Sweetsmoke and Finding Nouf

Two paperback books this year have joined the mystery genre together with unusual places or times (the first, Sweetsmoke, I have already reviewed in these pages. It combines the south during the Civil War with the slave Cassius as detective.  The second is Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris, and both have done marvelous jobs! Finding Nouf is the story of the disappearance of 16 year old Nouf  just before she is to be married.  The  prominent family hires a desert tracker, al-Sharqi to help.  Once her body is found, the tracker becomes a detective and this is not easy, as this is Saudi Arabia and he is not allowed to talk to women or ask questions of everyone.  The glimpse of contemporary Saudi life is fascinating.  Al-Sharqi partners with Katya, an unusual woman working at the coroner's office, so he can get access to more information. All of this challenges him and forces him to confront his beliefs and the limitations of his society.  One scene describes trying to eat an ice cream cone at a family amusement park; other scenes show the cloistered life with some freedoms the upper class women endure.  A great read, combining, as it does, information about a closed society and a mystery/detective story and a love story as well. I loved it!