City of Veils - Book Review

I won a copy of City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris from Goodreads.com several months ago and I finally received it in my mailbox early last week. I have been anxious and excited to read it.

The murdered body of a young woman has washed up on the beach. The murder was obviously brutal and while the police are investigating they do not hold out much hope of solving yet another murder of a young woman. Katya, a medical examiner, is determined to help solve this case and calls on the help of her friend Nayir.

The fast-paced mystery takes place in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and the setting takes center stage. The setting and the culture is fascinating and some times frightening. As a woman, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the lack of freedoms granted to women in that country. A woman must walk behind her husband. She can be arrested for not covering in public. There are segregated areas in homes--one for men and one for women. The lists go on. The characters in the book, from the ultra-conservative Muslim to the American woman in Saudi Arabia with her husband, are shaped by the culture and surroundings and offer unique view points.

This book definitely inspired me to reflect thankfully on my freedoms in this country and my relationship with my husband. Boy, am I thankful to live in the United States of America.

City of Veils is well written and is a heart-pounding tale of intrigue and duplicity. I would have enjoyed it even more if I'd had time this week to just sit and read it. It begs to be read in a single sitting.

There is an occasional use of crude language. Other than that, the book is a relatively clean read. While I received this book for free, this review is my own honest opinion of the book and no other compensation has been given.