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Matt Rees

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/mattrees

born

July 08, 1967 in Newport, Wales, The United Kingdom

gender

male

website

http://www.mattrees.net/

genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction

influences

Chandler, Greene, Hammett

member since

September 2008

About this author

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I’m an award-winning British crime novelist. Major authors have compared my writing with the work of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Georges Simenon and Henning Mankell. The French magazine L’Express called me “the Dashiell Hammett of Palestine.”

WHERE: I live in Jerusalem. I came here in 1996. For love. Then we divorced. But the place took hold. Not for the violence and the excitement that sometimes surrounds it, but because I saw people in extreme situations. Through the emotions they experienced, I came to understand myself.

BEFORE THE WRITING: There was never really a time before I wrote. I’ve been at it since I was seven (a poem about a tree, on the classroom wall with a gold star beside it.) But I arrived in the Middle East as a journalis...more I’m an award-winning British crime novelist. Major authors have compared my writing with the work of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Georges Simenon and Henning Mankell. The French magazine L’Express called me “the Dashiell Hammett of Palestine.”

WHERE: I live in Jerusalem. I came here in 1996. For love. Then we divorced. But the place took hold. Not for the violence and the excitement that sometimes surrounds it, but because I saw people in extreme situations. Through the emotions they experienced, I came to understand myself.

BEFORE THE WRITING: There was never really a time before I wrote. I’ve been at it since I was seven (a poem about a tree, on the classroom wall with a gold star beside it.) But I arrived in the Middle East as a journalist with only a couple of published short stories to my name. First I wrote for The Scotsman, then Newsweek, and from 2000 until 2006 as Time Magazine’s Jerusalem bureau chief. I won some awards for covering the intifada. Yasser Arafat once tried to have me arrested, but I eluded him and decided to focus on fiction. I’d learned so much about the Palestinians – and about life – that didn’t fit into the limited world of journalism. So I wrote my Palestinian crime novels.

BEFORE JERUSALEM: I was born in Newport, Wales, in 1967. That’s my mother’s hometown; my father’s from Maesteg in the Llynfi valley. We moved around, to Cardiff and Croydon, then I studied English at Wadham College, Oxford University with Terry Eagleton as my tutor. Contemporaries may remember me as the fellow with bleached blonde hair at the bar of the King’s Arms in the company of the Irish porters from All Souls College. I did an MA at the University of Maryland and lived in New York for five years before I hit the Middle East.

WHERE THE BOOKS CAME FROM: I wrote a nonfiction account of Israeli and Palestinian society called Cain's Field: Faith, Fratricide, and Fear in the Middle East in 2004 (Free Press). I’m proud of it, because it really gets to the heart of the conflict here – it isn’t one of those notebook-dump foreign correspondent books.

I was looking for my next project and came up with the idea for Omar Yussef, my Palestinian sleuth, while chatting with my wife in our favorite hotel, the Ponte Sisto in the Campo de’Fiori in Rome. I realized I had become friends with many colorful Palestinians who’d given me insights into the dark side of their society. Like the former Mister Palestine (he dead-lifts 900 pounds), a one-time bodyguard to Yasser Arafat (skilled in torture), and a delightful fellow who was a hitman for Arafat during the 1980s. To tell the true-life stories I’d amassed over a decade, I decided to channel the reporting into a crime series. After all, Palestine’s reality is no romance novel.

THE NOVELS: My latest novel MOZART'S LAST ARIA is a departure for me. It's historical crime fiction. I came to write it after years of loving Mozart's music. I took a trip through Austria and the Czech Republic with my wife Devorah and it sparked the idea of using Mozart's sister Nannerl, a gifted pianist, as the main character. To research the novel, I learned to play the piano -- in a rather un-Mozart fasion. I can bang out some classics from Wolfgang and other big names like Handel and Beethoven, while also having some songs by Train up my sleeve on the request of my son. For my current project, a novel about the Italian artist Caravaggio, I've been learning to paint with oils and to duel with a five-foot-long rapier.

The first novel, The Collaborator of Bethlehem (UK title The Bethlehem Murders), was published in February 2007 by Soho Press. In the UK it won the prestigious Crime Writers Association John Creasey Dagger in 2008, and was nominated in the US for the Barry First Novel Award, the Macavity First Mystery Award, and the Quill Best Mystery Award. In France it’s been shortlisted for the Prix des Lecteurs. New York Times reviewer Marilyn Stasio (less)

369 posts
Matt Rees's Blog

Rees's Rules for Writers

Newspapers and magazines frequently print lists of “rules for writers” penned by supposedly top-notch authors. No doubt this is a trend prompted by the inability of most people to write a clear sentence, let alone a novel. (The growth of texting and email may make us all better writers, of course. We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we….)

