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Detective Hanash #2
سفاح كازابلانكا
A serial killer taunts Casablanca’s most famous detective, Hanash, in this nail-biting Moroccan noir, a follow-up to Bled Dry
A series of gruesome murders shakes the city of Casablanca. The killer knows exactly how the police will pursue him and how to obliterate evidence that could lead them to identify his victims.
Fear spreads throughout the city as rumors abound that a serial killer is on the loose. Detective Hanash, despite his reputation, has hit a dead end. But he knows the killer will make a mistake, and it is up to him and his team to hunt down and capture this brutal criminal.
Then comes the most audacious homicide yet: the victim is found on the first day of the Eid holiday, directly outside the police headquarters in the center of town.
Is the killer taunting the police and its famous detective? And could this be the crime that contains the clue that Hanash has been waiting for?
A series of gruesome murders shakes the city of Casablanca. The killer knows exactly how the police will pursue him and how to obliterate evidence that could lead them to identify his victims.
Fear spreads throughout the city as rumors abound that a serial killer is on the loose. Detective Hanash, despite his reputation, has hit a dead end. But he knows the killer will make a mistake, and it is up to him and his team to hunt down and capture this brutal criminal.
Then comes the most audacious homicide yet: the victim is found on the first day of the Eid holiday, directly outside the police headquarters in the center of town.
Is the killer taunting the police and its famous detective? And could this be the crime that contains the clue that Hanash has been waiting for?
155 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 28, 2019
نوع الرواية: جريمة وإثارة وتشويق
الناشر: منشورات دار التوحيدي
قرأت هذه الرواية البوليسية واستمتعت بأحداثها وأفكارها. قرأتها بسرعة وبشوق. فهي تجمع بين الجريمة والإثارة والتشويق وفي نفس الوقت واقعية ومقنعة
في الرواية نتعرف على قاتل متسلسل مجهول الهوية يقوم بقتل ضحاياه وتمزيق أجسادهم والإلقاء بهم في القمامة.. يظهر عميد الشرطة المُلقب بالحنش ليقوم بعمل تحقيقات ولكن يفشل بسبب أن المجرم القاتل يطمس هوية الضحايا من خلال تشويه ملامحهم وقطع أصابعهم مما يجعل التحقيق صعب جدًا
تجعلنا الرواية نطرح عدة تساؤُلات: هل القاتل ينتقم من الناس؟ هل يستمتع بالقتل؟ هل هو مريض عقلي؟
مما تصبح القراءة مشوقة ومثيرة للاهتمام فما يهم في الرواية هي ما خلف الأحداث وما بين السطور
من بين الأشياء التي أعجبتني كثيرًا والتي جعلت الرواية مهمة
1. الكاتب لا يغازل جهاز الشرطة/ الأمن الوطني
2. هناك إشارة لسنوات الرصاص، للمطالب الاجتماعية للشعب المغربي
3. حضور الكليب كصديق في الرواية أعجبني
4. ذكر تأثير وسائل االإعلام على عمل الشرطة كوسيلة ضغط
بعض المشاهد علقت بمخيلتي وجعلتني أتمنى أن تتحول الرواية لفيلم سينمائي بوليسي. جميع المشاهد في الصفحات:
74.68. 69.
الرواية مفيدة وممتعة في الوقت ذاته
العنوان جذاب والغلاف كذلك
تستحق أن تصبح فيلم سينمائي مع موسيقى تصويرية رائعة
الناشر: منشورات دار التوحيدي
قرأت هذه الرواية البوليسية واستمتعت بأحداثها وأفكارها. قرأتها بسرعة وبشوق. فهي تجمع بين الجريمة والإثارة والتشويق وفي نفس الوقت واقعية ومقنعة
في الرواية نتعرف على قاتل متسلسل مجهول الهوية يقوم بقتل ضحاياه وتمزيق أجسادهم والإلقاء بهم في القمامة.. يظهر عميد الشرطة المُلقب بالحنش ليقوم بعمل تحقيقات ولكن يفشل بسبب أن المجرم القاتل يطمس هوية الضحايا من خلال تشويه ملامحهم وقطع أصابعهم مما يجعل التحقيق صعب جدًا
تجعلنا الرواية نطرح عدة تساؤُلات: هل القاتل ينتقم من الناس؟ هل يستمتع بالقتل؟ هل هو مريض عقلي؟
مما تصبح القراءة مشوقة ومثيرة للاهتمام فما يهم في الرواية هي ما خلف الأحداث وما بين السطور
من بين الأشياء التي أعجبتني كثيرًا والتي جعلت الرواية مهمة
1. الكاتب لا يغازل جهاز الشرطة/ الأمن الوطني
2. هناك إشارة لسنوات الرصاص، للمطالب الاجتماعية للشعب المغربي
3. حضور الكليب كصديق في الرواية أعجبني
4. ذكر تأثير وسائل االإعلام على عمل الشرطة كوسيلة ضغط
بعض المشاهد علقت بمخيلتي وجعلتني أتمنى أن تتحول الرواية لفيلم سينمائي بوليسي. جميع المشاهد في الصفحات:
74.68. 69.
