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Finding Nouf (Nayir Sharqi & Katya Hijazi #1)

by Zoë Ferraris (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 3,001 ratings · 832 reviews

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In a blazing hot desert in Saudia Arabia, a search party is dispatched to find a missing young woman. Thus begins a novel that offers rare insight into the inner workings of a country in which women must wear the abaya in public or risk denunciation by the religious police; where ancient beliefs, taboos, and customs frequently c...more

ebook, 316 pages

Published May 6th 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) (first published February 29th 2000)

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Aug 31, 2008 Eryka rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book, but for what I think are different reasons than the author intended. Or maybe not. It's a murder mystery as I'm sure you would gather from reading the book jacket. A girl goes missing and is found dead in the desert and some people are guessing foul play. Okay. Great. To me, however, the book is really about Muslim culture. And that's why I loved it. It's an open window, which isn't always available otherwise, to the Muslim culture, beliefs and how devout Muslims feel about th...more

13 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2009 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jeanette by: Charisse

Shelves: all-fiction, middle-east, miss-trees, four-star-fiction

As you're unraveling the mystery of what happened to Nouf, the author reveals the mysteries of living in a strictly repressive Saudi Arabian society.

Zoe Ferraris has a dual perspective that is helpful in this book. She's an American, so she knows all the things Americans wouldn't understand about the details of Saudi life and culture. And she has the rarer perspective of having once been married to a man of Palestinian-Bedouin heritage. So she lived among these people and has insider knowledge....more

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Jan 20, 2008 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic book! An editor friend of mine sent me a galley of this book, which will be released in June 2008. I highly recommend this book and urge you to get it the moment it becomes available to the public!

"Finding Nouf" is a spectacular literary mystery about a 16 year old Saudi girl who goes missing and is found dead in the desert outside of Jeddah. The cirmcumstances of her death are investigated by two people -- a religiously conservative male desert guide and a female lab worker -- who bec...more

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Jul 27, 2008 Taylor Kate Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mystery lovers, anyone wanting to get beyond simple ideas of gender issues in the Arab world

Shelves: 2008

I picked it up because of my morbid curiosity about how a western woman who lived in Saudi would write about the place. It's both a murder mystery - worthy of the significant object of the story - a Colombo jacket that the main character buys at the unlikely jacket bazaar in downtown Jeddah, and a mediation about women's lives in the culture of extreme modesty (and some would say oppression) in the country.

I can't decide if Ferrais imparted too much sympathy on the part of her main character, N...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Lillian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An intriguing look into the complex relationships between men and women in Saudi Arabia. Solving the mystery behind the death of a teenage girl in the desert hooked me as a reader, but watching the bond develop between Nayir and Katya (he's a conservative, Palestinian desert guide/sleuth; she has a PHD and works in the womens' section of the state examiner's office) kept me up all night.

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Dec 19, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An "okay" mystery story with quite good characterization and character development. The real, REAL star of the book is the setting: contemporary Saudi Arabia. We are taken to the desert, to the city of Jedda, to workplaces, the marina, modest homes and mansions, and more. The narration occurs mostly in the men's sphere but there is some in the women's as well. It's a fascinating look into this world. The protagonist visits an Aramco compound and talks with several Americans, and these scenes are...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-books

This debut novel has a very intriguing premise: an devout Muslim desert guide-turned-amateur-detective teams up with one of the few female lab workers in the local coroner's office to solve the murder of a privileged teenage girl from a wealthy Saudi family. The jacket flap promises the story is full of "taunt psychological suspense" and "fast-paced." While the background details of interpersonal relationships in the modern Muslim world are fascinating, I certainly wouldn't call this mystery fas...more

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Aug 13, 2008 Shereen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was very excited when I heard a review of this book on NPR as I grew up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and there are very few novels set in my hometown. However, after reading the book I was extremely disappointed as I did not recognise any of the Jeddah that I know in the book. Jeddah comes to life at night, and that is when the women would be shopping in the malls or open air souks, and not early in the morning before dawn prayers. I laughed at the scene where Katya's sandals start melting in the...more

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Oct 03, 2008 Marty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

