Ratings2
Average rating3.5
A secret grave is unearthed in the desert revealing the bodies of 19 women and the shocking truth that a serial killer has been operating undetected in Jeddah for more than a decade. However, lead inspector Ibrahim Zahrani is distracted by a mystery closer to home. His mistress has suddenly disappeared, but he cannot report her missing since adultery is punishable by death. With nowhere to turn, Ibrahim brings the case to Katya, one of the few women in the police department. Drawn into both investigations, she must be increasingly careful to hide a secret of her own. Portraying the lives of women in one of the most closed cultures in the world, award-winning author Zov ́ Ferraris weaves a tale of psychological suspense around an elusive serial killer and the sinister forces trafficking in human lives in Saudi Arabia.
Reviews with the most likes.
A lot of this book seems to hit home yet also manages to rub me off in the wrong way if that makes sense. I think I'm finally appreciating the author now, having read the final installation of this series. It's really an outsider's perspective on a culture/ country that is so closed off to the rest of the world. It's definitely interesting how our backgrounds affect our perception of the world, the way we see everything, and the way perspectives really matter in understanding those around us.
It's a West meets East scenario where Ferraris has tried her best to understand a culture yet can't help narrating it through her mind's eye. I chose not to get riled up by the insufferable amount of inaccuracies and misrepresentation and focus on the actual mystery and plot and perhaps it's the only reason why I could enjoy this read.
I'd love to read more of the author's works if she were to research better for I loved the writing but hated the representation.
Featured Series
3 primary booksNayir Sharqi & Katya Hijazi is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2007 with contributions by Zoë Ferraris.