Book Review-Finding Nouf

Murder mysteries are always entertaining, and adding in an exotic local can make the book even more interesting. Finding Nouf takes place in Saudi Arabia. At the start of the story we meet Nayir, a desert guide and Palestinian, who has been hired to find Nouf. Nouf is 16 and is about to be married. Her family thinks she has run away. She is finally found, drowned, in the desert and the real mystery begins. One of Nouf's brother's hires Nayir to find out what happened to Nouf. At the start of the story Nayir believes in the traditional roles of men and women. He meets a woman working in the crime lab and is at first shocked that she is not completely veiled. As he and Katya Hijazi work together to solve the mystery of Nouf, Nayir examines his beliefs.

The central puzzle, Nouf's disappearance, is full of twists and turns, enough to keep the reader guessing at each turn of the plot. The story of Nayir and Katya adds quite a bit of interest and allows the writer to examine present day Saudia Arabia and the tensions between the traditional beleifs and the modern world.

NoveList has reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, as well as suggested read-alikes.

Finding Nouf By Ferraris, Zoe 2009-05 - Mariner Books 9780547237787 Check Our Catalog A finely detailed literary mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia, Ferraris's debut centers on Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old girl who disappears into the desert three days before her marriage and is later found dead and several weeks pregnant. …More

City of Veils By Ferraris, Zoe 2010-08 - Little Brown and Company 9780316074278 Check Our Catalog A riveting literary mystery, "City of Veils" reveals the shrouded world of women in modern-day Saudi Arabia. …More

What Was Lost By O'Flynn, Catherine 2008-06 - Henry Holt & Company 9780805088335 Check Our Catalog 2007 Costa First Novel Award Winner Long-listed for the Booker Prize, the Orange Prize, and "The Guardian" First Book Award, "What Was Lost" is a tender and sharply observant debut novel about a missing young girl. …More