Actually, I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. It's a mystery set in Saudi Arabia, and while the mystery part was good, the real reason I liked it was reading about life in Saudi Arabia from the perspective of a reasonably nice guy. I have read so many horror stories and had come to see all Saudi men as control-freak monsters. This book was written by an American who was married to a Saudi, and I feel like she gives them a fair shake. It's still clear that it sucks to be a woman there, but I...more

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Mar 08, 2009 The Loft rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Finding Nouf, a mystery set in Saudi Arabia, clues are either heavily veiled, buried, or shifting like sands in the wind…literally. Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old young woman, disappears just days before her wedding. She has everything - a wealthy family, an upcoming wedding, her whole life ahead of her - she has no reason to run away, right? Her family, believing she may have been kidnapped, hires a desert guide, Nayir al-Sharqi, to find her. But Nayir doesn’t find her. Bedouins passing thro...more In Finding Nouf, a mystery set in Saudi Arabia, clues are either heavily veiled, buried, or shifting like sands in the wind…literally. Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old young woman, disappears just days before her wedding. She has everything - a wealthy family, an upcoming wedding, her whole life ahead of her - she has no reason to run away, right? Her family, believing she may have been kidnapped, hires a desert guide, Nayir al-Sharqi, to find her. But Nayir doesn’t find her. Bedouins passing through the desert find her instead - and dead, an apparent drowning in a wadi (a gully or streambed found in the Middle East and Africa during the rainy season).

Nayir, a strict Muslim, is so upset he didn’t find Nouf before it was too late, that he feels compelled to find out what really happened to her. Not only did he fail Nouf, but he let down her family, especially his good friend Othman, Nouf’s brother. Nayir, frequently described as a holy Bedouin desert guide, is really Palestinian, living in Saudi Arabia, not a Bedouin but working as a desert guide and embracing the Bedouin culture, and living at the marina on a boat. The hulking, gentle, desert man with a love affair with the sea, where he finds “a curious replication of the sandy waste.” How’s that for being an outsider?

One of his first stops is the crime lab. There a lab technician named Katya Hijazi is also taking a strong interest in Nouf’s case and she and Nayir reluctantly join forces. Though pious Nayir is initially taken aback by what he perceives to be Katya’s brazen (and sinful) manners, Katya is his only hope for finding information about Nouf’s case from the heavily veiled and secret world of women. Add to that the seemingly minor detail that Katya is engaged to marry Othman. Nayir shouldn’t be the escort of his good friend’s fiancee; in fact, most of Nayir’s traditional ideas are put to the test as he works with Katya and learns more about Nouf.

Nouf is buried with her back facing Mecca - how could that be? This is one of many clues that lead Nayir and Katya into the Shrawi’s elegant home by the sea, and into the heart and dreams of Nouf and her siblings. This 2009 Alex Award Winner is a mystery, to be sure, but also a fascinating exploration into the mystery of gender relationships in Saudi Arabia.(less)

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Feb 10, 2009 Hope Baugh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: award-winners, contemporary, fiction, mystery, pub-for-adults, romance, read-before-2009

This unusual romance/mystery was published for adults but was named an Alex Award winner for its special appeal to teens, too. It is a fascinating, terrorist-free read about Muslim culture in Saudi Arabia. The main character is popular among the Saudis as a desert guide, but he is not actually a Bedouin himself. He is Palestinian, and therefore always feels like an outsider. One day his friend asks him to help find his sister, Nouf, who has disappeared. Unfortunately, Nouf shows up dead from dro...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Elevate Difference rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sixteen-year-old Nouf is the first daughter of a prestigious Saudi Arabian family. She disappears, along with a truck and her favorite camel, just days before her arranged marriage. The reader is left to ponder what may be happening because her family seems uninterested in getting at the truth. Could she have run away, hesitant about her upcoming marriage or feeling closed in by the religiously-based laws and traditions that demand women's modesty and subservience?

Instead of going down this well...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was first attracted to the cover of this book. I had never heard of it, but it looked very appealing on the library shelf. I have recently started to enjoy detective novels and although they have been mainly set in Norway, I thought a switch to the desert would be a nice change. I live in a predominantly Muslim country, although it is very westernized and not comparable to Saudi Arabia. Still, I was interested in reading a novel about the culture. The beginning was great and I wish more time h...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Louise Mundt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

“Den sidste sura” fortælles Nayir, der arbejder som ørkenguide i Saudi Arabien. En dag kommer Nayirs bedste ven Othman og beder Nayir om at hjælpe med at søge efter Othmans lillesøster, den 16-årige Nouf, der tilsyneladende er løbet bort.

