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Kingdom of Strangers (Nayir Sharqi & Katya Hijazi #3)

by Zoë Ferraris (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 558 ratings · 163 reviews

A secret grave in the desert is unearthed revealing the mutilated bodies of nineteen women and the shocking truth that a serial killer has been operating undetected in Jeddah for more than a decade.

However, lead inspector Ibrahim Zahrani, is distracted by a mystery closer to home. His mistress has suddenly disappeared, but he cannot report her missing, since adultery is p...more

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Published (first published June 1st 2012)

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Dec 27, 2012 Bibliophile rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-and-suspense, middle-east-central-asia, 2012, fiction

I found the ending somewhat abrupt but still love this series with its unique setting.

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Feb 15, 2013 P.d.r. Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thrillers

Now this was a novel which made me sit up and say ‘Wow ’ It is a novel women should read if only for the purely educational reason of understanding what living in a Moslem country, Saudi Arabia, is like. There is more to the book than that, but it is a slap in the face to those of us females who fought for equal rights. How do these Saudi women stand their treatment?

‘Kingdom of Strangers’ is the third novel in a series of crime novels set in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. The first two are ‘The Night of...more Now this was a novel which made me sit up and say ‘Wow ’ It is a novel women should read if only for the purely educational reason of understanding what living in a Moslem country, Saudi Arabia, is like. There is more to the book than that, but it is a slap in the face to those of us females who fought for equal rights. How do these Saudi women stand their treatment?

‘Kingdom of Strangers’ is the third novel in a series of crime novels set in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. The first two are ‘The Night of the Mi'raj’ and ‘City of Veils’. It does help to have read the first two novels simply because the setting is so different, yet integral to the stories, and character names are not the usual western ones most readers are used to.

Katya is a rare bird in her country. She is a forensic scientist, and actually works for the police. She is mainly kept inside her lab, but longs to be an active part of investigations.
Her opportunity comes when 19 dead bodies are discovered by accident in the desert. This means there is a serial killer in Saudi Arabia and forensic work shows this killer has been at work for ten years for the victims are runaway immigrants not missed by anyone.

The new inspector, Inspector Ibrahim Zahrani, is heading the investigation, but he has another problem. He has been committing adultery, a punishable crime in Saudi Arabia. His affair with a charming young women has ended abruptly. He went to her flat as usual but she has disappeared. The inspector’s situation, his guilty conscience, the challenges, and the threats hanging over his head because he had committed adultery, make for real tension throughout the story. The serial killer mystery is minor in comparison, so the novel is not just another serial killer story. The inspector cannot openly hunt for his lover, but Katya can.

This gets her out and active, something her fianceé does not approve of, nor do her - mostly male - colleagues. She is under pressure to conform and yet perform.

Much information has to be explained, but Zoe Ferraris does it well, mainly through her characters' thoughts which allow readers to see how the Moslem society’s strict laws pressure and demand patterns of behaviour, and how people are in conflict between society’s expectations and their own.

This is what makes the novels such a good read. The stories are excellent detective thrillers but go beyond that to show that the many crimes committed against women actually have their roots in the interpretation and misinterpretation of religion in a society with a different culture and values from ours. This applies to more countries than Saudi Arabia and reading the novel makes what is happening to women in India more understandable though no less unforgivable.

Inspector Ibrahim and Katya struggle to do the right thing. The end results of their investigations are dramatic and sad. The struggle to live in their society leaves both of them at sea although they do find solutions for themselves. This is a novel, a series of novels, well worth reading and rereading and leaves the reader with plenty to think about..
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Oct 11, 2012 Lisa Beaulieu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Utterly fascinating! We get a glimpse into Saudi life and culture, a society that has two sets of everything to keep women and men separated. Separate work areas, separate restaurants, even separate shopping malls. Early in the book, there is a description of what it is like to walk in dim light in a burqa - I was hooked from that point on. Things I never considered. Also, Ferraris educated me about the issue of foreign workers, esp Asian and Fillipino women, in Saudi Arabia. It's quite horrifyi...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