الرواية مفيدة وممتعة في الوقت ذاته
العنوان جذاب والغلاف كذلك
تستحق أن تصبح فيلم سينمائي مع موسيقى تصويرية رائعة
June 11, 2020
I'm always interested in reading fiction from other countries, not just set in other countries but written by authors from those countries. I'm pleased that works in translation are becoming more available. That said there may be cultural differences that are difficult to ignore. In this case I found a lot that was problematic for me including misogyny, racism, classism, and casual animal abuse. I tried to look beyond these issues to the underlying story but to be honest I found Hanash to be an uninspiring detective. He wasn't particularly good at his job and only solved this murder mystery by pure chance. It was interesting to see how the Moroccan police function and solve crimes because it was very different than I am used to in North American and UK crime fiction. Investigation seems much looser, basic human rights are not respected and forensic science seems less developed. While it was eye opening to learn about this different law enforcement system I don't think I'll be spending any more time with Detective Hanash in the future.
July 6, 2020
Awful
December 28, 2020
I love reading crime fiction from around the world, it gives you an insight into cultures and places that you may not easily get anywhere else. There is always something sublime about cracking open a book from say Colombia and being able to hear the hustle and bustle of the city, smell the streets, and feel the grime. That didn't happen with this book.
At first I thought this was possibly a bad translation and that the plot or other elements would really raise the book up, I was wrong. The dialogue was almost written like a spoof of low budget crime movies and hit every trope of the serial killer genre a little too on the nose.
The plot itself just seems like its stuck in neutral and can't go anywhere. The crimes happen and there isn't much mystery. The killer is known fairly early and the hunt for him involves very little to no cat and mouse type games that are typical of the genre. The book ends with a sequence of events that feel out of place and give the novel an unfinished feel. Overall it was a bit of a slog to get through and I felt fairly uninspired to finish, but had to.
I am left wondering if perhaps a bad translation and cultural differences in the writing may have contributed to my experience, but it's hard to tell.
I gave it 2 stars because while the plot was poorly fleshed out and the characters were rather flat, it did give me a small window into Moroccan city life, however limited that it may have been.
At first I thought this was possibly a bad translation and that the plot or other elements would really raise the book up, I was wrong. The dialogue was almost written like a spoof of low budget crime movies and hit every trope of the serial killer genre a little too on the nose.
The plot itself just seems like its stuck in neutral and can't go anywhere. The crimes happen and there isn't much mystery. The killer is known fairly early and the hunt for him involves very little to no cat and mouse type games that are typical of the genre. The book ends with a sequence of events that feel out of place and give the novel an unfinished feel. Overall it was a bit of a slog to get through and I felt fairly uninspired to finish, but had to.
I am left wondering if perhaps a bad translation and cultural differences in the writing may have contributed to my experience, but it's hard to tell.
I gave it 2 stars because while the plot was poorly fleshed out and the characters were rather flat, it did give me a small window into Moroccan city life, however limited that it may have been.
August 5, 2020
2.5 stars.
The pacing is all over the place, and there was a lot of weird character stuff happening. Characters weren't fully fleshed out, but then they were in interactions that I think I was supposed to care about that ultimately went nowhere. I liked the ending, but I think it could have been reached sooner.
The pacing is all over the place, and there was a lot of weird character stuff happening. Characters weren't fully fleshed out, but then they were in interactions that I think I was supposed to care about that ultimately went nowhere. I liked the ending, but I think it could have been reached sooner.
April 28, 2022
Set in Morocco…
I’m always interested in mysteries set in unusual (to me, at least) locations, and Morocco certainly is that. So I was excited to receive a review copy of The Butcher of Casablanca, and I enjoyed it, although it had some issues.
To start with the good, author Abdelilah Hamdouchi does a very nice job of conveying a feeling for Casablanca and its inhabitants. From his descriptions, I was able to imagine everything from the grungy port area full of old shipping containers to the upscale area of Ain Diab, with its elegant eateries and shopping centers. And even though I may disagree with some of the cultural norms (e.g. Inspector Hanash’s joy at finally having a son, after two daughters), it’s not my place to judge, and the overall, the background felt realistic. I was especially impressed by the discussion early on of the changes that resulted from the Arab Spring: moving on from the old “Years of Lead”, during which the police force relied on forced confessions and torture, and political detainees were common, to an institution that may be becoming more modern, but still has cynicism running deep.
The plot, however, felt kind of disjointed and I had trouble making myself care much about the actual cases, horrific though they were. At the end, Hanash sums up the case with a Moroccan expression, “A grand funeral procession for a dead rat”, and that’s kind of how I felt about it too. As a result, I struggled with whether to give The Butcher of Casablanca three stars or four, but eventually decided that I felt that the sense of place and sense of culture were worth the additional star, so I gave it four. But it’s on the low side of four…
Oh, and I love the e-book cover!