10 dage senere finder man pigen midt i ørkenen. Hun er død, druknet efter at have fået et slag i hovedet. Men hvordan drukner man midt i ørkenen?

Nayir beslutter at iværksætte sin egen efterforskning, hvor han snart indser, at han har brug for hjælp. Den hjælp få...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Doreen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: personal-library

This is a mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Nayir ash-Sharqi, a desert guide, is asked by his friend, Othman Shrawi, to find his sixteen-year-old sister, Nouf. After her body is discovered, Nayir sets out to find out how she died; he is assisted in his investigation by Katya Hijazi, a forensic technician who also happens to be Othman’s fiancée.

The mystery is satisfactory, although the identity of one person guilty of a crime is very obvious early on because the implication of this person...more This is a mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Nayir ash-Sharqi, a desert guide, is asked by his friend, Othman Shrawi, to find his sixteen-year-old sister, Nouf. After her body is discovered, Nayir sets out to find out how she died; he is assisted in his investigation by Katya Hijazi, a forensic technician who also happens to be Othman’s fiancée.

The mystery is satisfactory, although the identity of one person guilty of a crime is very obvious early on because the implication of this person solves a relationship problem for Nayir and Katya. What is most interesting about the book is its glimpse into Saudi Arabia’s restrictive Muslim culture. Various aspects of Saudi culture are interwoven into the narrative: the importance of hospitality, attitudes towards Americans and immigrants, segregation of men and women, gender roles.

For Nayir and Katya to work together, they must resort to deception and subterfuge which make Nayir uncomfortable. As a traditional conservative Muslim, he has rather rigid ideas about female modesty and proper behaviour. His interaction with Katya forces him to become more flexible as she provides commentary on the realities of life for women. Nayir argues that “’All the prescriptions for modesty and wearing the veil, for decent behavior and abstinence before marriage’” are intended to protect women, but Katya counters that “’those same prescriptions can sometimes cause the degradation people fear the most’” (219).

In many ways, the main conflict is between tradition and desire. Nayir wants to marry, yet his religious beliefs restrict his contact with single women. Katya would like to be a wife and mother, but she also wants a career, so she seeks “’a husband who respects [her] work’” (217). It also becomes clear that Nouf also wanted the freedom to make choices: “’Yes, options . . . I think that’s what Nouf wanted’” (218).

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy mysteries in an exotic locale which is gradually made familiar.
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Oct 26, 2012 Annabelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. Written by Ferrarais who lived in Saudi Arabia as a wife of a Palestinian-Bedouin, the book opens the intricate social structures for women and men in this conservative Kingdom. It is remarkable, that women must have men drivers, cannot talk to another man and that there are religious police yelling at women without a burqa. I actually didn’t know how this worked, a small black triangle with Velcro at the back. Also she describes the fantastic wealth of some families. She has...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

I was intrigued by this author's most recent book, "Kingdom of Strangers," so I went back to read her first. Its strongest point is the way it puts you inside the heads of Moslems in Saudi Arabia: women with PhDs in chemistry who can't work at any jobs that involve contact with mail colleagues; men who must run to perform an extra set of ablutions if they are tempted by the sight of a woman's ankle while on their way to pray at the mosque; and refusal to wear prescription eyeglasses because myth...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Booknblues rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a mystery fan, I can sincerely say that it is quite exciting to discover an author of new series which is of the quality of Zoe Ferraris’ Finding Nouf. I was impressed with her ability to capture an unfamiliar setting and create sympathetic characters in a culture which I am so unaware of.

Nayir ash Sharqi is a desert guide in Saudi Arabia. He is a man of great religious faith and strong morals and he is called on by his friend Othman from a wealthy family to help find his sister Nouf. After s...more As a mystery fan, I can sincerely say that it is quite exciting to discover an author of new series which is of the quality of Zoe Ferraris’ Finding Nouf. I was impressed with her ability to capture an unfamiliar setting and create sympathetic characters in a culture which I am so unaware of.

Nayir ash Sharqi is a desert guide in Saudi Arabia. He is a man of great religious faith and strong morals and he is called on by his friend Othman from a wealthy family to help find his sister Nouf. After she is found Nayir joins forces with Othman’s fiance, Katya Hijazi, who works in the coroner’s office.

