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“In its memorializing of the 1982 massacres, Hiller’s fiction joins great Arabic novels such as Love in Exile by Bahaa Taher, Egyptian winner of the inaugural ‘Arabic Booker’ prize in 2008, and Elias Khoury’s Gate of the Sun. His own strengths are understated humor and an eye for irony.”
— Guardian (London)
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“Hiller tackles complex issues with sensitivity and his portrait of a traumatized survivor is also deeply affecting…Shake Off is a satisfying read and a clever thriller…More than enough proof that this British-Palestinian writer is an upcoming talent to watch.”
— Indepedent (London)
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“Shake Off is more than a straightforward spy thriller…Both poignant and human.”
— Economist
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“Beautifully written…A closing twist puts an entirely new perspective on Michel’s life, beliefs, and loyalties. Literary fiction fans will appreciate the sensitive, realistic portrayal of Michel and Helen’s love affair.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“An arrestingly low-key espionage novel, as much about human longing as derring-do. There is more than enough tradecraft, suspense, and double-dealing to satisfy a wide range of espionage aficionados.”
— Booklist
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“Moving from Lebanon to Cyprus to Berlin to Moscow and then to London, a city that Hiller knows and makes central to the story, the author writes believably of the world of undercover spies, both about the practicalities—picking locks, coding messages, using false identities—and the atmosphere of constant paranoia, continual double-dealing, and amorality. An entertainingly complex, quick-moving psychological thriller.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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Hypnotic ... A spy thriller of the highest class.
— Charles Cumming, New York Times bestselling author of The Trinity Six
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Poignant and human. ... a unique and engaging voice ... deftly drawn ... Powerful and thought-provoking, this is a book that stays with the reader. Mr Hiller's Shake Off is hard to shake off.
— The Economist
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In the best Le Carre tradition ... Hiller brings to his work not only a craftman's skill but also a compassion for his characters that proves infectious.
— Haaretz (Israel)
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Ingeniously plotted and skillfully paced ... interlaces compelling human stories with political espionage. The suspense builds until the very end.
— Saudi Gazette (Saudi Arabia)
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Successfully mixes the suspense and fast pace of a spy story with a set of complex, compelling characters and unexpected situations.
— The Jordan Times (Jordan)
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Gripping [and] taut ... recalls the cool detachment and compelling eye for ordinary detail that characterized the early thrillers of Graham Greene.
— Independent on Sunday (UK)
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Melancholy and dreamlike, Hiller's neat upending of conventions movingly captures the realpolitik of a conflict perpetrated by the shared interests of enemies.
— Telegraph (UK)
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Excellent ... A fast-moving, literate thriller.
— Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)