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Omar Yussef Mystery #4
Fourth Assassin: An Omar Yussef Mystery
Arriving to visit his son Ala in the heavily Palestinian neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Omar Yussef discovers the beheaded body of one of the boy's roommates. When Ala is arrested as a suspect, Omar Yussef must investigate to prove his son's innocence, uncovering a deadly conspiracy of international proportions.
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First published January 1, 2010
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190 people want to read
About the author
Matt Rees
42 books196 followersI'm an award-winning writer of international thrillers, mysteries, and historical fiction. I'm giving away a FREE ebook THE THRILLER CHECKLIST, a no-nonsense guide to get your thriller written. Get it here: http://bit.ly/2r2jciK.
My novels have grown out of my career as a Middle East correspondent, which took me into culture very different from my own, and my love of history, which takes me into times very different from now. But those places and times aren't so completely different. I love to examine the emotions that connect you and me to people who live in distant places or distant times.
My books have been dramatized for BBC Radio and published in 25 languages. Along the way I picked up some major awards (a Crime Writers Association Dagger in the UK and a National Jewish Book Council finalist in the US)) and some nice compliments: major authors have compared my writing with the work of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Georges Simenon and Henning Mankell.
My novels have grown out of my career as a Middle East correspondent, which took me into culture very different from my own, and my love of history, which takes me into times very different from now. But those places and times aren't so completely different. I love to examine the emotions that connect you and me to people who live in distant places or distant times.
My books have been dramatized for BBC Radio and published in 25 languages. Along the way I picked up some major awards (a Crime Writers Association Dagger in the UK and a National Jewish Book Council finalist in the US)) and some nice compliments: major authors have compared my writing with the work of Graham Greene, John Le Carre, Georges Simenon and Henning Mankell.
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March 1, 2019
I made no notes on the first Omar Yussef mystery I read as I felt somewhat ambivalent about this character whose name appeared at the beginning of too many paragraphs, creating a monotone rhythm I didn't care for. Omar was a hard Palestinian to cozy up to, though his qualities of standing up for his community and bolstering his students to follow the right path were admirable.
The West Bank conflicts were difficult to take in and his actions toward solving a murder were sometimes dangerously clumsy. Now I understand the author really had to lay that foundation of what drove Omar as he attempted to protect as well as correct his students of old. He was a history teacher in a UN school.
This fourth book of the series brings him to New York to speak at a UN conference, giving him the opportunity to visit his son living in Brooklyn. It is one of the most traumatic starts to a book that I have read. We enter his thoughts as he is trying to adjust to the cold, wet weather compared to Bethlehem; he did not have a warm enough jacket or a hat; the big city transportation and atmosphere of the streets were all overwhelming to this older gentle soul. When he gets to his son's flat the door is ajar and he walks in to find a young man on a bed who had been beheaded. He couldn't tell if it was his son or not, but he did manage to remember the numbers to dial for the police.
I will not add anything further to spoil this book for others. The overall tone of these books is one of respect for life and faith in God. I have read other West Bank books and this one stands out.
In his efforts to protect a group of his students who are now in trouble he gains the assistance of a policeman from home, one he feels he can count on.
Quotes from book:
"I dreamed about several heads...Everyone's head cut off...Somehow it's most appropriate for death to come that way...It should take something more mystical than a bullet to kill a man."
"Hear me out...I can't blame the Israelis for wanting Palestine. It's a beautiful land. Neither can I fault the Americans for living like pigs - what else would you expect from infidels? But we Palestinians are destroying ourselves, and it makes me sick. So I abandoned our cause."
Action in this book includes attempted assassination of Palestine's President at UN conference, several deaths of key characters and war against Islamic Jihad drug ring that forcibly recruited young men when imprisoned back in Bethlehem.
The West Bank conflicts were difficult to take in and his actions toward solving a murder were sometimes dangerously clumsy. Now I understand the author really had to lay that foundation of what drove Omar as he attempted to protect as well as correct his students of old. He was a history teacher in a UN school.
This fourth book of the series brings him to New York to speak at a UN conference, giving him the opportunity to visit his son living in Brooklyn. It is one of the most traumatic starts to a book that I have read. We enter his thoughts as he is trying to adjust to the cold, wet weather compared to Bethlehem; he did not have a warm enough jacket or a hat; the big city transportation and atmosphere of the streets were all overwhelming to this older gentle soul. When he gets to his son's flat the door is ajar and he walks in to find a young man on a bed who had been beheaded. He couldn't tell if it was his son or not, but he did manage to remember the numbers to dial for the police.