Zoe Ferraris has lived in Saudi Arabia with her husband at that time and so became familiar with the culture and presented it in a way that an outsider as myself could understand some of the intricacies of the faith and the culture. I appreciated her character development of both Nayir and Katya. I loved becoming familiar with their insecurities and complexities. I loved that on a whim Nayir bought a trench coat for himself which reminded him of Columbo.

At one point Nayir becomes tired of the city and decides to drive to the desert:

“He decided he’d pull of the road and find a quiet spot. Just the thought of being close to the desert all by himself settled his thoughts and with a burst of strength he switched on the radio. He tuned to Radio Jeddah and listened to an iman bleating about proper conduct with women. Usually he didn’t like this sort of angry noise, but tonight is was strangely comforting. “

“Touching” the iman growled. “It is the fornication of the hand.You are not to look upon na-mehram women --do not look upon any woman who is not family to you, for that is fornication of the eye.”

We are reminded what it is like to live in such a hot desert climate with the following passage:

“It was the worst kind of noon, over bright and muggy and seared by a sun that had expanded to fill every bit of the sky. A steamy, breathless, penetrating air poured like liquid lava onto every surface, causing ripples of heat, sharp glints of light, and such mirages as might have misled an entire army into the very hottest part of hell. Katya waited for Ahmad in her usual spot behind the coroner’s building, but in the five minutes she stood there both soles of her new sandals melted, sticking like warm gum to the pavement.
“When the Toyota pulled up Ahmad saw her dancing on her toes like a yogi trying to cross a bed of hot coals. he scrambled from the car and tore strips of his cherished newspaper and laid them down one by one, testing them with his own bare foot to make sure they were thick enough for her to walk safely to the car. “

I want to assure those mystery lovers that Finding Nouf is also up to standard as far as the mystery goes. It provides enough foreshadowing for the reader to get hints and ideas about the solution but doesn’t give it away. I have heard that Ms Ferraris has written two more to the series and look forward to reading them.(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: 21st-century-fiction, mystery, reading-group-pick

This book was a reading group read. Fortunately I had wanted to read it anyway because it is a mystery set in Saudi Arabia.

Nouf, sixteen year old daughter of a wealthy Saudi Arabian family, is found dead in the desert after she had been missing for ten days. Nayir, family friend, desert guide, pious but single Muslim, is asked by Nouf's family to find her murderer, even though the family had also paid off the authorities to avoid any police investigation.

When Nayir determines that the family doe...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia, Nouf, a 16-year-old girl who has disappeared into the desert is found in the first chapter. The investigation involves what is perhaps the most unlikely detective partnership in the history of mystery fiction. Nayir al-Sharqi is asked to discreetly investigate Nouf's death by her rich family. Although a Palestinian, Nayir is as familiar with the desert as a Bedouin. A conservative Muslim and an outsider because of his nationality and class, he co...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Bermudaonion

Finding Nouf is the first in a series written by Zoe Ferraris taking place in Saudi Arabia and centering around the disappearance of Nouf Shrawi, a teenaged daughter of a powerful, wealthy family. Nouf has been reported missing and the family hires Nayir al-Sharqi, a desert guide and friend of the family, to find her. They suspect an abduction but no ransom has been demanded. Soon after Nayir begins his search, Nouf's body is found in the desert, a victim of an apparent drowning. Though the Medi...more Finding Nouf is the first in a series written by Zoe Ferraris taking place in Saudi Arabia and centering around the disappearance of Nouf Shrawi, a teenaged daughter of a powerful, wealthy family. Nouf has been reported missing and the family hires Nayir al-Sharqi, a desert guide and friend of the family, to find her. They suspect an abduction but no ransom has been demanded. Soon after Nayir begins his search, Nouf's body is found in the desert, a victim of an apparent drowning. Though the Medical Examiner closes the case, one of Nouf's brothers, Othman, quietly keeps Nayir on to find out what really happened to his sister.

Upon visiting the ME's office, Nayir encounters Katya Hijazi who works in the women's section. Katya is one of very few women to have a professional job in their very strict culture. Nayir, being extremely traditional, has a difficult time dealing with Katya and her involvement with the case. Not only does she know the family, but she is also engaged to Othman.