And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Hoopoe, and to Edelweiss, for the review copy.
I’m always interested in mysteries set in unusual (to me, at least) locations, and Morocco certainly is that. So I was excited to receive a review copy of The Butcher of Casablanca, and I enjoyed it, although it had some issues.
To start with the good, author Abdelilah Hamdouchi does a very nice job of conveying a feeling for Casablanca and its inhabitants. From his descriptions, I was able to imagine everything from the grungy port area full of old shipping containers to the upscale area of Ain Diab, with its elegant eateries and shopping centers. And even though I may disagree with some of the cultural norms (e.g. Inspector Hanash’s joy at finally having a son, after two daughters), it’s not my place to judge, and the overall, the background felt realistic. I was especially impressed by the discussion early on of the changes that resulted from the Arab Spring: moving on from the old “Years of Lead”, during which the police force relied on forced confessions and torture, and political detainees were common, to an institution that may be becoming more modern, but still has cynicism running deep.
The plot, however, felt kind of disjointed and I had trouble making myself care much about the actual cases, horrific though they were. At the end, Hanash sums up the case with a Moroccan expression, “A grand funeral procession for a dead rat”, and that’s kind of how I felt about it too. As a result, I struggled with whether to give The Butcher of Casablanca three stars or four, but eventually decided that I felt that the sense of place and sense of culture were worth the additional star, so I gave it four. But it’s on the low side of four…
Oh, and I love the e-book cover!
And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Hoopoe, and to Edelweiss, for the review copy.
January 5, 2026
“A grand funeral procession for a dead rat.”
I will leave this here for those who want a short version, and continue with longer thoughts....
Ever wanted to delete the internet? Look no further cause this book will help you do that!
If I could give negative stars I would kindly offer this masterpiece that.
Lets start of with basics... How did I get here? Assigment to read a novel about something Arab or Islam and make a presentation about it and essay for a class. I chose this as it seemed interesting and I love crime novels.
It was great learning experience to learn more about Morroco and for that im grateful.
But what in the rats butt was this...The novel goes all good and then random plot twists and red herrings that last a chapter, so basically...not important...some random info that serves nothing and on top of that... they kill the killer and we get nothing... absolutely nothing....
they throw random info hoping it sticks...build this world and just as fast burn it to crisp...
in any case...mad, pissed but well written essay comming right up for my class.
I will leave this here for those who want a short version, and continue with longer thoughts....
Ever wanted to delete the internet? Look no further cause this book will help you do that!
If I could give negative stars I would kindly offer this masterpiece that.
Lets start of with basics... How did I get here? Assigment to read a novel about something Arab or Islam and make a presentation about it and essay for a class. I chose this as it seemed interesting and I love crime novels.
It was great learning experience to learn more about Morroco and for that im grateful.
But what in the rats butt was this...The novel goes all good and then random plot twists and red herrings that last a chapter, so basically...not important...some random info that serves nothing and on top of that... they kill the killer and we get nothing... absolutely nothing....
they throw random info hoping it sticks...build this world and just as fast burn it to crisp...
in any case...mad, pissed but well written essay comming right up for my class.
September 4, 2023
The serial killer of Casablanca terrorizes the city with a series of murders.
The identity of the killer is revealed halfway through the book in an almost anticlimactic way, and then after that we follow the police as they chase this serial killer. But then before he is apprehended, the last quarter of the book is dedicated to random people killing one another for their own personal reasons, which was a bit confusing and irrelevant, the purpose of which could be to show that there are other heinous crimes happening in the city.
The little twist towards the end was well done and I liked it though.
I don't know if the version I read was incomplete or whether the book actually ends abruptly, because it felt hurried, unlike the rest of the book which moves at a medium speed.
The identity of the killer is revealed halfway through the book in an almost anticlimactic way, and then after that we follow the police as they chase this serial killer. But then before he is apprehended, the last quarter of the book is dedicated to random people killing one another for their own personal reasons, which was a bit confusing and irrelevant, the purpose of which could be to show that there are other heinous crimes happening in the city.
The little twist towards the end was well done and I liked it though.
I don't know if the version I read was incomplete or whether the book actually ends abruptly, because it felt hurried, unlike the rest of the book which moves at a medium speed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
The story is really very wonderful, It gives a wonderful atmosphere, action, and suspense to the reader, and it was fun to finish reading it ، it is based on a true Moroccan story, but the writer added characters and his special touch. I encourage the writer and his first fan. I have read all his novels and books and this masterpiece IS JUST SOO MUCH COOL ,, MUCH LOVE TO THE WRITER !!!
February 4, 2024
WHAT THE HELL WHY AN OPEN ENDING SOO MUCH QUESTIONS ANDD NO ANSWERS???WHAT?it was interesting to read BUT THE ENDING ABSOLUTE TRASH
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews