JAY BAILEY BOOKS
Available in softcover or Kindle versions
In the shadow of King David's rising throne, as fractured tribes struggle toward nationhood, a new institution takes form: the city of refuge – part sanctuary, part courthouse, part cage.
When Gur, a young archer, takes on a task that spins out of control, his path collides with Nadav, a merchant trapped behind refuge walls for a death he didn't commit. Two men. Two murders. One impossible alliance. Bound by separate tragedies and driven by overlapping vengeance, they forge a wary partnership built on lies neither can afford to expose.
Around them moves a cast caught in their own desperate gambles: a wounded Philistine warrior clinging to vanished glory, a pregnant bride enduring silent brutality, and a priest's daughter digging toward freedom. Each navigates a rapidly changing society, ancient in its patriarchy yet ruthlessly pragmatic in its survival.
From blood-soaked shepherd hills to Jerusalem's rising walls to Shechem's protected quarter, The Blood of Birds pulls back the gate on what these sacred cities truly were – their markets and night watches, their whispered bargains and iron-bound oaths, their collision of divine law and human desperation.
A historically-grounded thriller about the dangerous cost of justice, the weight of an oath, and the thin line between sanctuary and prison.
About the Author
Jay Bailey is an American-born writer who has lived in Efrat, Israel with his wife, Dena, and their three children since 1995. His work blends biblical history with fast-paced plotting. A longtime devotee of historical fiction, biblical archaeology, and the history, culture, and geography of both ancient and modern Israel, he has woven these interests into his experience in business-oriented storytelling as a student in Israel’s Tour Guide course. He has also volunteered on archaeological digs, experiences that deepened his fascination with the Philistines and early Israel.
Before turning to fiction, Jay served as Director of Communications at Answers.com in Jerusalem and later founded RapidFire Consulting, crafting narrative messaging and video and print design for companies and nonprofits. He has written columns for The Jerusalem Post and New York Jewish Week.
The Blood of Birds, his debut novel, unfolds in the time of King David; his next book is a mystery set in the tumultuous Second Temple period, with its battling sects and dramatic rituals.