My rules for writers are:

If asked to provide a list of rule... read more »

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Published on May 31, 2012 03:48 • 3 views • Tags: anne-enright, crime-fiction, elmore-leonard, george-orwell, jonathan-franzen, margaret-atwood, neil-gaiman, richard-ford, rules-for-writers, writing, writing-rules

View all 369 posts »

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Books by Matt Rees

Average rating: 3.56 · 1,058 ratings · 292 reviews · 7 distinct works

	Mozart's Last Aria 3.24 avg rating — 415 ratings — published 2011 — 9 editions	My rating:
	The Collaborator of Bethlehem 3.71 avg rating — 388 ratings — published 2007 — 15 editions	My rating:
	A Grave in Gaza 3.78 avg rating — 194 ratings — published 2008 — 16 editions	My rating:
	The Samaritan's Secret 3.69 avg rating — 117 ratings — published 2009 — 10 editions	My rating:
	Fourth Assassin: An Omar Yussef Mystery 3.54 avg rating — 67 ratings — published 2010 — 8 editions	My rating:
	Cain's Field: Faith, Fratricide, and Fear in the Middle East 4.29 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2004 — 3 editions	My rating:
	Ccna Routing And Switching Exam Cram: Exam: 640 407 by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author), Jeffery Coe, Jeffrey T. Coe 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	My rating:

More books by Matt Rees…

Series by Matt Rees

Omar Yussef Mystery (4 books)
by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author)

3.71 avg rating — 766 ratings

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Matt's Writing

The Collaborator of Bethlehem (UK: The Bethlehem Murders) (Mystery & Thrillers)

1 chapters — updated Mar 29, 2010 04:35pm

Description: This is the opening couple of pages of my first novel, which was published in 2007. It's the start of a series of novels about Palestinian schoolteacher and sleuth Omar Yussef. It won the Crime Writers Association's John Creasey Dagger in 2008.

A Grave in Gaza (UK: The Saladin Murders) (Mystery & Thrillers)

1 chapters — updated Mar 29, 2010 04:35pm

Description: This is the opening of my second Palestinian crime novel, which was published in February 2008.

The Samaritan's Secret (Mystery & Thrillers)

1 chapters — updated Mar 06, 2009 12:48am

Description: The third in my series of Palestinian crime novels. Omar Yussef is in Nablus for a wedding. Tracking the killer of a young member of the Samaritans, he stumbles upon the fatal secrets of his oldest friend.

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Matt's Recent Updates

Matt Rees wrote a new blog post: Rees's Rules for Writers Rees's Rules for Writers Newspapers and magazines frequently print lists of “rules for writers” penned by supposedly top-notch authors. No doubt this is a trend prompted by... read more »
May 31, 2012 03:48am · like
Matt is now following Jasmine Schwartz's reviews
May 19, 2012 09:54am
Matt became a fan of Goodreads Author Jasmine Schwartz
May 19, 2012 09:54am · all of Matt's favorite authors
Matt gave to: Farbissen: Melissa Morris and the Meaning of Money by Jasmine Schwartz (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Jasmine Schwartz is a great new voice. This is a hilarious crime novel, but it also takes on the question of race in London. Sleuth Melissa Morris is a wonderfully neurotic New York fashionista who uses her own insecurities somehow to solve the myste...more
May 19, 2012 09:54am · see review
Matt gave to: Fakakt: Melissa Morris and the Meaning of Sex by Jasmine Schwartz (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
The second Jasmine Schwartz novel about delightfully insecure New York sleuth Melissa Morris. Here she's in Rome trying to track down her errant British boyfriend, only to be mistaken for a murderer. As she trails the real killer, Melissa confronts t...more
May 19, 2012 09:54am · see review
Matt made a comment on Chapter One: "and, of course, I meant "glad," not "Gad..." "
May 09, 2012 03:04am
Matt gave to: Fourth Assassin: An Omar Yussef Mystery by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Apr 28, 2012 12:36am
Matt gave to: The Samaritan's Secret by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Apr 28, 2012 12:36am
Matt gave to: A Grave in Gaza (An Omar Yussef Mystery) by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Apr 28, 2012 12:35am
Matt gave to: The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Rees (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
Apr 28, 2012 12:35am

More of Matt's books…

Quotes by Matt Rees

“Love is not an option. It's the choice of an idiot who wants to end with nothing, robbed and abused and humiliated.”
― Matt Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem

tags: love

4 people liked it

“Life is terrorism, so spare me your indignation. Life is one big infiltration of our secure defenses. Some people put bombs on buses and blow them up: those are terrorists. Some people speak to you and their words blow you up: what would you call those people? Life is a condemned cell. . . . That's the only way to protect yourself . . . to understand that you're always under sentence of death and to try to get a temporary remission.”
― Matt Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem

2 people liked it

“Every exhalation is an expulsion of some part of our finite store of life, and also a sigh of relief that the grave is closer by one tedious, depressing pulse...Each time we breathe, we fear that it's our last breath and it will chill us all the way to the void.”
― Matt Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem

