Yasmina Khadra Books In Order

Morituri

This remarkable roman policier introduces us to the formidable and yet very human detective writer, Superintendent Llob and his devoted lieutenant Lino. It follows Llob in his search for the missing daughter of Ghoul Malek, one of the top power brokers in Algiers. In his search, Llob must traverse the fear filled streets of Algiers, from the dens of the drug pushers to those of the cruel and fanatical Islamic fundamentalists. The poverty and constant terror and suspicion endemic to Algiers, torn apart by civil war, is set against contrasting glimpses of the corrupt and luxurious high society. The memory of the serene and beautiful Algiers that was makes the current situation all the more heartbreaking. More than just an outstanding mystery novel, with Morituri Khadra paints an unforgettable picture of the tragedy of modern Algeria, in language of breathtaking power and poetry.

Double Blank

Ben Ouda, a senior ranking diplomat is found savagely murdered. Is this yet another victim of the never ending Islamic fundamentalist violence plaguing Algiers? Inspector Llob has doubts: Ben Ouda had too many fiends, too many far fetched theories…
Against the background of a city in turmoil, Inspector Llob navigates the Algiers underworld and its rich elite. He resists the pressure of politicians, fundamentalists and crooks, in his pursuit of the truth

In the name of God

The descent of a peaceful village into the horrors of civil war: Khadra brings to life a conflict largely unknown to those in the English speaking world. Imagine becoming accustomed to terror on a daily basis. Imagine finding it normal to betray your neighbour. Imagine your worst fears being replaced by complacency, your natural compassion by cold indifference. In the name of God illustrates the way evil c an become a part of everyday life. And it is the story of Algeria today. The moving translation into English is by Linda Black.

Wolf Dreams

How does a handsome young man who keeps company with poets and dreams of fame and fortune in the movie business become a brutal killer who massacres women and children without turning a hair? ‘Wolf Dreams‘ reveals this transformation in a novel of unflinching detail and commanding prose. The story follows Nafa Walid, heart throb of the Casbah, as he gradually loses control of his destiny and becomes drawn into the Islamic Fundamentalist movement. ‘Wolf Dreams‘ illustrates how disappointment and disillusion, when they intersect with the persuasive voice of fundamentalism and the chaos of civil war, can transform a normal, middle class young man into a mindless assassin; a man who inflicts pain and terror on others without qualms, and accepts the idea of his own death with devotion.

The Swallows of Kabul

From Publishers Weekly Khadra is the nom de plume for Algerian army officer Mohamed Moulessehoul In the Name of God; Wolf Dreams, who illustrates the effects of repression on a pair of Kabul couples in this slim, harrowing novel of life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Gloomy prison guard Atiq Shaukat is tired of his grim duties, keeping watch over prisoners slated for public execution. Life at home, where his wife, Musarrat, is slowly dying of a chronic illness, is no better. Mohsen Ramat, meanwhile, clings to the remains of his middle class life together with his beautiful, progressive wife, Zunaira, after the Taliban strip them of their livelihood and dignity. Khadra’s storytelling style recalls that of Naguib Mahfouz in the early chapters, in which the tense dissatisfaction of both couples is revealed. The pivotal event occurs when Ramat discharges his frustrations by participating in the brutal stoning of a female Taliban prisoner. The incident changes the dynamic of his marriage; after an extended argument about the incident, Ramat persuades Zunaira to go for a stroll in downtown Kabul and the couple is harassed and nearly brutalized by Taliban soldiers. Zunaira continues to bridle at her situation, and when their next argument turns physical, Ramat falls and dies after hitting his head on the wall. Shaukat is given the assignment of guarding Zunaira after she is arrested and charged with murder, and his instant infatuation with her sets off a remarkable chain of events. Khadra’s simple, elegant prose, finely drawn characters and chilling insights ‘Kabul has become the antechamber to the great beyond’ prepare the way for the terrible climax. Like Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, this is a superb meditation on the fate of the Afghan people. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Autumn of the Phantoms

Brahim Llob, the policeman writer, is summoned by the chief of Algerian police and is fired for having published Morituri, the book which the Algerian establishment considered dishonourable and full of lies. Following a trip back to his hometown where he becomes a victim of an attack by a GIA commando, Llob goes back to Algiers. Fiction and reality intermesh in this third volume of the Inspector Llob series, which has the violence of Algeria as a constant supporting character throughout.

The Attack

Dr. Amin Jaafari, an Arab Israeli citizen, is a surgeon at a hospital in Tel Aviv. Dedicated to his work, respected and admired by his colleagues and community, he represents integration at its most successful. He has learned to live with the violence and chaos that plague his city, and on the night of a deadly bombing in a local restaurant, he works tirelessly to help the shocked and shattered patients brought to the emergency room. But this night of turmoil and death takes a horrifyingly personal turn. His wife’s body is found among the dead, with massive injuries, the police coldly announce, typical of those found on the bodies of fundamentalist suicide bombers. As evidence mounts that his wife, Sihem, was responsible for the catastrophic bombing, Dr. Jaafari is torn between cherished memories of their years together and the inescapable realization that the beautiful, intelligent, thoroughly modern woman he loved had a life far removed from the comfortable, assimilated existence they shared. From the graphic, beautifully rendered description of the bombing that opens the novel to the searing conclusion, The Attack portrays the reality of terrorism and its incalculable spiritual costs. Intense and humane, devoid of political bias, hatred, and polemics, it probes deep inside the Muslim world and gives readers a profound understanding of what seems impossible to understand.

The Sirens of Baghdad

Yasmina Khadra may well be the most powerful and serious writer in French since his Algerian compatriot Albert Camus. Philadelphia Inquirer

The third novel in Yasmina Khadra’s bestselling trilogy about Islamic fundamentalism brings readers into Baghdad.

Forced to leave the University of Baghdad when the Americans invade Iraq, a young man from a small desert village returns home, where he witnesses three events that transform him. First, American soldiers at a checkpoint kill the sweet and beloved village idiot. Several days later, an American plane bombs a wedding on the outskirts of the village. And then one night, soldiers looking for terrorists come to the young man s own home and humiliate his father in full view of the terrified family. Consumed by the desire to avenge this unspeakable act, the youth leaves the village for the city.

Baghdad is going up in flames. The young man searches for a place to stay before being taken in by a radical group and convincing its members that he is willing to do anything to help their cause. After proving his mettle by participating in several attacks, he is sent to Beirut to undertake a super secret mission that will take him to London. As the time to board the plane nears, he struggles to reconcile his mission with his moral principles.

A masterful and chilling look at violence and its effects on ordinary people, The Sirens of Baghdad probes situations few writers dare examine. Powerfully written like Khadra s previous novels, it explores the depths of human nature and shows that, even in the most horrific circumstances, good can prevail.

Dead Man’s Share

Superintendent Brahim Llob is bored. Nothing seems to need his attention in an unusually peaceful Algiers. Then suddenly peace is shatterd in ways Llob could never have imagined. His subordinate, Lieutenant Lino, falls for an entirely unsuitable woman, and is devastated when she returns to a previous lover, the wealthy and influential Haj Thobane. Thobane survives an attempted murder that kills his chauffeur and Lino’s gun is found at the scene. With Lino languishing in prison, it is up to Llob to face down the corrupt echelons of the Algerian goverment to find the truth about what happened the night of the murder. The search will take the world weary Llob down avenues even he has never encountered and will force him to delve into his beloved country’s brutal past.