With Katya's help in the lab, Naryir begins to uncover clues as to what may have happened to Nouf, but some clues lead to even more difficult and sometimes troubling questions. Nayir fears the answers may bring him to a terrible truth and jeopardize his friendship with the Shrawi family.

My Thoughts:

One of the things I like about this book is that it's not your typical mystery novel. I love the Saudi Arabian locale and the culture it brought into the story. While Ms. Ferraris kept the mystery around Nouf's disappearance moving, she also successfully incorporated Nayir's inner conflict regarding his thoughts on women and what was proper behavior. Nayir lives a quiet, solitary life and he longs to know the love of a woman but scolds himself for having what he considers impure thoughts. The more time he spent with Katya working on the case only made Nayir more conflicted. His admiration for her was growing yet he often felt she was crossing a line and it was his responsibility to maintain a proper distance. Especially considering she was engaged to his friend. The two characters worked well together and was a natural fit.

The Muslim culture has always intrigued me so it was only natural that I enjoyed that aspect of the book so much. That is what makes this such a unique series and one that I will definitely continue reading. The second book in the series, CITY OF VEILS was released by Little, Brown and Company in August of 2010. I'm looking forward to discovering the next case these two unique characters team up to solve.
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Nov 04, 2011 LJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary_post_1945, female_author, mystery, mysterybookclub, private_investigator, saudia_arabia

First Sentence: Before the sun set that evening, Nayir filled his canteen, tucked a prayer run beneath his arm, and climbed the south-facing dune near the camp.

Nayir ash-Sharqi, known as “Tracker” is called in by a wealthy and influential family to find Nouf. Nouf is a 16-year-old girl who has gone missing. Her body is found in the desert. So how is it that she drowned? Working, quite uncomfortably, with Karya Hijazi, a female lab worker at the coroner’s office, Nayir must overcome his natural r...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Syrdarya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, saudi-arabia

I've read three non-fiction books which have dealt with Saudi Arabia before, but they were very limited in scope compared to this novel (two dealt with life in the royal family, one only partially took place in Saudi Arabia and was about the miserable situation a Somali girl faced inside her time in the country). This novel really brings the land to life and shows the variety of settings, people, and economic conditions of the land. At times Saudi Arabia seems so alien it's almost like it was ma...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mystery readers

Shelves: adultfiction, detectiveficton, mystery

During the sweltering Salt Lake Valley summer there’s nothing better for me than being transported through a book to another place, preferably exotic and completely different from here in every way. Add in a good mystery and I’m in my little slice of summer reading heaven. Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris is just such a book. It contains extremes of all kinds: temperatures like I’ve never seen before, death by drowning in the desert, and a gender-segregated culture so foreign to mine I couldn’t help...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Jennifer Abdo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: saudi-arabia

Finding Nouf was a Middle Eastern fiction I was able to find at my small town library. It was actually a really good story. Maybe bits here and there were contrived, but it really didn't bother me because I enjoyed the story.

I have very few complaints. I was a little put off at how quickly the conservative Nayir was interested in sticking his nose in the not-so-evident crime involving Nouf. The assistant examiner he had to have contact was a woman and his friend/ employer's fiance (he finds out...more Finding Nouf was a Middle Eastern fiction I was able to find at my small town library. It was actually a really good story. Maybe bits here and there were contrived, but it really didn't bother me because I enjoyed the story.

I have very few complaints. I was a little put off at how quickly the conservative Nayir was interested in sticking his nose in the not-so-evident crime involving Nouf. The assistant examiner he had to have contact was a woman and his friend/ employer's fiance (he finds out later) that I hadn't expected him to want to get involved with (as in talking to, not romantically). Maybe this was because I hadn't yet gotten into the story. All in all, it was a slight interruption, but wasn't a big deal.

The other thing that stuck out as a flaw to me was the food was never really mentioned. Coffee and tea were often mentioned and that was essential, so I'm glad it wasn't left out, but I think descriptions of food seemed scarce. When we met the American at his house and food was offered, there was some elaboration. In the "families welcome" restaurant, "The Big Mix," the word lunch was used rather than any description of food. I realize food may have been left out because it wasn't the focus of the meeting, etc, but I think it's an essential detail to help us like the characters. What do they eat? What do they like? How does the food in front of them remind them of food from where they are originally from? How do the smells remind them of other experiences? It's an essential part of knowing the characters and it was missing a lot of the time. (Admittedly, the last fiction I read was Crescent, in which food was a major element- but, still!)

