PDL's International Mystery Book Group discussion

"Finding Nouf" by Zoë Ferraris is our April book. Here is a quick re-introduction to the mystery:

Among the well-to-do families of Jeddah, Palestinian-born desert guide Nayir is an outsider. But when Nouf ash-Shrawi, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy Saudi dynasty, disappears just before her arranged marriage, Nayir is the man the Shrawis trust to bring her home. Days later Nouf's body is found in a desert wadi, but Nayir's task is not over; he feels compelled to uncover the disturbing circumstances surrounding her death. His search takes him far from his natural terrain, away from the endless dunes and empty skies of the desert and into the city of Jeddah, with its oppressive monuments, foreigners' compounds and shuttered apartments. Most troubling of all, his investigations force him to work closely with Katya Hijazi, a forensic scientist. He finds himself struggling with emotions he has fought all his life to repress and with loyalties he has never before questioned: to old friends, to his faith, and to a culture in which women take their secrets to their graves.

Overall, what did you think of this book? Did you like it? Was there anything you would change about the book?

One thing I particularly like about international mysteries is the ability to “ visit” and learn about different places. Unfortunately I read mixed reviews on the cultural accuracy of this book. So I feel I can’t be sure what to take away from this novel.
I liked that the mystery took an unexpected twist at the end & that I did not have it all figured out too early. Not sure all the clues were there- that would necessitate a re-read.
I struggled with the gender roles which detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. I’m glad I read it, but not sure I’ll continue with the series.

I think you summed up a few of my reactions nicely! You can definitely tell while reading that it is a first novel and she does end up falling into some pitfalls of a new mystery author in regards to plot. However, I did appreciate how thoroughly she brought us to another country and setting. I think her cultural depictions were influenced by the time she spent living in Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War, but they were definitely fictionalized and influenced by personal experience.