Why a Booktrail?
Late 20/Early 21st C – In a country where women have no freedom or rights, how are the 19 female victims of a serial killer going to find justice? Jeddah is a city with secrets to hide.
Kingdom of Strangers
What you need to know before your trail
A secret grave in the desert
When the mutilated bodies of 19 women is found in the middle of the desert, the horror of the find is made even worse when it is realised that this must mean that a serial killer has been operating in and around Jeddah, undetected for years.
The main man on the case – Inspector Ibrahim Zahrani, has more than this to worry about. He’s in quite a fix – in a country where adultery is punishable by death, he has a mistress and she’s gone missing. Not being able to report her to the authorities, he seeks the help of Katya, one of the women on the force. But she has her own secrets to hide.
In the most closed and secretive countries in the world, having secrets of your own can be deadly.
Travel Guide
In a country which appears as isolating and confined as Saudi Arabia, a main character with a mistress turns into something all together more dangerous than it would elsewhere. Here it is dealt with by beheading or some other vicious act.
Katya, one of the only women on the force is another example of the absurdity of the regime – there are not many women allowed in certain jobs and there are even separate morgues for the dead men and women. Through her eyes however we see the stresses and strains of living as a professional and independent woman – as far as you can be here – in Saudi Arabia.
Finding the bodies of 19 women, and on top of that – maids – is not going to be a straight forward investigation here. this series really is a good guide to the trails and everyday problems of living under such a regime.
“There was no wearing seat belts where Saffanah was concerned because the belt might outline her body and any man in a passing car would be able to see her shape, and that was unacceptable.”
Contrast to this and the prison where there does seem to be a sense of freedom. Women have their freedom to read and indulge in beauty regimes
“There was a reading room there, with books and tables where women could write. On the right they encountered a beauty studio.”
The customs, beliefs and way of living which si so alien to us in the west is mixed here with a crime that could be familiar – violence against women, the use and abuse of a foreign workforce.
the absurdity of life in Saudi Arabia makes for a fascinating backdrop for a murder mystery. this is a visit you’ll never forget.
Booktrailer Review
Susan:
Although this book is a standalone this should be read ideally after books one and two simply to get a wider picture of Saudi Arabia. The books have the same main two characters but their viewpoints come into it at different times and it really does open your eyes
I’ve really enjoyed this series as the writer really knows and respects the country. It’s good how she has written such good characters that we can identify with and that aren’t stereotypes of any kind. Saudi Arabia is a country I’ll never go to but learning about such things as how difficult it is to walk in the dark in a burqa helps to show you the daily problems or concerns of women in another part of the world.
Love Katya. The crimes and mysteries of this book play out very well and the novel is multilayered and very intriguing!
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