I will not add anything further to spoil this book for others. The overall tone of these books is one of respect for life and faith in God. I have read other West Bank books and this one stands out.
In his efforts to protect a group of his students who are now in trouble he gains the assistance of a policeman from home, one he feels he can count on.
Quotes from book:
"I dreamed about several heads...Everyone's head cut off...Somehow it's most appropriate for death to come that way...It should take something more mystical than a bullet to kill a man."
"Hear me out...I can't blame the Israelis for wanting Palestine. It's a beautiful land. Neither can I fault the Americans for living like pigs - what else would you expect from infidels? But we Palestinians are destroying ourselves, and it makes me sick. So I abandoned our cause."
Action in this book includes attempted assassination of Palestine's President at UN conference, several deaths of key characters and war against Islamic Jihad drug ring that forcibly recruited young men when imprisoned back in Bethlehem.
June 7, 2012
First Sentence: As he left the R train and came up the narrow, gum-blackened steps from the Fourth Avenue subway in Brooklyn, Omar Yussef glanced around for armed robbers and smiled.
Palestinian Omar Yussef is in New York City for a UN conference, thinking the worst he’ll experience is dealing with his boss, who hates him. He does not expect to going to Brooklyn to visit his son and finding a beheaded body on his son’s bed. Yussef becomes caught up in trying to achieve justice while dealing with murder, deception, and some of the same political struggles from home being brought to this country.
What a fascinating book this was. We are introduced to Little Palestine in Brooklyn as the protagonist is introduced to a new country. We see a bit of this country through someone not only from a different place, but an entirely different culture. The author evocatively depicts the conflicts of young people raised in a strict culture but now, in the US, living in one which is much more open. At the same time, we learn a bit more about Arab culture; the different factions and religions, the customs and courtesies and how complicated it all is—the pressures brought to bear on men by the varying groups; and on women by their families and religious customs. To paraphrase the author, it is a life driven by politics and ideology, murder and greed.
In Yussef, Rees has created a wonderful character. He is much more than a schoolteacher, but someone who has lived in violence and has fought to survive. He questions whether he has done any good through his teaching. There is a scene of emotional devastation which is very strong yet, even as do Catholics, he instinctively responds to the scene with the conventions of his faith. I particularly appreciate the author providing us with Youseff’s inner dialogue; his thoughts, fears and observations. He does occasionally do things which, in a female, might be considered too-stupid-to-live, but can be excused by the stranger-in-a-strange-land mentality of not knowing who to trust. Yusseff, as a character, is nicely balanced by his friend, Khamis Zeydan, the Bethlehem chief of police, also there for the UN conference. There is excellent dialogue throughout the book, but the interchanges between them allow for flashes of dry humor, which is particularly appreciated.
The story has a very good, if slightly and increasingly complicated, plot. The author handles plot twists and surprises very effectively. There is tension but it is someone lost in the complexity. There’s almost too much going on.
“The Fourth Assassin” is certainly a compelling read, as much for what can be learned about a different culture, as for the mystery itself.
THE FOURTH ASSASSIN (Mys-Omar Yussef-NYC-Contemporary) – G+
Rees, Matt Beynon – 4th book in series
Soho Crime, ©2010
Palestinian Omar Yussef is in New York City for a UN conference, thinking the worst he’ll experience is dealing with his boss, who hates him. He does not expect to going to Brooklyn to visit his son and finding a beheaded body on his son’s bed. Yussef becomes caught up in trying to achieve justice while dealing with murder, deception, and some of the same political struggles from home being brought to this country.
What a fascinating book this was. We are introduced to Little Palestine in Brooklyn as the protagonist is introduced to a new country. We see a bit of this country through someone not only from a different place, but an entirely different culture. The author evocatively depicts the conflicts of young people raised in a strict culture but now, in the US, living in one which is much more open. At the same time, we learn a bit more about Arab culture; the different factions and religions, the customs and courtesies and how complicated it all is—the pressures brought to bear on men by the varying groups; and on women by their families and religious customs. To paraphrase the author, it is a life driven by politics and ideology, murder and greed.
In Yussef, Rees has created a wonderful character. He is much more than a schoolteacher, but someone who has lived in violence and has fought to survive. He questions whether he has done any good through his teaching. There is a scene of emotional devastation which is very strong yet, even as do Catholics, he instinctively responds to the scene with the conventions of his faith. I particularly appreciate the author providing us with Youseff’s inner dialogue; his thoughts, fears and observations. He does occasionally do things which, in a female, might be considered too-stupid-to-live, but can be excused by the stranger-in-a-strange-land mentality of not knowing who to trust. Yusseff, as a character, is nicely balanced by his friend, Khamis Zeydan, the Bethlehem chief of police, also there for the UN conference. There is excellent dialogue throughout the book, but the interchanges between them allow for flashes of dry humor, which is particularly appreciated.
The story has a very good, if slightly and increasingly complicated, plot. The author handles plot twists and surprises very effectively. There is tension but it is someone lost in the complexity. There’s almost too much going on.
“The Fourth Assassin” is certainly a compelling read, as much for what can be learned about a different culture, as for the mystery itself.
THE FOURTH ASSASSIN (Mys-Omar Yussef-NYC-Contemporary) – G+
Rees, Matt Beynon – 4th book in series
Soho Crime, ©2010
December 21, 2022
3.5/5 A fine , satisfying end to a different series.
Crime fiction is one of my favourite genres and nowadays I prefer crime fiction which has a different setting in place and/or time.
This one was set in Palestine. And while the name Israel may come to mind when talking of Palestine, Israel/Israelites have a negligible role to play in the series. This was surprising because usually the left-leaning media of the West loves to demonise Israel and India while totally buying wholesale the victimhood of Palestine / Kashmir. So, Israel has NOT been demonised here and the focus was on the portrayal of life and politics of Palestine.
If you consider them purely as crime-fiction, they were at-best decent reads. But combined with the setting, they were worth my time.
PS:- Also, they can be read in a day so that too is satisfying in a different way.
PPS:- To think of it, must have read 30-40 Agatha Christie novels in the past 25 years. And got thru them without knowing anything about the World Wars / Cold War / Holocaust / sufferage movements etc.
Crime fiction is one of my favourite genres and nowadays I prefer crime fiction which has a different setting in place and/or time.
This one was set in Palestine. And while the name Israel may come to mind when talking of Palestine, Israel/Israelites have a negligible role to play in the series. This was surprising because usually the left-leaning media of the West loves to demonise Israel and India while totally buying wholesale the victimhood of Palestine / Kashmir. So, Israel has NOT been demonised here and the focus was on the portrayal of life and politics of Palestine.
If you consider them purely as crime-fiction, they were at-best decent reads. But combined with the setting, they were worth my time.
PS:- Also, they can be read in a day so that too is satisfying in a different way.
PPS:- To think of it, must have read 30-40 Agatha Christie novels in the past 25 years. And got thru them without knowing anything about the World Wars / Cold War / Holocaust / sufferage movements etc.
February 1, 2021
One of the things I like about this series is that it is rooted in current events. The "mystery" is actually secondary.
September 26, 2023
In the fourth Omar Yussef episode, he is in New York to make a speech at a UN conference on Palestine, while his police friend Khamis is there to guard the Palenstine president. Visiting his youngest son at his Brooklyn apartment, he finds one of the roommates decapitated. All is not well in America, as Omar’s sons have either assimilated or turned to zealotry in response to Western temptation. References to the Assassins, their castle Alamut, and the Mahdi abound at the crime scene, so Omar knows his son's friends, his former pupils, are involved. Soon he is unraveling drug deals, love triangles and modern assassination plots, as he can’t escape the violence of his homeland even in New York.
I must say I was disappointed with this book. After three exceptionally excellent political thrillers that evoked the Middle East in great detail, Rees seems to lose sight of that gritty realism in the New York setting. The Arabic-American cop on the murder case confides far too often in Omar for no particular reason. A man is shot at the UN and the conference is not cancelled or postponed, which is absurd. And the end brings more shooting that smacks of action movie theatrics. Rees’ prose is still sharp and Omar remains a highly sympathetic character, driven to do good by guilt and love of his culture, but this book feels like a abrupt misstep.
I must say I was disappointed with this book. After three exceptionally excellent political thrillers that evoked the Middle East in great detail, Rees seems to lose sight of that gritty realism in the New York setting. The Arabic-American cop on the murder case confides far too often in Omar for no particular reason. A man is shot at the UN and the conference is not cancelled or postponed, which is absurd. And the end brings more shooting that smacks of action movie theatrics. Rees’ prose is still sharp and Omar remains a highly sympathetic character, driven to do good by guilt and love of his culture, but this book feels like a abrupt misstep.
July 19, 2010
this is the best Omar Yusef yet apart from the 1st "the Collaborator of Bethlehem". Characters are so believable that one starts conflating them with real history and news. Rees' characters seem to be getting angrier as this series progresses. here' a great summation line, talking of Muslim societies in general and Palestinian specifically (and usa righteousness?): "No animal would seek its own death. An animal doesn't expect to elevate itself by dying. It's our civilization that leads down the disgusting course to the suicidal assassin. Our search for meanings higher than mere existence, life after death. It's the ultimate achievement of our dreadful civilization" i cannot wait for another book book by Matt Beynon Rees.
July 22, 2010
I thought the novelty of a Palestinian lead character in New York City and a notice in the New York Times would lead to a positive reading experience.
But no. The ending is totally contrived and the plot is weak. So the unusual aspects, which are interesting, don't make up for the fact that the story is crap.
But no. The ending is totally contrived and the plot is weak. So the unusual aspects, which are interesting, don't make up for the fact that the story is crap.
May 8, 2015
Hard to get into in the beginning, but once I did, it was hard to put down. Very well written.
August 6, 2018
Omar Yussef Does It Again!
A wonderful mystery full of political and cultural touchstones. This time out our protagonist is in New York for a UN conference and to visit his son Ala who is living in New York with 2 more of Omar Yussif's former students. However all is not well (is it ever in a murder mystery? ;-) ) and one of his roomates winds up dead.
As the story unfolds we find that when they were 12 Ala and 3 of his friends (the 4 Assassins) had pretended to be disciples of the medieval "Old Man of the Mountain", leader of the Hashishins (Assassins). Abu Ramiz (Omar Yussef), ever the history teacher, encouraged the boys in their fantasy and took on the role of their leader. The motif of the Assassins guild works its way into the plot and it seems that now that the boys are grown up the game may have grown real. Is Abu Ramiz responsible for what the boys have become?
The plot twists in unexpected ways and just when you think the mysteries have been resolved they twist again, but everything is believable, everything is consistent. The characterizations are excellent from a token collector in the subway to Hamza Abayat the ex patriot Palestinian and now NYC police detective, the beautiful Rania and the portrayals of locations, even distant ones like Bethlehem, the Bekka Valley in Lebanon or ones near the action are deftly and evocatively drawn against a backdrop of competing Palestinian factions. Old favorites re-emerge such as Magnus Wallender (too briefly) and Khamis Zeydan, who Abu Ramiz's best friend, Bethlehem's well connected Chief of Police and acting security advisor to the President (never named! - a good literary move as it will not make the story dated later on) on his visit to America and the UN.
I greatly enjoyed the book and I'm definitely hooked for the next installment. A double blessing on author Matt Beynon Rees. May Allah provide him with even more tales to tell of his intrepid school teacher detective.
Alas this appears to be the last in the series.
A wonderful mystery full of political and cultural touchstones. This time out our protagonist is in New York for a UN conference and to visit his son Ala who is living in New York with 2 more of Omar Yussif's former students. However all is not well (is it ever in a murder mystery? ;-) ) and one of his roomates winds up dead.
As the story unfolds we find that when they were 12 Ala and 3 of his friends (the 4 Assassins) had pretended to be disciples of the medieval "Old Man of the Mountain", leader of the Hashishins (Assassins). Abu Ramiz (Omar Yussef), ever the history teacher, encouraged the boys in their fantasy and took on the role of their leader. The motif of the Assassins guild works its way into the plot and it seems that now that the boys are grown up the game may have grown real. Is Abu Ramiz responsible for what the boys have become?
The plot twists in unexpected ways and just when you think the mysteries have been resolved they twist again, but everything is believable, everything is consistent. The characterizations are excellent from a token collector in the subway to Hamza Abayat the ex patriot Palestinian and now NYC police detective, the beautiful Rania and the portrayals of locations, even distant ones like Bethlehem, the Bekka Valley in Lebanon or ones near the action are deftly and evocatively drawn against a backdrop of competing Palestinian factions. Old favorites re-emerge such as Magnus Wallender (too briefly) and Khamis Zeydan, who Abu Ramiz's best friend, Bethlehem's well connected Chief of Police and acting security advisor to the President (never named! - a good literary move as it will not make the story dated later on) on his visit to America and the UN.
I greatly enjoyed the book and I'm definitely hooked for the next installment. A double blessing on author Matt Beynon Rees. May Allah provide him with even more tales to tell of his intrepid school teacher detective.
Alas this appears to be the last in the series.
May 21, 2018
I liked it. The main character is a teacher from Bethlehem who is in New York for a conference at the UN. It gives a perspective of being a Muslim from the Middle East that I do not think many people get exposed to.
The mystery involves references to an old story about assassins, which in turn relates to modern day assassins in the story.
The story also gives a view of cultural tensions, which add to the intensity of the story.
I would generally recommend this book to anyone interested in reading mysteries. It is probably not for everyone, particularly if you need a book with familiar cultural references in order to enjoy it.
