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Thursday, February 4, 2010

A Fire in the Sun by George Alec Effinger

A Fire in the SunA Fire in the Sun by George Alec Effinger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book Blurb: Marid Audran has become everything he once despised. Not so long ago, he was a hustler in the Budayeen, an Arabian ghetto in a Balkanized future Earth. Back then, as often as not, he didn’t have the money to buy himself a drink. But he had his independence.

Now Marid works for Friedlander Bey, “godfather” of the Budayeen, a man whose power stretches across a shattered, crumbling world. During the day, Marid is a policeman…and Bey’s personal envoy to the police. His new position has brought him money and power which he would abandon in a moment if he could return to a life of neither owning nor being owned. Which, unfortunately, isn’t one of his options.

It’s also not an issue. For something dark is afoot. Something that is sending the city into chaos. Helping a child-mutilator to avoid arrest. Sending a killer to murder Marid’s partner. Murdering prostitutes and savaging their remains. Signs point to the hand of Abu Adil—the one man in the city whose power rivals Friedlander Bey’s. Whatever happens next, it’s not going to be good news for Marid Audran…


I really enjoyed this book; but I like the dark, murky, mystery stories with the depressed main character trying to figure out who done it while trying not to get killed. Having it set in a futuristic Middle East is just bonus material for me. Arkady Renko from Martin Cruz Smith’s books and Kurt Wallander from Henning Mankells stories are like this.

I do recommend reading the books in order though.


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