This offbeat mystery set in Saudi Arabia was fascinating. The two detectives, one of whom is a woman assigned to the police lab, are trying to find a serial killer who has murdered 19 Asian housemaids.
While the mystery itself is intriguing, the main attraction of the novel is a depiction of the absurdity of daily life in Saudi Arabia, where men and women are segregated to a ridiculous extent, e.g., separate morgues for men and women.
Strict application of the "Virtue Laws," whereby adultery is...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Shomeret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world, mystery-thriller, my-reviews

Kingdom of Strangers is the third in a mystery series by Zoe Ferraris that takes place in Saudi Arabia. This is my choice for Saudi Arabia in the Around the World challenge on Goodreads. It's also the best of the series at this point. I was intrigued by the first book, Finding Nouf , because it brought us into the world of the Bedouins. The second switched the primary viewpoint to Katya Hijazi who I find more complex and sympathetic than Nayir, the main protagonist of Finding Nouf , but I otherw...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kingdom of Strangers is the third crime novel in a series set in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. Some of the characters from the first two novels make appearances, but the novel could probably be read on its own. (That said, the novel is much more enjoyable when you know the history)

By now it is clear who is the undisputed hero of these novels: Katia, a female forensic scientist, working for the police, mostly stuck in a lab, but keen to have a more active role in the investigations. (The first novel centr...more Kingdom of Strangers is the third crime novel in a series set in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. Some of the characters from the first two novels make appearances, but the novel could probably be read on its own. (That said, the novel is much more enjoyable when you know the history)

By now it is clear who is the undisputed hero of these novels: Katia, a female forensic scientist, working for the police, mostly stuck in a lab, but keen to have a more active role in the investigations. (The first novel centred very much around Nayir, a desert guide who got involved in a murder investigation and met Katia, but by now, Katia is the cornerstone of the narrative)

This time, the novel starts with the gruesome discovery of 19 dead bodies in the desert. A serial killer in Saudi Arabia - almost unheard of. And he's been busy for ten years...

Meanwhile, the newly arrived inspector Ibrahim, tasked with leading the investigation, is having an affair outside marriage - and, when he turns up at his lover's flat, she is missing.

The novel is quick to set up its main plot strands, but chisels away at them at a pace that is steady, confident and not too rushed. It's not the sort of novel where each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, and each cliffhanger is more unbelievable than the last. Instead, the tension is amped up at a steady, confident pace, and the novel is engrossing all the way through. For a few chapters, I thought it might descend into stereotypes (serial killer toying with his pursuers, making it personal, etc.), but thankfully, the novel does not.

One of the big attractions of this series has always been that it is set in Saudi Arabia - a country most of its readers might never set foot into (I doubt I ever will), and a country with a culture that is about as far away from Western philosophies as it is possible to get. The book treats its characters with a credible level of complexity, and the reader with a degree of respect. As Westerners, the readers would miss a lot of information if it was not spelled out, and so it is, but never in an obtrusive way. We are simply part to characters' thoughts and analyses - and those thoughts are often determined by the expectations of the society around them, and their own internal conflicts whenever they chafe against the limits (or transgress). There is an awful lot of chafing in this novel, but it seems quite credible that regular people in Saudi Arabia have to tightrope walk on a very thin line all their lives...

The book is not entirely without flaws. Coincidence, that evil cheat, does affect the plot, and one big revelation is preceded by a cloaked premonition in a dream. Both are forgivable - the novel would have worked just as well without the latter, and the coincidences are small in number, and occur early in the timeline of the novel.

Of the three Jedda murder novels written by Zoe Ferraris, this has become my favourite. I breezed through it in two days (which is fast, for me), and was completely hooked all the way through. Encountering an actual adulterous character - and his unique crises of conscience, challenges, and the threats hanging over his head - was an incredibly effective source of tension. It made the serial killer mystery pale by comparison.

I enjoyed this book so much, I would honestly recommend this series to anyone. I would definitely recommend reading the first two books, just so this one can be appreciated fully (and they are both good books in their own right).(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-and-or-evil

Another excellent book by this talented author. She manages both to tell a good story with interesting, well-developed characters, and to give a vivid portrait of the claustrophobia, paranoia and hypocrisy of life in the Saudi theocratic society. It is a society where nobody is safe, especially not women, especially not foreign women.

