Novel set in Paris (both Halal and Kosher…)
- Book: Arab Jazz
- Location: Paris
- Author: Karim Miské
A murder mystery set largely in the 19th arrondissement of Paris – an area to the north of the centre, and a little off the main tourist map. A place where Islamists live alongside orthodox Jews. The two exist peacefully side by side, pretty much ignoring each other (except when some youths form a cross-cultural hip-hop group, or when – a little later in life – they join together in drug dealing activity…).
Laura, an Air France stewardess, is brutally and ritualistically murdered. The initial prime suspect is Ahmed, a mentally troubled individual, who lives in the apartment beneath hers. He has a key to her flat (and there was no forced entry) because he looks after her orchids when she is away on trips. But the investigating police officers – Rachel and her partner Jean (as in the French boy’s name…) – very quickly work out that he is harmless and incapable of the crime. He is determined to help them find the murderer, and quietly falls for Rachel in the process.
The story proceeds at page-turning speed involving both corrupt policeman and very unpleasant Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is very well written and genuinely exciting. Miské has a real talent for exploring the multicultural nature of this part of Paris. He also writes about Brooklyn with authority. He himself, now a journalist and documentary maker, is born to a Mauritian Muslim father and a French Atheist Marxist mother… he clearly knows his subject matter extremely well. One of the areas he has covered is the common roots between Islam and Judaism. Arab Jazz is his first novel, and it bodes very well for the future. Rachel and Jean are the type of investigative police who will grow over time as we become more familiar with their modus operandi.
All in all, Arab Jazz is a very worthwhile read that introduces us to a side of Paris that we might not normally come across. It is a gripping police thriller set against an enthralling background. It has won widespread recognition for Miské – including making him the winner of both the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and the English Pen Award.. And special words of praise should also go to Sam Gordon who provides a quite excellent translation, and to Miles Hyman for his extremely striking cover illustration. It is one of the best we have seen for quite a while – and features in our ‘Book Covers that caught our Eye‘ Board over on Pinterest.
Such a stunning cover, so we posed a few questions over on our blog to the cover designer, Miles Hyman: https://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-in-paris-both-halal-and-kosher/
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