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Night Falls on Damascus: A Novel
A crime of passion brings on a harrowing criminal investigation in a divided land
Set in the exotic and turbulent world of Syria in the 1930s, Night Falls on Damascus tells the story of a French-Syrian police inspector, Nikolai Faroun, caught up in a complex murder investigation of a beautiful and controversial woman from a prominent Damascus family.
Vera Tamiri made enemies for her good works as well as her cosmopolitanism. On one hand was she was a social reformer who had tried to advance the health and welfare of Arab women in a volatile community hemmed in by custom and hostile to social change. However, Vera had a shadowy she cultivated a Bohemian pose, gambled recklessly, and was not always wise in her choice of companions---and lovers.
Faroun suspects that she may have fallen victim to a gruesome crime of passion. However, he soon realizes that there is more to this crime than a jealous lover. In a country chafing under foreign rule and divided by sectarian strife, Vera Tamiri made a tempting political target. In a city seething with anger and revolt, Inspector Faroun begins unraveling a conspiracy from Syria's troubled past, a secret that Vera may have uncovered---at the cost of her life.
As the elements of a sinister and elusive crime bubble to the surface, Faroun must be careful not to bring to light secrets of his own---the real reason for his presence in Damascus and a compromising relationship with the beautiful and willful wife of a well-connected French businessman. All games, in the end, must be played against the dark backdrop of a city that has been the center of Middle Eastern intrigue for millennia, the stony ground where Cain slew Abel, where Saladin once ruled, and where Nikolai Faroun must discover the key to the murder of a courageous woman who dared to disturb the ancient order.
A gripping murder mystery, Night Falls on Damascus richly evokes a time and place where the deadly conflict between modernism and tradition in the Middle East first came into play. Praise for Ghost Eaters
"A swashbuckling, seafaring novel with mystical overtones."
---Publishers Weekly
"An exciting, smoothly written naval adventure set in Malaysia during 1875. Touching on the politics of war, the power of superstition, and the fragility of civilization, this is exhilarating escapist fare."
---Booklist
"The book is peopled with rich, enigmatic characters whose pasts are shrouded in mystery and whose motives are close held secrets."
---Jim Nelson, author of the Revolution at Sea series
"Glorious shades of Joseph Conrad, but with wry humor! Splendidly written and an intriguing adventure /mystery in the grand old style."
---Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series
"Unashamedly and convincingly Conradian in its subject matter and scope, and in the raw and elemental language of its telling . . . this is the work of a devoted and accomplished storyteller, and of a gifted writer and craftsman, for whom the completed tale is considerably more than the sum of its parts."
---Robert Edric, author of The Broken Lands
Set in the exotic and turbulent world of Syria in the 1930s, Night Falls on Damascus tells the story of a French-Syrian police inspector, Nikolai Faroun, caught up in a complex murder investigation of a beautiful and controversial woman from a prominent Damascus family.
Vera Tamiri made enemies for her good works as well as her cosmopolitanism. On one hand was she was a social reformer who had tried to advance the health and welfare of Arab women in a volatile community hemmed in by custom and hostile to social change. However, Vera had a shadowy she cultivated a Bohemian pose, gambled recklessly, and was not always wise in her choice of companions---and lovers.
Faroun suspects that she may have fallen victim to a gruesome crime of passion. However, he soon realizes that there is more to this crime than a jealous lover. In a country chafing under foreign rule and divided by sectarian strife, Vera Tamiri made a tempting political target. In a city seething with anger and revolt, Inspector Faroun begins unraveling a conspiracy from Syria's troubled past, a secret that Vera may have uncovered---at the cost of her life.
As the elements of a sinister and elusive crime bubble to the surface, Faroun must be careful not to bring to light secrets of his own---the real reason for his presence in Damascus and a compromising relationship with the beautiful and willful wife of a well-connected French businessman. All games, in the end, must be played against the dark backdrop of a city that has been the center of Middle Eastern intrigue for millennia, the stony ground where Cain slew Abel, where Saladin once ruled, and where Nikolai Faroun must discover the key to the murder of a courageous woman who dared to disturb the ancient order.
A gripping murder mystery, Night Falls on Damascus richly evokes a time and place where the deadly conflict between modernism and tradition in the Middle East first came into play. Praise for Ghost Eaters
"A swashbuckling, seafaring novel with mystical overtones."
---Publishers Weekly
"An exciting, smoothly written naval adventure set in Malaysia during 1875. Touching on the politics of war, the power of superstition, and the fragility of civilization, this is exhilarating escapist fare."
