Arabian Winds

3.5 stars.

This was nonstop suspense and action from the first page to the last. A missionary nurse in Egypt finds herself caught up in an investigation and espionage in the months leading up to World War 1. And it was intense. I was definitely caught up in the plot, the mystery, the whole time. And the plot twist at the end? Yep, never saw that coming.

I also loved the setting. Not only the interesting time period, but the locations. Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem. The characters spent a little time in each of these places, and it was fascinating. I could feel the heart the main character, Allison, had for the Jewish and Muslim people she interacted with. My favorite quote from the book- “The gospel is not cultural, nor does truth destroy what is good in any culture.”

It was a good book, but not a great one. There were enough editing errors to be a distraction for me. And I didn't get as invested in the characters as much as I wanted. I hope that changes as I read book 2, Lions of the Desert.