armed men wearing ski masks burst into the house shared by university professor Nick Hoffman and his partner, author Stefan Borowski. Nick and Stefan are dragged outside while the men swarm through their home. The experience would be terrifying enough if the invaders were criminals, but in this case they happen to be police officers. An anonymous “someone” reported that Nick and Stefan are holding a hostage, and the police department in their quiet college town hauls out all of its secondhand Department of Defense military gear to take them on.
No hostage, or any evidence of wrongdoing, is found, but the cops cart Stefan (still in his pajamas) off to be questioned. A defense attorney who lives on their street intervenes and brings him home after a few hours, but she warns Nick and Stefan that somebody is targeting them and this may not be the end of their trouble. Indeed, it’s only the beginning of every law-abiding American’s worst nightmare. How do you fight back against anonymous accusers? How do you defend yourself against the nearly unlimited power of the police?
The dean at their university, certain they must have done something to warrant the police action, wants Nick and Stefan to go away and stop embarrassing the school. He wants Stefan to stop writing his new book, which was inspired by a student’s suicide. They refuse to give in to the dean’s bullying, but soon they feel as if they’re under siege twenty-four hours a day, as they begin receiving threatening phone calls and strangers harass them on the street. They wonder if their house is bugged. They know the police aren’t finished with them. Nick, who has investigated murders in the past, is determined to find out who is behind the campaign against them, and why.
Like all good crime novels, this one has a gripping ending and plenty of twists along the way to keep readers turning the pages, but what makes it compelling for me is the plausibility of the terrifying events taking place in an ordinary, recognizable setting. Coming so soon after the calamity in Ferguson, Missouri, this story feels disturbingly like reality in today’s United States.
Highly recommended.
Lev Raphael
University of Wisconsin Press, 2014
Lev Raphael has written a thoughtful, intelligent suspense novel that will scare you out of your wits.
The story begins with a home invasion. A dozen heavily armed men wearing ski masks burst into the house shared by university professor Nick Hoffman and his partner, author Stefan Borowski. Nick and Stefan are dragged outside while the men swarm through their home. The experience would be terrifying enough if the invaders were criminals, but in this case they happen to be police officers. An anonymous “someone” reported that Nick and Stefan are holding a hostage, and the police department in their quiet college town hauls out all of its secondhand Department of Defense military gear to take them on.
No hostage, or any evidence of wrongdoing, is found, but the cops cart Stefan (still in his pajamas) off to be questioned. A defense attorney who lives on their street intervenes and brings him home after a few hours, but she warns Nick and Stefan that somebody is targeting them and this may not be the end of their trouble. Indeed, it’s only the beginning of every law-abiding American’s worst nightmare. How do you fight back against anonymous accusers? How do you defend yourself against the nearly unlimited power of the police?
The dean at their university, certain they must have done something to warrant the police action, wants Nick and Stefan to go away and stop embarrassing the school. He wants Stefan to stop writing his new book, which was inspired by a student’s suicide. They refuse to give in to the dean’s bullying, but soon they feel as if they’re under siege twenty-four hours a day, as they begin receiving threatening phone calls and strangers harass them on the street. They wonder if their house is bugged. They know the police aren’t finished with them. Nick, who has investigated murders in the past, is determined to find out who is behind the campaign against them, and why.
Like all good crime novels, this one has a gripping ending and plenty of twists along the way to keep readers turning the pages, but what makes it compelling for me is the plausibility of the terrifying events taking place in an ordinary, recognizable setting. Coming so soon after the calamity in Ferguson, Missouri, this story feels disturbingly like reality in today’s United States.
Highly recommended.
October 7, 2014
A story that starts intense and keeps building on itself to a climactic ending. I devoured this book in two days and can't recommend it enough to suspense fans. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, but I don't feel I missed out on anything.
July 1, 2016
A nice cozy mystery that fans of the series will truly enjoy.
April 9, 2019
ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY LIE, by Lev Raphael, is the first novel in recent memory to make the reader’s pulse soar from its first pages, with few respites, to its epilogue. For State University of Michigan (SUM) professors Nick Hoffman and his partner Stefan Borowski, it’s a week from which they may never recover. In Book 8 in the Nick Hoffman Novel of Suspense series, the couple has settled into an almost idyllic life in the small bucolic city of Michiganopolis. Until one night their lives are upended by a stormtrooper-like SWAT team of local police, bursting through the front door. No one will not tell them why a dozen black clad figures ravage through their home, drag them out, throwing each of them face down on the front lawn. There is no explanation for the attack. They are beaten, held down by heavy boots, and the subject of angry epithets all without knowing why. The marauders do not find whatever it is they are looking for, so they let Nick return to the house, but arrest Stefan and roughly shove him into a car and speed off. Another knock on the door brings Vanessa Liberati, a take-charge neighbor and criminal lawyer. Even though they’ve never met formally, she tells Nick that she has witnessed the incident and will be their attorney, starting by going to get Stefan out of jail. While he waits, Nick can’t breathe and his mind is manic with possibilities, none making sense. Even after Stefan’s release, the wrenching panic remains as further frightening incidents occur only leaving the two men to wonder who could be out to get them. Raphael is a stellar mystery writer whose details in sight and sound enrich the narrative. Lots of food and references to books and movies gives us characters we’d love to have as friends. Oh, and not to disappoint, the reveal is truly a surprise.Raphael’s newest book, State University of Murder, released April 11, is in the mail. I can’t wait to read it.