The mystery involves references to an old story about assassins, which in turn relates to modern day assassins in the story.
The story also gives a view of cultural tensions, which add to the intensity of the story.
I would generally recommend this book to anyone interested in reading mysteries. It is probably not for everyone, particularly if you need a book with familiar cultural references in order to enjoy it.
November 21, 2023
Written in 2010 and it is eye opening to think of in the current affairs. I have read all 4 of his Omar Yussef books and learned a lot. I think of a local radio host who had a friend come back from Israel after several years who told of a Palestinian friend who after some time appeared with a or 4 year old. He commented that he didn't know he was married and had a child. The Palestinian replied "Oh this isn't mine. I 'borrowed' a neighbors because you can go through the checkpoints with a child and they don't ask so many questions."
November 14, 2017
Four stars feels a bit high for this short suspense novel, the 4th in Rees' series that combines a likable, middle aged Palestinian school teacher hero with authentic background details about Middle Eastern politics and Islamic culture. A quick, entertaining read.
March 3, 2018
Worth the read (if you’ve read the other 3)
Great book but doesn’t have as much of the cultural feel as the other 3 Omar Yussef books. Still interesting to see New York through the eyes of a Palestinian tourist.
Great book but doesn’t have as much of the cultural feel as the other 3 Omar Yussef books. Still interesting to see New York through the eyes of a Palestinian tourist.
September 27, 2017
Page turner with added dimension of interesting details of Palestinian culture, albeit a bit overdone and self-knowing. Good central characters. I would read more from this author.
May 9, 2019
I loved reading it, but I find it the weakest of the 4 stories. But again, very nice perspective.
September 3, 2021
Good book. Keeps your interest. Not completely predictable. Worth a read.
May 5, 2023
Not as engrossing as the first three books in the series, perhaps because it is set in New York City rather than Palestine.
June 16, 2013
A palestinian schoolteacher arrives in NYC for a UN conference & to visit his son when he discovers a headless body in his sons apartment.
The book begins intriguing enough but soon becomes overbearing by the authors haughty attempts to impress the reader with his knowledge of Palestinian culture. The fact that middle easterners constantly greet each other with all sorts if blessings is understood but soon becomes annoying to the point if getting in the way of the story. His ability to describe Little Palestine & Brooklyn are truly quite wonderful. The sights & sounds vividly transport the reader to another time & place.
The story & plot, while promising, soon looses its momentum with weak research. NYC cops would never be so open and sharing with information. They also would never be so collaborative with non-professionals. The UN security often seems extremely lax. The reader cannot be expected to ever accept the possibility of an assassination attempt followed by an oh well, business as usual mentality.
The author really wants us to know how intelligent he is by bludgeoning the reader with big words that hinder any pleasure in reading it. In one instance, rather than simply stating that a man simply coughed & spat, he had him "expectorating" his spittle. REALLY?!?!
His critical treatment of Arab corruption is refreshing, however his anti-Semitic/anti-American bent is quite obvious. He is quite unable to write with a objective viewpoint. This really is a piece of anti-Israeli statehood drivel.
The ending is quite contrived & it simply seems as if he's run out of anything to say, so he simply ends it. It leaves the reader feeling totally empty & unwilling to explore any of the other so-called adventures of this particular character.
This is the 1st & last title I intend to read by this author. I would rather NOT be written down to. It would seem that he has never truly separated himself from the "upper crust" mentality of the media. His East coast intelligentsia mentality is overbearing & quite simply there are far better mystery/crime thriller writers out there to ever be bothered again by this leftist hack.
The book begins intriguing enough but soon becomes overbearing by the authors haughty attempts to impress the reader with his knowledge of Palestinian culture. The fact that middle easterners constantly greet each other with all sorts if blessings is understood but soon becomes annoying to the point if getting in the way of the story. His ability to describe Little Palestine & Brooklyn are truly quite wonderful. The sights & sounds vividly transport the reader to another time & place.
The story & plot, while promising, soon looses its momentum with weak research. NYC cops would never be so open and sharing with information. They also would never be so collaborative with non-professionals. The UN security often seems extremely lax. The reader cannot be expected to ever accept the possibility of an assassination attempt followed by an oh well, business as usual mentality.
The author really wants us to know how intelligent he is by bludgeoning the reader with big words that hinder any pleasure in reading it. In one instance, rather than simply stating that a man simply coughed & spat, he had him "expectorating" his spittle. REALLY?!?!
His critical treatment of Arab corruption is refreshing, however his anti-Semitic/anti-American bent is quite obvious. He is quite unable to write with a objective viewpoint. This really is a piece of anti-Israeli statehood drivel.
