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Trapped: A Couple's Five Years Of Hell In Dubai

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How Australian Marcus Lee and his wife, Julie, survived wrongful imprisonment, house arrest and five years of trials and tribulations in Dubai.

In 2006 Marcus Lee moved to Dubai with his wife, Julie, to take up his dream job working for Nakheel, the emirate's largest property developer. Everything went swimmingly until one day in 2009 when Marcus was picked up by the state police and imprisoned in solitary over charges of bribery. Marcus managed to get out of prison - and out of Dubai - with the help of Julie, who found her husband and spent five years working to free him - first from one of Dubai's notorious jails, and then from house arrest. In jail she kept his hopes up by smuggling notes and poems to him (she received smuggled diary entries in return).

The tale of a foreign posting gone horribly wrong and a relationship which survived despite enormous odds, this is at heart a love story and a testament to the strength of a marriage.

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2014

6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read

About the author

Marcus Lee

52 books12 followers
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Marcus Lee - Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

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5 stars
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23 (39%)
3 stars
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa.
51 reviews2 followers
May 12, 2021
An incredible account of Marcus and Julie's Dubai horror story. The story flows well between narrators and even with the addition of legal commentary, it doesn't feel dull nor beyond understanding of Marcus' innocence. I felt tears of joy for their arrival back in Australia, including Dudley's eventual return. I sincerely hope both Marcus and Julie have been able to recuperate well in Australia, savouring the bright freedom of today and future tomorrows.
Profile Image for Kareem.
3 reviews
May 21, 2017
Quite chilling if you're living in the UAE... A very good read!
131 reviews
December 31, 2016
A real eye-opener into the possible traps of working overseas. It was well written, and great that the story was told by both Marcus and Julie, as they experienced the anguish of the ordeal on both sides of the prison walls. Julie's persistence and their strength and determination were inspiring. It certainly leaves the reader with questions about the legal system in Dubai, and it is still shocking that Marcus has not been compensated for his salary or expenses.
A quick, fascinating and eye-opening read - would thoroughly recommend.
Profile Image for Penny.
17 reviews6 followers
November 12, 2014
I thought initially I would only be interested in the aspects of Dubai's prison system but found myself quickly engaged with this impressive couple and their unbelievable story. I even found the business law stuff quite interesting!! A satisfying read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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