Murder Under the Fig Tree

This is a fascinating book which gave me an in depth look at a culture that I know very little about. In addition to being an absorbing mystery it gave me a look into what life is like for Palestinians, and especially what it means to be a gay Palestinian living in a culture that so disrespects that life choice. This is a story that I will remember for a long time.

This was the first book I have read by this author. I gave it 3.5 stars because in my opinion it was a very political and religious novel. The story is a mystery regarding gay youths in Israel and Palestine.

The beginning was weird. It starts with the main character being imprisoned by Isreaie police. Rania is a Palestinian police woman and ten moths prior to her imprisonment she found out something about two of Israel's top military men. She thought she got away with it only to be imprisoned now. Her friend Chloe from America comes to help get her released.

When she is released many think she has been recruited as an informer. Her work will not let her return and her husband wants a baby. Everything seems to be working against her, even her son is acting weird around her. So she decides to look into the recent death of a male youth in the Palestinian district. Everyone insists the Isreal army was to blame but she wasn't convinced so started to investigate against advise of her husband and superiors. What she finds is a whole underworld network of gay and lesbian people who she apparently was totally unaware off. She now looks at Chloe differently as she is a lesbian and lives with her partner Tina. A young man Daoud has been shot and he was gay and worked as a female impersonator in a club.

Daoud was unfortunately killed because of his lifestyle and what it would do to his family. Rania and Chloe close the case finding who and why he was murdered.

It is a very good mystery but you have to work through the political and religious intricacies which are huge. Not only that the author introduces you to the correct way to speak to people and that gets really confusing. She also shows you how the Palestinians are treated and the amount of suspicion there is in their lives. It is a good read but there is a lot to sort through and the use of different languages only adds to your frustration hence the reason I gave it 3.5 stars.

The mystery itself I'd have given it 4 stars but the rights and wrongs of dealing with the various authorities and groups was immense and think it took away from the story. However I have become more aware of the struggles within the area. Maybe that was the point.

If you want something that is challenging and needs brain power this is for you. If not I would not recommend it. Enjoy!



*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2052711072

amazon 19 september

It is good to get out of ones comfort zone and learn about other cultures and religions. This book is a tough read because of the subject matter and environment, but also because of the language barrier (I find I stumble and need to reread lines with words I cannot pronounce). So slow moving for me, but that's probably just me. The story was interesting and kept me reading even with my personal troubles.

One thing that bothered me was the mention of the son playing a handheld video game which was revealed to be Gears of War because he likes killing. It is not the killing that bothers me (but anyone living in a war zone must be desensitized to it). It was that Gears of War was released for Xbox in 2006 and no handheld version was out at that point. So yeah that bothered me because a simple internet research would have given the author that information if she isn't a gamer.

A worthy installment in this series. This is my second Rania book and I'm very willing to read more.

We know clearly where Raphael's allegiance is but she is also able to give different perspectives which allowed me to get hints of the murky complicated bigger picture in which this story is set.

In a way this setting which places great danger on the 'investigator', danger of life, danger of family, danger of livelihood and danger of liberty, reminds me in a little way of reading 'crime' books set in say Italy's 'anni di piombo' were there too the investigator and his family face life threatening dangers. Raphael writes this nimble and precarious dance the investigator must dance quite well.

When you pick up a mystery with LGBT themes set in Ramallah, Palestine, you know you are in for some uniquely different reading. Chloe, a queer activist from San Francisco, flies to the Middle East when she learns that her friend Rania, a Palestinian policewoman, is in prison. The author lived in Palestine for over a year, and her depiction of the interplay between Arabs and Jews, politics, and personal relationships combine to bring insight into a largely unfamiliar culture. A glossary of both Hebrew and Arabic words is also included.

This is the first book I have read by Kate Jessica Raphael and wish that I read the first book in this series. I felt like I was playing catch-up due to the fact that there were a lot of references made of things that happened in the first book. It can be a stand alone book but better if you read the first book "Murder Under the Bridge".
The story was good but the mystery not much of a mystery. What I did find very interesting was learning more about the issues in the West Bank between the Palestinians and the Israelis. How internal politics are always at play as well as the politics between the two.. Which all related via the well developed characters old and new and the story itself.