The ending is quite contrived & it simply seems as if he's run out of anything to say, so he simply ends it. It leaves the reader feeling totally empty & unwilling to explore any of the other so-called adventures of this particular character.
This is the 1st & last title I intend to read by this author. I would rather NOT be written down to. It would seem that he has never truly separated himself from the "upper crust" mentality of the media. His East coast intelligentsia mentality is overbearing & quite simply there are far better mystery/crime thriller writers out there to ever be bothered again by this leftist hack.
April 18, 2010
This is Rees’ fourth crime novel featuring Omar Youssef, an aging history teacher in Bethlehem. Youssef, a reformed alcoholic, is a voice for moderation and progressive thinking in a corrupt and violent society. This book brings Youssef to New York to serve on the Palestinian delegation to a UN conference and to visit his son, Ala, who lives in Little Palestine, an immigrant enclave in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. No sooner does Omar Youssef walk into his son’s apartment than he encounters a headless dead body, and the intrigue and danger proceeds from there. Are violent jihadists at work here? Is it drug dealing? Is it combination of the two? And what is his son’s role and that of his housemates, who together are three of a foursome that Omar Youssef taught in school and to whom he gave a historically resonant moniker, “The Four Assassins”?
The story provides a close up view of life in the immigrant enclave and of jaw-flapping among Arab delegates at the United Nations. The Palestinians in Brooklyn struggle with issues that have beset immigrants from traditional societies since time immemorial, along with the added burden of being Arabs in post-9/11 America who are touched by violent struggles at home.
Bay Ridge, as depicted here, is a morose place (think Henning Mankell’s Sweden, but in the shadow of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge). The setting and characters, moreover, are not quite as vivid and memorable as in previous books in the series such as The Samaritan’s Secret (nor is their depiction as well-developed as in Lorraine Adams’ novel of Arab immigrants, Harbor); however, the story percolates and eventually gathers force as it moves toward a showdown. A notable bright spot is when Omar Youssef encounters Khamis Zeydan, a police chief and former PLO fighter who first appeared in the initial book, The Collaborator of Bethlehem, and the two exchange wisecracks about the status quo.
The story provides a close up view of life in the immigrant enclave and of jaw-flapping among Arab delegates at the United Nations. The Palestinians in Brooklyn struggle with issues that have beset immigrants from traditional societies since time immemorial, along with the added burden of being Arabs in post-9/11 America who are touched by violent struggles at home.
Bay Ridge, as depicted here, is a morose place (think Henning Mankell’s Sweden, but in the shadow of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge). The setting and characters, moreover, are not quite as vivid and memorable as in previous books in the series such as The Samaritan’s Secret (nor is their depiction as well-developed as in Lorraine Adams’ novel of Arab immigrants, Harbor); however, the story percolates and eventually gathers force as it moves toward a showdown. A notable bright spot is when Omar Youssef encounters Khamis Zeydan, a police chief and former PLO fighter who first appeared in the initial book, The Collaborator of Bethlehem, and the two exchange wisecracks about the status quo.
Read
May 19, 2013Omar Yussef was a teacher in Palestine. He once had four special students who had taken to heart the history lessons he had taught them about the medieval Assassins, and called themselves The Four Assassins. Not killers at all, just four smart, energetic best friends, and Omar Yussef was like a father figure to them. One of them was Omar Yussef's actual son, Ala. Now, years later, three of the former Assassins live together in an apartment in New York. One of them has become estranged. Omar Yussef comes to New York to address the United Nations and to visit his son. In his son's apartment he finds a dead, headless man. Police arrest Ala. Omar Yussef throws himself into the case in order to clear his son's name. But naturally, the plot thickens. Was this an argument between roommates? Was it a case of jealousy over the love of a woman? Was it related to drugs? Was it related to Islamic Jihad? Who was the dead man? Who was the killer? Who is following Omar Yussef? And then Omar Yussef spots him in New York, the estranged one of his former students, the fourth Assassin. What is his role in all of this?
All of that is the typical stuff of thrillers, with Arab culture thrown in for color and education. What made this book memorable to me was the character of Omar Yussef. He is old. He is frail. He can be a whiner. He is highly educated, yet occasionally dumb as a rock about practical matters. Maybe because of that, he is always asking questions, questions about things that seem so obvious that others (like the police) don't consider them. He can be naive, yet realistic about the way difficult choices turn people into bad ways. He is human and humane. He grieves deeply the violence he finds himself enmeshed in, railing against militants, pleading for age-old values of friendship, trust, and love of family. His high point in this book finds him repeating to one of those militants, "I forgive you. I forgive you." I loved him. I simply loved him.