August 3, 2019
A vast improvement from the previous book .Just an exciting and good read.
June 5, 2020
Not one of my favorite in the series, but still plan on reading the next book, which is already out.
April 9, 2017
Typically I don't read suspense books, but after hearing Lev Raphael speak at a writer's conference about the importance of reading outside your genre, I decided to buy his book. The suspense grows as the stakes rise for a law-abiding college professor, Nick Hoffman, who's pushed out of his comfort zone after his house is unjustly raided by a swat team, and his partner is cuffed and hauled off to jail. His home is invaded again, his safety is in jeopardy, he's being slandered, and the college is more concerned with their reputation than they are him. I empathized with Nick's helplessness and confusion, imagining such a thing happening to me. How safe is anyone if someone is out to get you? What if your home were invaded by "a dozen men in black combat boots, black uniforms, kneepads, helmets, sky masks, and body armor"? Mistakes happen. Innocent people are killed. The fear and harassment gets to the point where Nick considers buying himself a gun. One bright spot is the little dog, Marco, that has an uncanny ability to mirror Nick's and his partner's tumultuous emotions. The sense of dread that something awful might happen to the most innocent one in this story tugged at me. I skipped dinner to read to the end.
October 2, 2014
Assault With a Deadly Lie is a stunning suspense novel that seems ripped from the headlines but obviously couldn't be since it must have been finished at least a year ago and was likely in the works longer since it's been around five years (?) since the last book in the series. It asks the frightening question: what would happen if one of those militarized police forces we read about now all the time turned on you? This is the deepest and scariest book in the series, the most thoughtful and also the darkest, taking Nick Hoffman into dangerous new territory and it's totally successful, beautifully written, and scary as hell. I thought the denouement was a terrific surprise and completely believable and satisfying. I checked the reviews on Amazon and they confirm both what I felt and what Joseph Finder (another favorite author of mine) said about it: “College towns are sleepy places and government agencies keep us secure—right? Not in Lev Raphael’s exciting new novel. The action starts on the first page, and the tension and paranoia build in ways that are far too plausible. Sharply observed, smartly paced, but thoughtful and compassionate from beginning to end.”
October 3, 2014
Assault with a Deadly Lie, Lev Raphael's latest novel, is a fast-paced, spellbinding tale that entertains even as it tackles today's hottest topics. Raphael expertly delivers mega-doses of suspense and intrigue. His writing is clever, witty, informed and, yet, infinitely readable. This book is not just a read. It's an experience, a roller coaster replete with unexpected twists, turns and dives that knocked the breath right outa me.
As delicious as this novel is - and it IS delish - it struck me that I had not merely consumed a hardbound bundle of empty calories. Far from it. Assault with a Deadly Lie is much more than a thrilling, nail-biting whodunit. It tackles very relevant, current questions: How much trauma can a couple endure? What does it take to survive? Who are the good guys? Who can we trust?
Assault with a Deadly Lie is a fabulous read, at once compelling and thought provoking. I loved every minute spent with Nick and Stefan. Bravo to Lev Raphael!
As delicious as this novel is - and it IS delish - it struck me that I had not merely consumed a hardbound bundle of empty calories. Far from it. Assault with a Deadly Lie is much more than a thrilling, nail-biting whodunit. It tackles very relevant, current questions: How much trauma can a couple endure? What does it take to survive? Who are the good guys? Who can we trust?
Assault with a Deadly Lie is a fabulous read, at once compelling and thought provoking. I loved every minute spent with Nick and Stefan. Bravo to Lev Raphael!
October 2, 2014
The book starts out with Nick and partner's home being invaded by a SWAT team. Apparently there was a tip called in that they were holding a hostage in their home.
Then it's one thing after another, threats, harassment, near misses, it's all very intimidating and it takes a toll on Nick's life, especially when it comes to his relationship.
The whole thing isn't very believable to me, especially the ending. I liked this series in the beginning, but this one didn't work for me at all. Maybe it was too close to the headlines, maybe it was the extreme actions of the stalker. For whatever reason, I had a hard time with it.
Then it's one thing after another, threats, harassment, near misses, it's all very intimidating and it takes a toll on Nick's life, especially when it comes to his relationship.
The whole thing isn't very believable to me, especially the ending. I liked this series in the beginning, but this one didn't work for me at all. Maybe it was too close to the headlines, maybe it was the extreme actions of the stalker. For whatever reason, I had a hard time with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2015
The writing is good but the plotting leaves something to be desired -- the book implies that it will be a whodunit as Nick and Stefan begin discussing who is behind the attacks on them, but never pans out that way, and the villain comes out of nowhere and his actions toward the end of the book are never explained. Definitely not worth $13 as an ebook -- this would be more defensible at the price of a mass market paperback. Only bought it for a face to face group -- and they all hated it.
September 20, 2014
This was one long extended rant about how we are living in a police state. The plot took a very back seat to the polemic. I couldn't finish it, even though it was short book
November 17, 2014
The premise of this book is artfully terrifying. AWADL was my first Lev Raphael read, but certainly won't be my last. This is intelligent and exciting fiction at it's finest.
October 31, 2015
3.5 A bit too short for 4 but a dense read. Excellent psychological study of how violence begets violence.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews