The Deceptive Detective

The Bethlehem Murders is the first in a series of crime novels featuring a Palestinian detective, Omar Yussef. Although to call him a detective is a bit misleading, he is actually a somewhat long-in-the-tooth teacher at a UN school who gets embroiled in the aftermath of the assassination of a local militant. The murder is pinned on a young father, a Christian who was once taught by Yussef. The old man is determined to clear his name and starts poking his nose in the business of some very dangerous people.

Omar Yussef is a deceivingly shambolic, Columbo-esque character whose advanced years, harmless appearance and wonderful sense of humanity allows him to progress through the story as an annoying old duffer without quite bothering the wrong people enough to get himself shot.

Which is not to suggest that this book shies away from the horrors and dangers of life in Palestine. There are some stark scenes and difficult moments which really hit home what it might be like for ordinary decent people living in that part of the world.

The author, Matt Rees, has been a journalist working in Israel for several years and he sensibly, and very cleverly, doesn't take sides when telling this story. Your sympathies lie with Omar because he is a good man trying to do good things but you get to see the injustices of both parties in the conflict and the devastating effect they are having on the general population.

That's all very well and gives the book an original angle but ultimately it will succeed or fail on the strength of its plot. It is a crime novel, after all. And I am pleased to report that it delivers on that front as well. It doesn't rely on lots of twists and surprises, instead opting for a more cumulative approach. Omar gradually works his way to the conclusion and brings the reader along with him.

I was particularly impressed with the fact that Matt doesn't try to deliver a neat or happy ending. He does tie up all the loose ends but is more than prepared for a great deal of collateral character damage along the way. In a land where no one is ever completely safe this is probably the only reasonable way to approach things.

I met Matt when we were both speaking at the same event in Oslo last year. We wandered around the Ibsen museum together and have kept in touch subsequently, so I was predisposed to like this but I wasn't expecting to like it quite as much as I did. It is a page-turner that really made me think and has stayed with me since.

If you like your crime fiction to be intelligent as well as gripping and if you are prepared to tackle something set in an unusual part of the world for this genre then I cannot recommend this series highly enough. I will certainly be reading the rest of the books.

The Bethlehem Murders by Matt Rees is published by Atlantic. It is followed by The Saladin Murders and The Samaritan's Secret, both of which are on my To Be Read pile, and The Fourth Assassin which has just been published.

Oh, and do check out Matt's website and excellent blog which covers many literary and writing subjects as well as the local politics.

Comments

[Matt Beynon Rees]

Thanks for reading -- and enjoying, Scott. I hope THE BETHLEHEM MURDERS stands up next to the great books you're publishing with The Friday Project. See you soon, Matt