Mismatch of genres fails to fire
The Reluctant Muslim By Alexander Logan, Wild Side Publishing, $34.99
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A chance remark from a friend while playing squash sets Tom, a surgeon in Brisbane, thinking of Kaye, his ex lover. On reflection Tom felt he had not really treated Kate fairly and hoping to make amends Tom invites Kaye out for dinner. The dinner seemed to go well, but Tom felt Kaye was keeping something from him. She was. As a journalist Kaye had made contact with a women’s group in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Women’s Revolutionary Association led by Minnah Muetton, a French educated Afghan. She was planning on joining them. Later when Tom heard Kaye had gone missing in Afghanistan presumed kidnapped, he felt he owed it to Kaye to go look for her. He joined a surgical unit in an Afghani hospital as a cover. What follows is a story of murder, more kidnapping which results in the story moving to Marseilles where both Tom, Kaye and their Muslim friends take on Ahmed Bakir, both a terrorist and a major arms dealer. They act as decoys for the French police with varying success.
I think this novel could have benefited by some good editing. I am not sure whether the author really knew which direction to take. It seemed to be a bit of a mishmash, a romance, mystery story, exploration of decaying Western values, the sexual power played out all in the name of Islam and how easily one can be seduced by wealth and flattery. It was all a bit too much and seemed to me to lack credibility. I have read better.
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