Berlin criminal investigator Sara Stein cultivates a low-key style. No superwoman, she abhors violence and relies on her gift for convincing others that she's trustworthy.

Berlin criminal investigator Sara Stein cultivates a low-key style. No superwoman, she abhors violence and relies on her gift for convincing others that she's trustworthy. Above all, she enjoys working in Berlin and Tel Aviv. Her being Jewish is a major asset, since she can navigate sure-footedly through the morass of explosive and impenetrable conflicts among Jews, Arabs and Palestinians.—Anonymous