The Ghost Runner (Makana Mystery #3) by Parker Bilal

Review by: Meagan Dashcund

The short
Stuck in Sahara Suburbia

The long
We follow our trusted private investigator, Makana, into an oasis town on the outskirts of the Sahara where he hunts for answers to a young girl’s death. Buried grievances are dug up as Siwa town gossip surrounds Makan and his search for clues. The atmosphere starkly contrasts the bustle of Cairo streets both physically and culturally, as the operations of cross border smugglers and racketeering steal the center stage away from the corruption of the city. The thrilling plot twists are only outdone by the way Bilal brings post-9/11 Egypt to life.

To read or not to read?
A beautiful continuation of Makana’s world that is quite hard-hitting in its depiction of Egyptian government and politics. Not for the faint of heart, but worth the read for a look into local and international politics around Egypt.