Also, it was handy that the main character's uncle happened to have some scientific equipment in his basement- a mass spec of all things and enough stuff to process crime scene samples. That was weird. And kind of unnecessary. Less obvious was Miss Hijazi's job as a tech in a crime lab. It made the story possible, moved it along, but wasn't contrived. It brought an element of women's lib to the table, so she was a great character.

As I mentioned, I did enjoy the mystery very much. I also enjoyed the glimpse into a slice of Saudi culture and the variety of people and attitudes that make up Saudi society. Royalty, the rich, the progressive, the truly and falsely devout, the religious police, vigilantes, Bedouins, and immigrants (the eye doctor and Nayir) were among those discussed.

Several subjects in Middle Eastern culture were woven into the story: hospitality; modesty; attitude toward Americans; helping the American would have been as bad as touching her skin; attitude towards immigrants- even from other Arab countries; contact between or segregation of men and women; women working- various attitudes about it; women driving, escorts/ drivers; concept of such constraints bringing on depravity they were meant to guard against; underground/ hidden brothels and bars; double standards such as it's not as bad to sleep with a non-Muslim prostitute as a Muslim one; there was an interesting but short discussion of the interpretation of the veil- what is should cover- face, bosom, etc (I'd never really heard that one before); there was some Arabic interspersed, which I enjoyed, but I could have done with more! Some of these I I was familiar with, a few were new, some I still didn't understand- all were well done.

I would definitely recommend it. The author is an American who was once married into a Saudi Palestinian Bedouin family. I thought the book was great considering this; I would still like to read more by Arab authors to compare and contrast treatment of various issues like women, religion, etc.

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Jun 29, 2011 Amira Jammy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finding Nouf- proceeded by City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris – written in the setting of Saudi Arabia Zoe bring an amazing mystery in our hands in the form of Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old girl who disappeared into the desert three days before her marriage and has been found dead, several weeks pregnant. Then Nayyir a detective finds Katya Hijaz and both collaborate secretly to unveil who the murder is. The relationship between Katya and Nayyir is exquisite and mesmerizing. The next book City of ve...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like reading books that help bring me insight into another culture. This book takes place in Saudi Arabia and the main protagonist is Nayir a desert guide who, although he is Palestinian, has lived in Saudi Arabia so long and has been with and learned so much from the Bedouin that everyone assumes that he is one. Nayir, because of his talent as a desert guide, is friends with Othman, one of the sons of one of the richest and most influential families in Saudi Arabia. When one of Othman's siste...more

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May 29, 2011 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Alex Award/Mystery. Read this satisfying mystery and gain a new appreciation for a different place and culture. Nouf, a young woman from a wealthy Saudi Arabian family is found dead in the desert - but the cause of her death was drowning. Hired to search for the missing Nouf, Nayir is drawn into the mystery of her death and the tangled family relations surrounding it. Nayir's devout muslim faith is carried throughout and readers are immersed in a culture where cell phones coexist with the burkha...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Sharonewoods rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a bit apprehensive when I started this book. I wasn't sure if the Saudi Arabian setting would be presented in too preachy or stereotypical a manner, or make me depressed. None of these happened. In fact, the setting, especially the social interactions, was fascinating. And as a extra bonus, the novel was also 1) a great mystery, 2) featured characters I really got to like and care about, and 3) a good read. Nayir, the desert guide who turns into an unofficial private investigator, (complet...more

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Jul 21, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it · review of another edition

Shelves: susan, staff-picks-blog, mysteries, fiction

Geographically the setting for Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris could not be more different than Scandinavian mysteries I often read, but the glimpse into another place, another culture, is even more interesting. This novel is set in Saudi Arabia where it is so hot that people carry pot holders to open car doors, and men traditionally purchase multiple coats for their new brides to represent the places they may go when they are married (because they will never have need of them in their home country...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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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8875357-finding-nouf?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355107492l/8875357.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8875357-finding-nouf?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris[/url]

Finding Nouf (Nayir Sharqi & Katya Hijazi #1)

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