The crime: one scalding afternoon, the mutilated body of a young woman, half naked beneath her burqa, is discovered on a Saudi beach; soon afterwards a Western woman’s husband vanishes without trace.
The place: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the City of Veils. A city of narrow streets and closed shutters, where nothing is what it seems ;and the Empty Quarter – one of the most beautiful, yet unforgiving deserts on earth.
The people: Miriam Walker, alone in an alien culture, desperate to find her missing husband. Katya, a forensic scientist battling the prejudices of a society full of sexual, religious and moral contradictions; and Nayir, devout Muslim, desert guide, amateur sleuth – the man she loves.
The place: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the City of Veils. A city of narrow streets and closed shutters, where nothing is what it seems ;and the Empty Quarter – one of the most beautiful, yet unforgiving deserts on earth.
The people: Miriam Walker, alone in an alien culture, desperate to find her missing husband. Katya, a forensic scientist battling the prejudices of a society full of sexual, religious and moral contradictions; and Nayir, devout Muslim, desert guide, amateur sleuth – the man she loves.
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Reviews
** 'Zoe Ferraris's confident debut The Night of the Mi'raj, is followed by an even more impressive performance in City of Veils. She expertly weaves an excellent whodunit into an engrossing portrait of a vibrant society, full of sexual, religious, political and moral contradictions
** 'Nuanced , Gripping, engrossing - more than lives up to the promise of her magnificent debut, The Night of the Mi'raj
** 'It's a double whammy: a riveting portrait of an extraordinary society and a satisfying police procedural to boot
** 'Good to find competition from an unexpected quarter to Henning Mankell and Steig Larsson. The plot is thrilling, characters well drawn . . . extraordinary. Highly recommended