The roles of men and women are so restricted and so enforced that nothing is simple. Katya, the ambitious forensic technician, has the most difficult challenges on...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Sabina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery

This is the third of Zoe Ferraris' murder mysteries set in Saudi Arabia, the first two being The Night of the Mi'raj and City of Veils. Like the others, this one drew me in immediately and was a page-turner from beginning to end.

During an investigation into a serial killer, Inspector Ibrahim Zahrani's mistress goes missing, something he cannot report - as a married man he'd possibly face the death penalty. He turns to his colleague, forensic pathologist Katya Hijazi, to find out what happened t...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Jennifer Abdo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have only read her first book, Finding Nouf, and then this one. The characters seem very different than in the first book, but out did focus on different characters. I had the impression that Katya and Nayir were falling in love in the first book, but she seems very conflicted and reluctant for a marriage that wasn't arranged. The parts where they are discussing and trying to reconcile progressive and conservative views doesn't seem very well developed, but would have been good if it were. Rat...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Kasa Cotugno rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-crime-thriller, location-middle-east

Zoe Ferraris said at a booksigning that when she started writing her crime series set in Saudi Arabia, she would only write three books. That was all she felt she could mine out of the material, that she could say all that needed to be conveyed about life in that country so baffling to outsiders. Granted that each book can stand on its own although reading them in order gives a full picture not possible to form if only one or two are read. But what she has done is provide that totally immersive...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Sheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

A well done, layered novel that explores Saudi culture through an investigation of a serial killing. The narration is largely through the eyes of 2 characters, although there are moments narrated by other key characters.

The key plot of the novel is about the pursuit of a serial killer by Detective Ibrahim Zahrani and a female lab worker Katya Hijazi. The details of the killings, and the investigation are well thought out and intriguing. The additional twist of the male/female interaction and re...more A well done, layered novel that explores Saudi culture through an investigation of a serial killing. The narration is largely through the eyes of 2 characters, although there are moments narrated by other key characters.

The key plot of the novel is about the pursuit of a serial killer by Detective Ibrahim Zahrani and a female lab worker Katya Hijazi. The details of the killings, and the investigation are well thought out and intriguing. The additional twist of the male/female interaction and relationship rules in Saudi Arabia adds complexity to an already difficult case, which is further compounded by the nature of the victims (foreign women, most probably illegally in the country).

The author Ferraris does draws excellent secondary characters who are more than stock - the passed over detective, the chief who is aware of the politics of the station, the daughter-in-law who is unhappy. Through them, we begin to see the complexity of a society largely unknown by and misrepresented to most Americans. She does this by giving us glimpses into them as people instead of just having them perform a function in the story.

Ferraris true success comes however by the complexity of the main characters. Hijazi is a intelligent woman who wants to help people by solving crime, but faces a system that has little place for her. We watch her not only struggle at work, but in her relationship with her fiancé, largely conservative man. How that would all turn out was a mystery on a different level. Likewise, Detective Zahrani is also complicated and flawed. He is not particularly religious, and has a miserable marriage. His relationship with another woman, an illegal worker, is a key plot point and that relationship's connection to the serial killer investigation is played out over the course of the novel. Ferraris manages to deftly weave the realistic personal stories, the societal complexities and the thrill of a serial killer investigation into one well written novel.

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Aug 09, 2012 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This is the newest book in a contemporary mystery/crime series set in Saudi Arabia. It’s perhaps the weakest of the three, but it’s still a good read. It describes a rigid, repressive society where men and women are obsessively segregated, which poses obvious problems for those trying to solve crimes.

The title is a reference to Saudi Arabia’s large population of poor immigrants, many of whom work as servants, are ill-protected by the law, and are vulnerable to exploitation. The mystery plot invo...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

A very good police procedural, not my top choice for reading material altho I like BBC TV series in this genre ;-) As with Ferraris' other novels, it's set in Saudi Arabia which adds fascinating layers of cultural situations & circumstances not that familiar to an American reader. This one's about a serial killer, fairly gruesome stuff, and once again there are both male and female detectives. An American is called in as an expert, since it's seen as such an American sort of crime and crimin...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Zoe Ferraris has become a favorite of mine. I recommend her books to everyone, particularly City of Veils.

I gave Kingdom of Strangers three stars because I felt that Ferraris crammed two stories into one. Each topic was fascinating enough and solid enough to stand alone. Combining the two stories made it feel like one story was more developed than the other. One story felt resolved, but the other lacked a suitable ending and by this, I mean it felt hasty.

Though Kingdom of Strangers is a detectiv...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century, international-middleeast, mystery-international, religion

The continuing story of Katya Hijazi and Nayir Sharqi gets a little complicated. This time the bodies of a number of women are found in the desert and the team must track down a serial killer. They even bring in a consultant from the FBI...a woman. She provides a nice foil for the differing views on the role of women among the other officers. The title is a reference to the lives of "guest workers" who need sponsorship to get in to Saudi Arabia and then permission to leave. So, those who run awa...more

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Sep 06, 2012 james rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in a series which takes place in Saudi Arabia. The author is an American woman who was married to a Saudi man and lived there for a year. It's a murder mystery with 2 lead characters reprising their roles from the two earlier books in the series: Katya, a female scientist employed at the Jeddah morgue and her fiancé Nayir, a strict Moslem Bedouin, who assits Katya in her investigations, whether or not authorized by Katya's bosses.

The strict Moslem hierarchy in the country...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ferraris

I love this series. Write faster, Zoë. Set in Tehran, the reader is given a really up close and personal look at the limitations on women, especially restrictive if one wants to be a police detective, as does Katya. She's lucky--she has men to drive her around for her detecting. In this installment, she's trying to decide whether to marry or not. Will her husband support her in her quest for detective status? There are really two mysteries going on in this book: The mistress of Ibrahim Zahrani,...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Bebe (Sarah) Brechner rated it 5 of 5 stars

A searing look at the lives of women in Saudi Arabia by way of a female forensic lab worker who assists in solving a shocking serial murder case. There are two main characters - a detective inspector in charge of the case and the female lab worker. Both have to navigate the incredibly arcane rules of their society and both have many secrets - in fact, this type of society, by its extremely restrictive nature, requires it. Many layered narrative, fine perspectives, authentic characters, and an ey...more

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Oct 17, 2012 DubaiReader rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ew-am-bk-grp-1, kindle

Another great insight into life in Saudi Arabia.

As in her previous novels, the who-done-it aspect of this book is secondary to the taste of Saudi that it offers. The author expertly weaves in so many little gems of information about how this enclosed society operates, particularly with a view to its women. These are illustrated around the resulting impossibility of conducting a crime investigation where men and women cannot directly communicate without the permission of a male family member. Our...more Another great insight into life in Saudi Arabia.

As in her previous novels, the who-done-it aspect of this book is secondary to the taste of Saudi that it offers. The author expertly weaves in so many little gems of information about how this enclosed society operates, particularly with a view to its women. These are illustrated around the resulting impossibility of conducting a crime investigation where men and women cannot directly communicate without the permission of a male family member. Our heroine, Katya, resists these strictures, resulting in some interesting interactions.

Not one, but nineteen dead bodies are found early on in this novel, hidden under the sand in the depths of the desert. Only thanks to a sandstorm are parts of them revealed. The hands have been removed in all cases, although three had been buried with the bodies. An American criminal investigator is called in to help work towards a profile of the criminal, but Charlie turns out to be a woman, minus head coverings and with frighteningly 'bouncy' hair.

Katya is a forensic scientist, working in the all-female lab where some of the investigative work is done. She is desperate to escape the lab and become more involved but, at the same time, a woman working in such a job should be married and Katya has lied about this, so she doesn't want to make too many waves.
Katya's love interest is a man we have met in the two previous books, Nayir, the desert ranger. He's a very different character to her, much more devout - so how can he reconcile with the job she does and its inevitable contact with men from outside the family?

Referring back to my Kindle, I have highlighted several interesting points which might serve to show some of the broad scope of this book:
An insight into the desperately poor people camping in megre shelter under the Sitteen Street Bridge. These were house maids who had escaped abusive employers, some who had come to Saudi Arabia for housework, only to find themselves working as prostitutes. Some had come for the Haj and had overstayed their visas. Still others, women who had escaped from violent husbands. This strikes a stark contrast with the wealth and opulence of the hugely extended royal family.
The impossibility of arresting a woman for shoplifting unless her husband was present and willing to let her be searched. A policeman chasing such a woman down the street would be accused of impropriety and would most likely be arrested and tried himself.
The fact that by marriage, a husband ties himself to years of driving his wife around, as women are not permiited to drive themselves. The author commented in an interview that she wanted to highlight this aspect of a man's commitment to his wife; he becomes both husband and taxi driver, whether he likes it or not.
In a society where men and women are not permitted to mix, men would Bluetooth naked pictures of themselves to anyone in a sixty-foot radius!
Something that I was not aware of - in the Quran, the word 'prayer' appears five times, echoing the fact that Islam has five compulsory prayer times. The word 'month' appears twelve times and the word 'day' appears 365 times.

I loved one comment made by a feisty woman, "I don't care which direction Mecca is in, we live on a globe. No matter where I put my head, I'm facing Mecca".
These are the aspects of the book that, for me, outweighed any failings of the crime investigation. This author just keeps getting better, I'm not generally a fan of crime novels but I plan to read anything written by Zoe Ferraris.
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Jun 07, 2012 Mal rated it 4 of 5 stars

A well executed mystery/suspense novel. The novel gives an intimate look into Saudi Arabian culture. The characters are enjoyable and the plot weaves into a wonderful story. I found this book to be a page turner with zero predictability whatsoever. Ms. Ferraris has a wonderful writing style, descriptive but not over the top, her writing pulls you into the story/characters. The story had a perfect balance, I enjoyed trying to solve the "mystery" right along with the characters. Ms Ferraris is an...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Kate Sometomato rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting book. Set in present-day Saudi Arabia the characters and their actions are greatly curtailed and determined by the conventions of the Muslim society. This can pose a lot of problems for a young woman who wishes to be part of a murder investigation run strictly by a male-dominated homicide department. The societal conventions also pose problems for the (married)head of the department who wishes to give her a chance, but also needs her help in finding out what has happe...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ferraris's third novel in this series, I couldn't wait for it to come out, as I really enjoyed the first 2 books in the series. It took me just 2 days to read this book. I'm not quite sure I liked this book as much as the first 2, but I did REALLY enjoy the book. I think this author has an incredibly rare talent of combining a great story along with a fair "analysis" of a country's behavior towards its women (treatment of women, good and bad --of course not an exhaustive analysis, but simply add...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Lauren Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-review-copy, crime-and-mystery, ebook, religion

Kingdom of Strangers is the third in a series of mystery novels set in Saudi Arabia, but it reads very well as a stand-alone. I thought it was great, although not because of the two mysteries contained in the plot. These are good, but not as brilliant as some. The real drawcard is the myriad ways in which the extreme social restrictions of Saudi society affect police investigations, as well as people’s personal and professional lives. It’s a place where modern conveniences are juxtaposed with ar...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Veronique rated it 4 of 5 stars

While this thriller is entertaining, what I liked most about the book are all the details we discover about the Saudi Arabian's life. We know women have to be covered, can't drive etc. but I never really thought of the implications in everyday life: how children could be terrified of losing their mother while traveling with them simply because under a burka they all look the same, how it can be easy for anybody (including a man) to hide behind a burka to steal, or worse kidnap. Everything you sa...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Pat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Another excellent book in this series set in Saudi Arabia. Katya Hijazi works in the police lab however she would like to someday be a detective. Due to the strict laws of Saudi Arabia, she cannot work in the "men's department" of homicide but must stick to the "women's lab". Katya is soon to marry Nayir Sharqi, a Bedounin tracker, who provides tours in the desert but is also helping the police with the current case of catching a serial killer of women. Nayir is conflicted by Katya who he adores...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Toni Osborne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book 3, in the Katya Hijazi series

