The Silencer by Paul Alkazraji

My rating: 4 of 5 stars





They said...

‘Paul Alkazraji's novel conveys a vivid and atmospheric impression of life in the Balkans. His characters are believable and real, some of them loveable and slightly eccentric. This is a thriller in the old style, building up a picture with skill and dexterity, and as the plot becomes tense towards the end of the book, it is a real page-turner. Highly recommended!!’

Grace Turner. Author of ‘The Kings Gold’, Monarch Books.

---

Great holiday read

‘I enjoyed this read while taking time out; it was easy to recognize the Balkan attitudes, the dangers in that area of the world, and the fundamentalist mindset. A great read for a journey or the beach, with a tea or a Raki.’

Ian Loring, subject of ‘Christ and the Kalashnikov’, Zondervan. Amazon.co.uk

---

Great story by a master creator of images

‘The Silencer does a wonderful job of bringing to life the culture, climate and topography of the Balkans, especially Turkey, Greece and Albania. I've been living in the Balkans myself for 24 years and I instantly recognized the place descriptions in Paul's book. And it's not a bad tale, either. Paul gives an excellent portrayal of Albanian culture, both its positive and negative aspects. He tells an inspiring story of selflessness, sacrifice, and love overcoming evil. Highly recommended.’

Dan Truitt. Amazon.co.uk

---




A gripping read from start to finish

‘The Silencer is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller set in Albania and Turkey. It captures the atmosphere and characters of Albania very well, and the plot carries you along at a great pace. Full of suspense, I found it hard to put the book down. I rarely read books more than once but am about to read The Silencer again!’

Andrew Avramenko. Amazon.co.uk

---

‘Portraying faith in fiction is a major challenge. Believers tend to do it badly, and unbelievers find it hard to believe in! But faith is a huge part of life for millions of people... why shouldn't it surface in good-quality fiction? Paul Alkazraji's 'The silencer' is an excellent example of a whole new genre: stories that take faith seriously without seeking overtly to 'convert'. Faith-based without being faith-biased, The Silencer is a fast-moving tale that beautifully captures the landscapes and cultures of Albania. This is an author who has found a new home; has fallen in love with it, and is not afraid to let that love shape his writing. The book offers particular insight into the small but growing Albanian evangelical community: a faith-group that was officially non-existent until the Iron Curtain came down. The attempt to grow church in the nation once declared as the world's first fully atheist state; the pressures of corruption and opposition; the raw beauty of the place and its people - these are the threads that weave together to form this intriguing tale.’ This review also appears on my blog, lovethewords.com

Gerard Kelly, author.

---

A very Albanian murder

A Christian novel to be enjoyed at your leisure! This is a ‘who-dun-it’ set in Albania, and while the characters and the intrigue are completely fictional it is not difficult to understand how they could be so real in the political climate of the area. The blurb states that ‘mission is no Christian monopoly’ and as the story unfolds we see the ‘political’ and fanatical groups that endanger the work of the gospel today. A good, easy read for the lengthening evenings or a good stocking filler if this is the genre of books that you enjoy!

Val Maidstone, pastor’s wife from Dorking. Evangelicals Now, UK. November 2013.

---

‘The book is a fitting tribute to Berti (Dosti)... and thousands of other brave Albanian Christians whose testimonies helped the Church survive a difficult rebirth...” “...keeps the reader on a knife-edge until the final page.’

John Butterworth. Author of ‘God's Secret Listener’ reviewing for ‘Inspire’ UK.

---

A clear picture of the struggles, joys, and areas for prayer facing all missionaries…

‘First of all, let me say that if I was a missionary in Albania, I would want every one of my friends, family and supporters to read this book. It gives a clear picture of the struggles, joys, and areas for prayer facing all missionaries living and working with Albanians. It's done in an honest, but not sappy or overly-spiritualizing way, and I was so pleased to see such an excellent treatment of the realities of life there. It's given me new avenues for prayer. Well done.

We worked and lived in Eastern Europe and Russia for some years, so I'm familiar with a lot of the issues presented in the book. I love that it's fiction, so no one is 'implicated'. Yet, it gives the picture very clearly and without bias.’

Name withheld.




All photos. Peter Wilson.



View all my reviews

New by Paul Alkazraji.