All of that is the typical stuff of thrillers, with Arab culture thrown in for color and education. What made this book memorable to me was the character of Omar Yussef. He is old. He is frail. He can be a whiner. He is highly educated, yet occasionally dumb as a rock about practical matters. Maybe because of that, he is always asking questions, questions about things that seem so obvious that others (like the police) don't consider them. He can be naive, yet realistic about the way difficult choices turn people into bad ways. He is human and humane. He grieves deeply the violence he finds himself enmeshed in, railing against militants, pleading for age-old values of friendship, trust, and love of family. His high point in this book finds him repeating to one of those militants, "I forgive you. I forgive you." I loved him. I simply loved him.
June 19, 2011
#4 Omar Yussef mystery. These are usually set in Bethlehem, where Omar works as a teacher, but he is in New York this time to give a talk to the UN about education in the refugee camps. Upon arrival, he goes to visit his son, but finds a decapitated body at Ala's apartment, a body that turns out to be Ala's roommate and Omar's former student. Ala is subsequently arrested and Omar is frantic to get him released. Bethlehem's police chief is also in NY providing security for their President at the UN conference, and the two of them set out to investigate, encountering the usual political corruption and violence along the way.
I'm not usually fond of series books that send the main character on a road trip away from their home base, but this one works pretty well, putting Omar Yussef in the Little Palestine area of New York. The story is well-told, but it's hard to read these without feeling a great sense of sadness and anger at the mess we've made of our world. I do hope the author plans to continue the series--Omar is a strong character with flaws that make him very believable and I've come to be very fond of him.
I'm not usually fond of series books that send the main character on a road trip away from their home base, but this one works pretty well, putting Omar Yussef in the Little Palestine area of New York. The story is well-told, but it's hard to read these without feeling a great sense of sadness and anger at the mess we've made of our world. I do hope the author plans to continue the series--Omar is a strong character with flaws that make him very believable and I've come to be very fond of him.
August 12, 2016
Omar Yussef views his trip to New York for the UN conference with mixed feelings. On the one hand he is happy that he will get to see his youngest son, Ala. On the other, he has never before visited this city or given a speech at the UN. When he finds a body, beheaded, in his son's apartment, his heart leaps. Is this what is left of his son? As footsteps reach his ears, he fears the murderer may be returning but it is Ala who knows nothing of what has passed. And, when the police arrives Ala is a suspect, primarily because he will not give his alibi.
This mystery finds Yussef entangled in a vicious plot to kill the president of his country. Sadly, those involved include some of his former students. As the tale evolves, Yussef often wishes he were back in Bethlehem with his wife. The anger, brutality, and cruelty of those who seek to kill the president or protect him bruises his sensitivity and belief in the goodness of mankind. Who is the murdered young man and why was he murdered is not what the reader expects. This is a well written, complex mystery that keeps the reader rushing to find the answers.
This mystery finds Yussef entangled in a vicious plot to kill the president of his country. Sadly, those involved include some of his former students. As the tale evolves, Yussef often wishes he were back in Bethlehem with his wife. The anger, brutality, and cruelty of those who seek to kill the president or protect him bruises his sensitivity and belief in the goodness of mankind. Who is the murdered young man and why was he murdered is not what the reader expects. This is a well written, complex mystery that keeps the reader rushing to find the answers.
Want to read
January 19, 2010Looking forward to a good intl mystery. Sounds as intriguing as Rising Sun! Quoting author's review, "...For those who have no copy of the magazine (in which case you may have missed Librarian of the Year -- Way to go, Craig Buthod of Louisville, Ky.) here's THE FOURTH ASSASSIN review: "In New York City for a UN conference, Omar Yussef goes to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, home to a large Palestinian community, to visit his son and finds a beheaded body in his son's apartment. With no alibi, his son is arrested, and Omar finds that the streets of New York are as treacherous and dangerous as those of Bethlehem. VERDICT Journalist Rees's fourth Omar Yussef outing (after The Samaritan's Secret) exposes the political struggle among various Palestinian factions and demonstrates why it is so difficult to find a solution in the troubled region. His sleuth might miss the ancient streets of Bethlehem, but the hatred and tension of the Middle East follow the Palestinian wherever he goes."
