Frederick Highland, Night Falls on Damascus

Night Falls on Damascus

Frederick Highland

Dunne, December 2006, $23.95

ISBN 0312337892

In 1930's French controlled Syria, Chief of the Damascus Prefecture Police Inspector Nikolai Faroun investigates the gruesome murder of modern westernized woman Vera Tamiri. Nikolai always tries to do a thorough job, but this time the pressure is higher than normal, as the victim comes from an affluent powerful local family.

Nikolai assumes, like most of the brass that an angry jealous lover killed Vera for dumping him, though who remains an issue. However, being a professional he begins to also look elsewhere amongst her friends, family, and business associates; especially the latter, as Vera was deeply involved in many philanthropic projects demanding social changes to grant rights to the abused and oppressed women and children, who, in her mind were treated as being less than slaves.

NIGHT FALLS ON DAMASCUS is actually a complex somewhat convoluted historical mystery that brings to life Syria during the 1930's French occupation. Readers will follow the exploits of Faroun as he investigates the murder, but also learn how angry the locals are with the European neo-colonial occupation. Though two decades later, Frederick Highland's fine mystery will remind the audience of the Mamur Zapt tales by Michael Pearce. Sub-genre fans will appreciate this whodunit, and they will want more appearances from Police Inspector Faroun.