This is another unusual and intricate mystery giving us an insider’s view into the customs of Saudi inhabitants. It delves into the heart and lives of women in one of the most mysterious and closed societies of the world. Ms. Ferraris has created a winning combination and has given us a nail- biting and straightforward criminal investigation saga. Book 3 is part of a series featuring Saudi forensic technician Katya Hijazi, however, it can be equally enjoyed as a...more Book 3, in the Katya Hijazi series

This is another unusual and intricate mystery giving us an insider’s view into the customs of Saudi inhabitants. It delves into the heart and lives of women in one of the most mysterious and closed societies of the world. Ms. Ferraris has created a winning combination and has given us a nail- biting and straightforward criminal investigation saga. Book 3 is part of a series featuring Saudi forensic technician Katya Hijazi, however, it can be equally enjoyed as a standalone fiction.

“Kingdom of Strangers” revolves around human trafficking and the brutal treatment of some migrant workers who are brought in from the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to perform tasks the Saudis are reluctant to do.

It opens with the discovery of 19 female bodies in the desert outside Jeddah their hands have all been severed to make a strong point and make them even harder to identify. Lt. Col. Insp. Ibrahim Zahrani is assigned as the lead investigator to unravel this mystery. This is a case with such a magnitude it can make or break a person’s career.

In a sub-plot, Ibrahim is distracted by a mystery close to home, his mistress Sabria, also a former undercover operative has suddenly disappeared. As a respected Saudi resident he cannot show his feelings or his concerns without attracting attention to their relationship. His only hope is to enlist the help of Katya Hijazi, a trusted colleague, who thrives on dealing in the shadows of the Saudi justice system. She is not afraid to extend her boundaries of responsibility and risk sanctions in order to get answers. All through the story she navigates the fine line of disobedience and compliance while working on both of Ibrahim’s investigations.

The strong characterisation is the driving force behind this well written and entertaining plot. I always had a sweet spot for mysteries that are set in different parts of the world and created around customs that I am not familiar with. Ms. Ferraris is a remarkable storyteller and one of my favourite authors. This is an exotic mystery well worth reading.
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Jul 19, 2012 Doreen Fritz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 3rd in a series of mysteries set in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, with the main character Katya, a woman scientist trying to balance her ability to work with the limitations placed by social and political rules as well as by her loyalties to those she loves, especially her new fiance Nayir. She is drawn into two investigations by Ibrahim Zahrani, the lead inspector in the Homicide division. Several women's bodies have been found buried in a mass grave in the desert, and then Ibrahim's young m...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Kendall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I know very little about Saudi culture, this book really opened my eyes to the life of women there. The story was great I did not know who the killer was until the answer was revealed (which was a nice change of pace since I am usually able to guess!). I think it all came on so quickly at the end, the focus seemed more about showing how the characters developed and where their paths were headed, than who was behind the murders, but I liked that. I wanted to know how t...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Mommymac10 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting look at the status of women in contemporary Saudi Arabia, told via a murder mystery: 19 women have been buried in the sand by a serial killer over a period of years. It's a police procedural wherein one of the few women employed by the police department solves the murders with the help of her fiance (he has to drive her everywhere, so he participates in the detecting). Saudi women are prevented from doing many more things than just driving, altho that's the one we hear about most oft...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Barbara Fahey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the picture of modern Saudi society that this book provides. When most of what we know of middle eastern people is what we get in the newspapers, fiction can provide really valuable alternative input. The book helps women in the US understand what it's like for Saudi women to navigate their very complex world. The actual crime story is interesting enough, but the resolution is really contrived and less than satisfying. Seems like Ferraris didn't know how to get out of her narrat...more

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About Zoë Ferraris

Zoë Ferraris moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the first Gulf War. She lived in a conservative Muslim community with her then-husband and his family, a group of Saudi-Palestinians.

In 2006, she completed her MFA in Fiction at Columbia University. Her debut novel, Finding Nouf (published as Night of the Mi'raj in the UK) is now being published in thirty countries. A follow-up novel,...more

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