0 comments Published on January 19, 2010 05:37 |
0 comments Published on January 19, 2010 05:37 |
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July 29, 2011I love this series, an it is not one to go easy on anyone--the Israeli's and the Palestinians come off equally badly, which is why the series is a little corner of what is going to be so complicated about any solution in the Middle East, and why you really have to feel badly for the Palestinians--while the rest of the Arab world is sympathetic, they don't want them either, so they remain not only without a homeland, but without possibilities to immigrate. In this one, Americans are added to the mix, and the violence that is presented as acceptable to sweep under the carpet is staggering. THe story is not quite as compelling for me as the previous entries, but maybe that is because I live here, and the truths about my homeland are not as interesting to me--the book appears a bit harsh, but not being Arab, maybe it is dead on, and certainly for people in poverty, that is more likely to be true. Still, recommended.
September 19, 2010
Non-stop action in this the fourth book in the series. It's filled with many plot twists. It's also filled with sadness and violence as well as hope for the future with a man like Omar Yussef around to moderate. I enjoyed this one the most because it was set in New York City's Little Palestine and because it capitalized on the role of the teacher as a life-long mentor for students. We see first hand the clash between traditional culture and a new culture that is completely alien to the immigrant. We also see how distance and democracy are no match for the grasp of zealots. Some great scenes in this book depicting interaction between Muslims and New Yorkers. We also meet an Arab American detective who faces the enmity of both cultures but is just doing his job. It's sad and ironic that Omar only finds peace when he returns home to the "violent" Middle East after his holiday in hell.
April 18, 2016
This is the fourth Omar Yussef mystery and it is every bit as good as all the others. This time Omar is in New York as a UN representative at Palestinian peace talks. While there he hopes to spend time with his son Ala but soon becomes involved in a complex murder mystery which has implicated Ala as well as some of his migrant Palestinian friends.
The story is clever and very well told, exciting and filled with suspense, a few shocks and a smattering of humour. I do feel, however, that the real benefit of reading this series of novels is that they impart a real sense of what it is to be a Palestinian today. Set in Bethlehem, Gaza, Ramallah and New York, each novel has brought me as close as I may ever get to the experience of the Palestinian people in their daily existence and in their troubles. I recommend them highly.
The story is clever and very well told, exciting and filled with suspense, a few shocks and a smattering of humour. I do feel, however, that the real benefit of reading this series of novels is that they impart a real sense of what it is to be a Palestinian today. Set in Bethlehem, Gaza, Ramallah and New York, each novel has brought me as close as I may ever get to the experience of the Palestinian people in their daily existence and in their troubles. I recommend them highly.
August 18, 2010
Omar Yussef is a Palestinian teacher from the Dehaisha Refugee Camp in NY to speak to the UN. He goes to visit his son in Little Palestine and finds a dead man with his head removed. He does some sleuthing along with his old friend who is guarding the president of Palestine and a local Palestinian police man. The suspects and dead man were former students of Omar's as well as friends of his son. I had a problem keeping the Arabic names straight. The plot to kill the President of Palestine when he gives a speech at the UN and the connection of the assassins to drug running is a little confusing.
September 24, 2014
Another wonderfully crafted novel about the inquisitive school teacher come amateur detective. Normally within the bounds of "occupied palestinian territories", this fourth outing pitches him into New York City to speak at a conference at the UN.
All the usually characters pop up and the body count remains high, but the star of these novels is Omar Yussef and his desire for the truth before even his own welfare, He is a dedicated investigator; fearless and outspoken filled with charm and wit, who is the reason I find these books so engaging.
A classic crime story packed with thrills which makes it a book you will enjoy from cover to cover.
All the usually characters pop up and the body count remains high, but the star of these novels is Omar Yussef and his desire for the truth before even his own welfare, He is a dedicated investigator; fearless and outspoken filled with charm and wit, who is the reason I find these books so engaging.
A classic crime story packed with thrills which makes it a book you will enjoy from cover to cover.
August 9, 2013
After having worked and lived in Palestine I very much enjoyed reading the whole Omar Yussuf-series as it reminded me about many small things, like food or specific places, and therefore triggered a lot of memories. In creating an atmosphere these mystery novels are similar Donna Leon's books. If reading other faster-paced thrillers feels like seeing a movie, reading these books makes you feel like you are part of the movie -- you can solve the mystery with the detective together. It's also nice to read a mystery novel where not every Arab is automatically a bad guy! I enjoyed all books of the series and I hope that there are more to come!
January 9, 2015
I have read a few other books by this author that were saved by the interest I have in the subject - life in the Palestinian territories. This book, set in Brooklyn in a neighborhood very familiar to me, was awful. The story, of a father visiting his son, violence, drugs, more violence, more intrigue and mystery, the Arab-Israeli conflict, inter-Arab conflict - at the end I still don't really get who killed who and why or why not. Not a single agreeable character, no one with authenticity. Only continued reading it because it was interesting to read an outsiders view of NYC and my neighborhood.
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