I was torn between 3 stars and 4 stars, but it's more like 3 1/4 -- interesting mystery, but all the descriptions of life in Saudi Arabia were hard to take for this very liberated American woman who has absolutely no use for outward signs of religiosity. I will absolutely recommend this to high school students -- It was an Alex Award winner (best adult books for teens) -- and I know we'll have a lot to talk about! Nayir, a Palestinian desert guide and a Katya,a female Saudi lab worker get thrown together as they solve the murder mystery of Nouf, a wealthy 16 old, whose body is found in the desert. The setting is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Ferraris captures the city very well. I loved her descriptions of the roundabouts and the Red Sea. Nayir and Katya thoughts and actions are both so realistic, several times I had to double check to see if the author was a Saudi(she isn't). What Ferraris does well is depict the restrictions of living in Saudi Arabia. Katya and Nayir both are single, so they can't meet in public without the fear of the religious police. This is a good "who done it", but the strength of the story for me was the insights into the Saudi culture.
Do You like book The Night Of The Mi'raj (2000)?
Really enjoyed this story set in the middle east. Great mystery and very educational.
—sarahvc16105
Worth the read. Interesting cultural information, assuming it is close to reality.
—bailey
what an insight into the hidden world for women in Saudi Arabia.
—hasbi
