Rich in historical detail and mysticism, Hunting Midnight is Richard Zimler's mesmerising tale of deception, guilt, forgiveness and devotion, played out against a backdrop of war, slavery and religious oppression.
Richard Zimler Book order
Richard Zimler is renowned for his insightful explorations of the human psyche and complex histories, often weaving narratives that resonate with historical events. His stylistic prowess lies in crafting vivid characters and atmospheric settings that draw readers into his worlds. Zimler delves into profound themes of faith, identity, and the search for meaning amidst turbulent times. His skill in intertwining personal dramas with broader historical contexts marks him as a distinctive storyteller.







- 2023
- 2023
Thrilling, suspenseful and evocative, The Seventh Gate is at once a love story, a tale of fierce heroism and a horrifying study of the Nazis' war against the disabled.
- 2022
From the acclaimed author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon and The Warsaw Anagrams comes an unforgettable, deeply moving ode to solidarity, heroism and the kind of love capable of overcoming humanity's greatest horror.
- 2019
The Gospel According to Lazarus
- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
From the international best-selling author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon comes a dazzling new work of historical fiction. The Gospel According to Lazarus retells the story of Jesus of Nazareth from the perspective of his childhood friend whom he resurrected - how and for what purpose are the mysteries at the centre of Lazarus's narrative.
- 2014
A chilling psychological mystery, The Night Watchman is a uniquely moving portrait of a troubled police detective and his family, from the internationally best-selling author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
- 2011
Guardian of the dawn
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
By the time the 16th century was drawing to a close in the Portuguese colony of Goa, the Inquisition was making admirable progress in its mission to convert all 'sorcerers' - whether native Hindus or immigrant Jews - to Christianity. A progress helped, no doubt, by the availability of alternatives: those who refused to betray others or give up their beliefs were strangled by executioners or burnt alive in public autos-da-fe. By living just outside the colony, under the benign auspices of the Sultan of Bijapur, the Zarco family manages to stick firm to their Portuguese-Jewish roots. Ti and his sister Sofia enjoy a peaceful childhood learning to illustrate manuscripts with their father, and secretly dipping into the heady chaos of the Hindu festivals celebrated by their beloved cook Nupi. father and then the son are captured and imprisoned by the Inquisition. When Ti returns to India after serving out his sentence in Portugal, he comes armed with a complex plot of revenge. Devastated by the loss that he finds there, his plot unravels as he is forced to face up to the truth of his family's betrayal.
- 2010
The Children's Hours: Stories about Childhood
- 258 pages
- 10 hours of reading
This anthology brings together a diverse group of acclaimed authors to delve into the complexities of childhood. Through 26 stories, it addresses themes of abuse, loneliness, and love, while also celebrating friendship and the tumultuous journey into adolescence. Contributors include notable figures like Margaret Atwood and Junot Diaz, offering both new and rare narratives that provide poignant insights into the delicate experiences of children globally. Each tale promises to evoke a range of emotions, reflecting the rich tapestry of youthful existence.
- 2005
The search for Sana
- 245 pages
- 9 hours of reading
"In February 2000, Richard Zimler went to Australia for the Perth Writers' Festival. The day he arrived, he met a talented dancer who told him how much his novel The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon had meant to her. The tragic step she would take the next day would change Zimler's life for ever, and launch him into an intense, three-year investigation of her past." "He discovers a childhood lived in the shade of Mount Carmel in the 1950s, a time of tolerance between neighboring Arabs and Jews in the old districts of Haifa. As this peace becomes fragile, two girls - one Palestinian, one Israeli - nevertheless forge a lifelong bond. Zimler's quest uncovers the story of this friendship, though it leads him through a web of illusion, cruelty and deceit and finally to September 11, 2001, when the tragedy he witnessed in Perth is set in the starkest of political contexts."--Jacket
- 2002
The Warsaw Anagrams
- 336 pages
- 12 hours of reading
A chilling and stunningly written mystery set in Warsaw's Jewish ghetto.
- 2000
The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
- 318 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, an international bestseller, is an extraordinary novel that transports listeners into the universe of Jewish Kabbalah during the Lisbon massacre of April 1506. Just a few years earlier, Jews living in Portugal were dragged to the baptismal font and forced to convert to Christianity. Many of these New Christians persevered in their Jewish prayers and rituals in secret and at great risk; the hidden, arcane practices of the kabbalists, a mystical sect of Jews, continued as well.One such secret Jew was Berekiah Zarco, an intelligent young manuscript illuminator. Inflamed by love and revenge, he searches, in the crucible of the raging pogrom, for the killer of his beloved uncle Abraham, a renowned kabbalist and manuscript illuminator, discovered murdered in a hidden synagogue along with a young girl in dishabille. Risking his life in streets seething with mayhem, Berekiah tracks down answers among Christians, New Christians, Jews, and the fellow kabbalists of his uncle, whose secret language and codes by turns light and obscure the way to the truth he seeks.

