Finding Nouf is about the disappearance of a 16 year old girl. Nouf ash-Shrawi, the daughter of a wealthy and influential family, was by all accounts surrounded by comforts and led a happy life. Also she was to be married in three days. Her sudden disappearance leads to much speculation and efforts are made to find her. Did she run away ? Was she kidnapped ? And most importantly – is she still alive ?

This might have been a run-of-the-mill mystery, except for the fact that it is situated in contemporary Saudi Arabia and gives us an insight into its culture. The main protagonist is Nayir al-Sharqi, a devout Muslim bachelor. Nayir is a desert guide who has often worked for the Shrawis. Also Othman the youngest Shrawi son is a good friend of Nayir’s. When asked by them to look into Nouf’s disappearance, Nayir leads a search into the desert. Nouf’s body is found (although not by Nayir) in a desert “wadi”.

The second sleuth in this novel is Katya Hijazi, Othman’s very educated fiancée. Katya works in the medical examiner’s office. Once Nouf’s body is found and the post-mortem report reveals oddities, Nayir and Katya, a very unlikely team, work in tandem to find Nouf’s killer.

The story is told from Nayir’s point-of-view. Nayir is a pious Muslim, who has a difficult time even looking at a woman’s uncovered face. In accordance with Muslim Law Nayir keeps his distance from females in the physical world, and in his mental one. Although uncomfortable with females in general, and educated outspoken women in particular, Nayir also feels unease at the oppressive rules of society. When faced with the prospect of working with Katya, who is not the average Saudi-Arabian woman, although she covers her face, a hermit-like Nayir is hesitant and almost hostile. Under Katya’s influence, however slight, will Nayir be forced to open his mind ?

This was a very interesting book because of the well-told mystery, and the nicely-crafted characters and setting. Ferraris writes enticingly, drawing you into her world. Also she manages to keep up the pace, and deliver quite a few twists and turns to the mystery. What made this book worthwhile though is the look-see into the minds of the characters, and their thoughts as they pertain to women living and attempting to work in a society bound by Muslim law. 

A great read, this one is highly recommended.