Why a Booktrail?
20/21C – A gripping mystery set in a unique cultural and religious setting. The investigator here is a Palestinian immigrant and a desert guide who searches for a missing girl
The Night of the Mira’j
What you need to know before your trail
Nouf ash-Shrawi, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy Saudi dynasty, disappears from her home in Jeddah. That is worrying enough but when it is revealed that she was due to have an arranged marriage in a few days time, then a picture of why she might have run away becomes clear.
Nayir, a desert guide and friend of the family is asked to bring her home. But then her body is found and Nayir finds himself with a whole other case to investigate. She was found in the desert but the cause of death appears to be drowning. Just one strange aspect of this case.
An investigation into the death of a woman in a country where women are veiled and kept hidden is never going to be easy.
Travel Guide
A woman going missing in any country is a serious matter for the police. But one who goes missing in Saudi Arabia is not dealt with the same level of urgency. With this investigation we see how women are treated and viewed. How a woman who has apparently escaped an arranged marriage and left home with only a camel and a ute for company, can be found drowned in the driest part of the country.
The investigation takes on a whole new level of meaning and sleuthing for people do not want to talk and women are not seen as reliable witnesses. Nayir has religious perceptions of his own but when working with Katya, a forensic scientist, she is the one to show just how deep the gender divide is in the country –
“There were very few jobs for women, especially educated women, Women were only allowed to work in places where they wouldn’t interact with men….”
This is an insight into the desert, the city of Jeddah and its many alleyways and streets, to the rich areas and to the poor. One visit when Nayir buys a raincoat provides light relief – he ends up buying a ‘Columbo coat’ of the style that Peter Falk wore in his TV shows as the rumpled detective. The Jeddah Columbo? Who would have thought?
This is a man’s world and women are just pawns in their game. Yes Nahir is a unique narrator and guide to Saudi Arabia and its customs and provides insights that someone else may not.
The investigation takes them to the Aramco compound where they speak to the Americans there, – another insight into a remarkable country.
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information:
Twitter: @zoeferraris
Facebook:/zoeferraris
Web: zoeferraris.com
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
