Tangled Web UK Review June 2008
The Saladin Murders (Omar Yussef Mystery Series) by
Matt Rees
pbk out July 08
(Atlantic Books)
at £6.99
Matt Rees was born in South Wales, but lives in Jerusalem now, and has covered the Middle East as a journalist for a decade. The first Omar Yussef story, The Bethlehem Murders, was named Book of the Year in the Guardian. This is the second to feature the quiet but determined history teacher turned part-time detective.
Omar Yussef has left the comparative comfort of his Bethlehem home for sand-blown Gaza. Along with his boss, Swede Magnus Wallender, he is there to inspect the UN schools. When they arrive, they discover that one of their teachers, Eyad Masharawi, has been incarcerated, and accused of various crimes including spying for the CIA. Masharawi also worked part-time for the university, and it appears his arrest has been caused by his exposure of corruption at this establishment. It seems someone is selling degrees to the officers of Preventive Security so that they can get promotion. Professor Maki, the head of the university professes he cannot help get the man released - he is truly a troublemaker. As Omar lifts some stones, he uncovers the dangerous world of conflicting power-bases and gangs that run Gaza between them. The main stand-off is between Military Intelligence, led by General Husseini, famous for the Husseini Manicure - a torture involving chopping finger-ends off - and Colonel al-Fara of Preventive Security.
Seemingly unrelated events take place, including the possible smuggling into Gaza of a prototype missile, and the kidnapping of Magnus Wallender. But Omar is reminded by his friend and police chief back home, Khamis Zeydan, that there is no single isolated crime in Gaza. Each one is linked to many others. As Omar investigates, he realises just how true this is, and he is running out of time if he wants to save both Masharawi and Wallender.
Rees draws a startlingly vivid picture of both the daily horror of living in Gaza, and the background of normal daily life that still carries on in this mess. The delicate politenesses of greetings, and the offers of hospitality are in stark contrast to the other side of reality in Gaza, where violence rules, and torture is commonplace. This is the context in which Omar Yussef operates. After the first book there were extravagant comparisons between Omar and Morse, or Rebus. Omar Yussef Sirhan is neither of these. He is not a policeman, after all. He is just an honourable man striving to bring justice and reason to the mad world that is the Palestinians’.
(
Ian Morson
Author of Falconer books and short listed for 1999 Ellis Peters Historical Crime Dagger)
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