1 person liked it

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	2793	888	Nov 30, 2010 09:03pm
"The BB's": From Amanda J	35	31	Nov 12, 2011 01:41pm
The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2011 Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC!	2299	448	Nov 30, 2011 09:05pm
Historical Fictio...: HF Challenge #8 Scoring Thread	236	107	Dec 02, 2011 08:09am
GR-101: Book Appr...: * 2012 One-a-Month Challenge	68	12	Jan 09, 2012 12:03pm
World Mysteries a...: The books and authors that you were surprised you didn't like?	37	97	Jan 12, 2012 09:23am
Around the World ...: Jayme VA Frequent Flyer 2011-2012	8	28	Jan 17, 2012 03:30am
Around the World ...: Austria	4	54	Feb 26, 2012 07:34am
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2011: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2912	469	Feb 29, 2012 09:03pm

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Quotes Matt Likes

“Shut up,' he explained.”
― Ring Lardner

4 people liked it

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Matt Rees's favorite authors

Matthew McAllester
author of
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Matt's Friend Comments

post a comment »

Comments (showing 1-17) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 17: by Jessica

Jul 08, 2009 07:25am

happy birthday Matt!

reply | flag *

message 16: by Ruth

May 31, 2009 10:19pm

Thanks for adding me to your friends list Matt! If you get to reading my novel Paper Boats (available on amazon.com), I would love to have your views!

reply | flag *

message 15: by Jessica

May 28, 2009 07:18am

Matt:
from my sister who first introduced me to your work, when I sent her a link to the star.com article (she's a politician in Maine):
>>I have read all three of his books, in fact just finished one. He is a terrific writer and really knows the ins and outs of the politics of the area. Sharon

cheers,
jessica

reply | flag *

message 14: by Derek

May 23, 2009 10:45pm

My new book, The 9 Ghosts of Samen's Bane
is available now.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

reply | flag *

message 13: by Ramin_lion

Mar 05, 2009 11:41am

Hi Matt. Thanks so much for the add

درود
از اينكه دوستي مرا فراخواند ؛ شاد شدم
سپاسگزارم
بدرود

reply | flag *

message 12: by Matt

Dec 31, 2008 11:55am

Thanks, Jessica. Sometimes I'm a little disturbed that events here seem to follow storylines I made up for my novels, with new and rather dreadful twists. I do have a third novel in the Omar Yussef series coming out on February 1 called "The Samaritan's Secret." It's set in Nablus ... but I hope that doesn't mean trouble is headed their way, Gaza-style. best, Matt

reply | flag *

message 11: by Jessica (last edited Dec 31, 2008 12:37pm)

Dec 31, 2008 03:58am

I thought of you and the book I've read of yours with the situation in Gaza. It's awful.

I'm going to look for another of your books.
happy new year--
Jessica

reply | flag *

message 10: by Bradley

Dec 11, 2008 11:51pm

Hello Matt, I hope you are having a good day! =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...

reply | flag *

message 9: by Ceci

Nov 18, 2008 01:01am

Thanks for the add, Matt! Your books look excellent. Which would be the best one to start with? I love mysteries, and have lived and worked in Israel for a year, in 1999-2000. Hope you have a wonderful day!

reply | flag *

message 8: by William

Nov 13, 2008 06:18am

Love the quote. Ring Lardner, alas, the great reporter writer. Thanks for the add

William Elliott Hazelgrove
http://www.billhazelgrove.com

reply | flag *

message 7: by Ilyn

Nov 09, 2008 03:00am

Hello Matt,

How are you? Thank you for being my friend. Good fortune on your books.

Please visit these groups when you have a chance: “Happy & Brainy Group” and “To the Glory of Man”.

Have fun. Best regards.

reply | flag *

message 6: by Roger

Nov 06, 2008 06:22am

Hi Matt,
This is weird. I'm a crime writer who used to be a crime reporter and BRIEFLY did some news reporting in the Middle East! I'm currently working on an Iranian based thriller but if Chandler and Hammett are your thing you should check out my novel, HOLLYWWOD BOWL. E-mail me for details.
ROGER

reply | flag *

message 5: by Behzad

Oct 05, 2008 03:27am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspolis

reply | flag *

message 4: by Behzad

Oct 05, 2008 03:17am

thank u for adding me -----------------behzaad from persia

reply | flag *

message 3: by Boz4pm

Oct 03, 2008 09:00am

Thanks for the friend request. :) I was wondering if it was due to a particular review I had left here, or whether you knew of me from elsewhere online.

reply | flag *

message 2: by Karen

Sep 22, 2008 06:01am

Thanks for befriending me. Graham Greene is among my favorite authors, too.

Have a great week,

Karen Harrington
author, Janeology

reply | flag *

message 1: by Beth

Sep 14, 2008 02:43pm

Thanks for sending a friend request to this cozy mystery author, Matt! Is there a distributor/store/library in Israel that carries copies of my mystery, A REAL BASKET CASE? I'm curious to find out if it's available there.

reply | flag *

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