---Booklist
"The book is peopled with rich, enigmatic characters whose pasts are shrouded in mystery and whose motives are close held secrets."
---Jim Nelson, author of the Revolution at Sea series
"Glorious shades of Joseph Conrad, but with wry humor! Splendidly written and an intriguing adventure /mystery in the grand old style."
---Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series
"Unashamedly and convincingly Conradian in its subject matter and scope, and in the raw and elemental language of its telling . . . this is the work of a devoted and accomplished storyteller, and of a gifted writer and craftsman, for whom the completed tale is considerably more than the sum of its parts."
---Robert Edric, author of The Broken Lands
272 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 3, 2020
Syria, 1933. France has had the League of Nations Mandate over Lebanon and Syria since the Turks were finally expelled after WWI. The thought was that the French would prepare them for "modern independence" after centuries under the thumb of the Sultans, but France has no idea of leaving at any time, and their heavy handed rule has the Arabs mutinous and Syria on the verge of anarchy.
Into this atmosphere comes Nikolai Faroun, newly named Chief of the Damascus Prefecture, as the civil police force is called. Immediately the brutal murder of Vera Tamiri, member of a prominent Damascus family causes unrest among the populace. Faroun knows he must solve this case quickly, before it threatens the stability of this, the "world's oldest city," as Damascenes believe. But Faroun is a Maronite Christian, and Lebanese to boot, and cooperation in his investigation by the angry and suspicious Arab community is anything but assured...
This is a "period piece" - although published only in 2006, it has the feel of a tale written at the time it's set into. The atmosphere is so well limned that it's hard to think otherwise. And while the book is essentially a police procedural, I'd recommend it to anyone who might find interest in that time and place in history. Well done!
Into this atmosphere comes Nikolai Faroun, newly named Chief of the Damascus Prefecture, as the civil police force is called. Immediately the brutal murder of Vera Tamiri, member of a prominent Damascus family causes unrest among the populace. Faroun knows he must solve this case quickly, before it threatens the stability of this, the "world's oldest city," as Damascenes believe. But Faroun is a Maronite Christian, and Lebanese to boot, and cooperation in his investigation by the angry and suspicious Arab community is anything but assured...
This is a "period piece" - although published only in 2006, it has the feel of a tale written at the time it's set into. The atmosphere is so well limned that it's hard to think otherwise. And while the book is essentially a police procedural, I'd recommend it to anyone who might find interest in that time and place in history. Well done!
August 3, 2012
I read this book based only on its title and got more than I bargined for. The author packed a great deal of action, adventure and intrigue into a small novel. It's an excellent read.
January 13, 2021
This is set in 1933 Damascus where Maronite Christian, Nikolai Faroun, head of the Prefecture, the civil police force, investigates the murder of Vera Tumani, a rebellious member of one of the twelve families that dominate the city. The divided French occupiers, the brutal Surete, the Legion, the religious and political factions in Damascus, all feature prominently, as, with a few fortuitous coincidences, Faroun establishes the truth. The tension, the city itself and the complexities of a colonial society contribute to a fine read
March 30, 2021
To have loved this book, I definitely needed to put more energy into the reading. Early on, I kept feeling I should look up more info about the time and place as I was constantly aware that I wasn’t understanding enough. Then as the characters were developed, I felt I should be taking notes as I did during my Dostoyevsky fascination when I was young. When I finished “Night Falls...”, I truly thought I should re-read it, that the enjoyment of the story would be worth it.
April 21, 2020
The body of a beautiful naked woman in a burlap sack washes up on the shores of a river and a police prefect sets out to find her murderer in the Damascus of the 1930s. A formulaic murder mystery with a vintage feel and plenty of suspects.
January 17, 2019
I gave up after 50 pages. Too much history, not enough story development.
April 20, 2008
Set after WWII the mystery is set amidst the French occupation of Syria. The culture clash was more interesting than the mystery.
November 17, 2008
Would love to go to Damascus; another book illustratig where the familial and tribal associations are so strong and shape this part of the world as they have done for centuries.
February 7, 2010
So far I really like this book. Good characters and descriptions of Damascus. If you like the Mamur Zapt books, this is a good one.
June 6, 2010
Interesting mostly for the setting (1930s Damascus). If the mystery were set in New York, for example, I think it would feel very familiar.
September 26, 2012
Couldn't get into it - didn't finish
January 7, 2015
The mystery itself was only mediocre, but the description of Damascus in the early 1930s made this a worthwhile read.
January 27, 2015
I felt quite immersed in 1930’s Damascus, loved the historical background and the murder investigation was also intriguing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews