Zoe Ferraris - CITY OF VEILS

review by Corinna Christopher on show 2nd June

This excellent crime thriller has many of the same characters as were in “The Night of the Mi’raj” and I think it is a better and more gripping story.

The mutilated body of a young woman is found on a Saudi beach and immediately there is a search to find out who she is and what happened to her. The city is Jeddah, the City of Veils and narrow streets where there is mystery and secrecy in abundance. Enter Detective Inspector Osama Ibrahim who is given the task of solving the crime. He has the help of Katya, a forensic scientist who has to fight a constant battle against sexual and religious prejudice with her job. These two are aided by Nayir, a devout Muslim and desert guide who has an interest in the case since he has in the past formed a friendship with Katya.

Into this mix of personalities comes Miriam Walker an American wife who has come to join her husband who seems to have vanished without trace .

In due course the identity of the murdered woman is discovered and a trail of clues are followed up with many twists and turns, ending in the depths of the Empty Quarter with disastrous consequences .

The author’s knowledge of this city is admirable , where men are brought up to fear women in a paranoid and sex-obsessed society . As the pages are turned we feel we are there , even in the desert.QUOTE:-
A description of Miriam in a sandstorm “Struggling to sit up before the sand swallowed her, she flailed and turned over, getting more sand into her headscarf. It poured in like water, and she scrambled to her knees, spitting and blinking. She couldn’t see anything. She stood up, but the wind lashed her so roughly that she lost her sense of direction. Moving blindly forward, hands outstretched, she tried to open her eyes but immediately regretted it.”

There are also details of the religious police who have a plethora of infractions which they can arrest women for including associating with a man who is not a husband or family member. I did find the constant reference to the wearing of the burqa in all situations rather wearying, but can understand the reasons for it’s mention.
The behaviour of Nayir is also contradictory , because he is drawn to Katya but because of his religion cannot decide how to proceed .
Nevertheless this is a riveting read with an interesting background very relevant to to-days situation in the Middle East.

There is a satisfactory conclusion to the book although I was sorry that it had to end .
review by Corinna