The Place That Didn't Exist

by Mark Watson

Junior creative Tim Callaghan can hardly believe his luck when he's flown out to Dubai to supervise the filming of an advert for an international charity. He is immediately entranced by the city - a futuristic environment unlike anywhere he's ever been before, with an almost uncanny level of customer service. Shimmering and seductive, it seems as though nothing bad could ever happen in Dubai. But when a crew member is found dead in in mysterious circumstances, Tim learns that if a place seems too good to be true, it probably is . . .

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Novels, Crime

400 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Mark Watson is an English comedian, novelist, and producer whose career spans stand-up, radio, television, and literature. Born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father, he grew up with younger twin sisters and a brother. Educated at Bristol Grammar School, he went on to study English at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours. At university, he became a member of the prestigious Footlights, performing alongside Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key, and Dan Stevens, and contributing to a revue nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Watson first gained wider recognition through stand-up comedy, performing regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he won the inaugural Panel Prize at the if.comeddies in 2006 and received a Perrier Comedy Award nomination in 2005. Known for inventive and often marathon performances, his shows have included 24-hour performances, collaborative audience-driven novels, and themed events like the “Earth Summit” and “Edit,” compiling his festival highlights. His comedy frequently incorporates unusual settings, from ferries and streams to vaccination queues, demonstrating his flair for unconventional experiences.
On television, Watson co-hosted the BBC Four panel show We Need Answers, appeared on series including Taskmaster, Richard Osman's House of Games, and Celebrity Mastermind, and starred in his own programs such as Mark Watson Kicks Off and the Channel 4 panel show The Mad Bad Ad Show. His appearances also extend to stand-up specials on Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, and international comedy festivals in Australia and New Zealand.
In radio, he has hosted multiple series including Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better and Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life, often collaborating with Tim Key, Tom Basden, and Flo & Joan. He has also contributed to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk and produced series exploring both comedy and broader cultural themes.
Watson is also a prolific author, publishing novels, non-fiction works, and graphic novels. His books include Bullet Points, Crap at the Environment, Eleven, The Knot, Dan and Sam, Hotel Alpha, The Place That Didn't Exist, Contacts, Mortification, and One Minute Away.
Beyond performing and writing, he co-runs Impatient Productions, producing radio shows, podcasts, and digital content, and hosts the World Snooker Tour podcast Snooker Club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he innovated with livestreamed 24-hour charity events called “Watsonathon!” and co-created the YouTube series No More Jockeys.
Mark Watson is a lifelong supporter of Bristol City Football Club and continues to live in East London, balancing a career that blends comedy, literature, and experimental performance with a commitment to inventive, audience-focused storytelling and engaging entertainment.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Watson is a well-known comedian and writer. His dry wit and sharp sense of humour is apparent throughout The Place That Didn't Exist, although this isn't a comedy-novel. The plot revolves around a murder, but this isn't a crime novel, or a mystery story. It's a really compelling, quite refreshing story about an ordinary guy, in an extraordinary place, in the middle of some very strange goings on.

The lead character, Tim, is an advertising executive. He's creative, full of ideas, but a little bit reserved. He pitched for a big advertising campaign, highlighting the inequalities of poverty throughout the world, and his firm won the contract. Tim finds himself in Dubai, surrounded by high-profile charity campaigners, more than a little strange celebrities and a crew of film-makers.

Dubai is a crazy place. Tim is overwhelmed by the luxury and the wealth. He doesn't even have to turn down his own sheets, everything is provided, every last thing is done for him. This is like nowhere else he's ever been. Unfortunately, not everything is perfect in Dubai, and the ad shoot is rocked when one of the crew is found dead, in one of the perfect chalets, not far away from Tim's.

The Place That Didn't Exist is driven by the characters, who are well-drawn and believable. Alongside the human cast, is the location of Dubai, which is as much a character as Tim and the others. Mark Watson details a peculiar yet very atmospheric place. Starkly clean and clinical, yet teeming with darkness and hidden secrets.

Sharp, well written, astute and clever. The Place That Didn't Exist is a novel with bags of emotion and great shots of warmth. I enjoyed it.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...

[Antonio Marrero Jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually when I read a summary of what a book is about I know that it's only a small portion of what the story is, but not in this case. The main character Tim is working in Dubai creating a commercial for a charity, and one of the members of the team dies. The story doesn't stray much from that unless it takes the time out to anti-advertise Dubai.

For most of the book it read more like a critique on Dubai, as the main character wanders around the city we get criticisms about everything. How fake the place is, how the customer service is, the food, the malls, the construction of buildings, the people, billboards, the country clubs, the driving, the weather, the hotels, and how rich people are trying to take advantage of this rapidly growing city. There was more talking bout Dubai then the character or the person who died.

I though this would be a murder mystery of some kind, but I was wrong, the only person who even attempted to look into the death was a journalist who appeared here and there. All the easily forgettable characters mentioned it but quickly moved on, which was a trend in this book. There were a lot of times where something seemed significant, like a fight or an argument, but then after this event everybody just moves on like nothing happened, it was weird. It was as if each character was a robot who glitched out sometimes with a quick and fleeting emotion, then returned to their emotionless selves again.

The best part about this book was Chapter 12, where we switch character perspectives. Without spoiling anything, this change was more than welcome. The new character was way more interesting that Tim, I think they should've been the main character the whole story. They had more depth and more complexity to them. It was like I was reading a completely different book, a better book. The sudden shift in quality was shocking, the pages that were before this chapter seem irrelevant. 2 stars of my rating go directly to that chapter.

Overall this was disappointing, besides Chapter 12 this was a miss for me. The story didn't really go anywhere, characters were oddly swift with emotions, and the critique on Dubai was just too much. I can't say I recommend this.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder Mystery set in DUBAI

3.75*

This review plus author chat first appeared on our blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/murder-mys...

“You are in Dubai, things are a little strange”

If you have ever visited Dubai, then this book will transport you back to the city, with all its glitz and foibles. It is absolutely what TripFiction is about, a way to connect with a place through fiction.

Tim is flown out on location to Dubai to oversee the filming of an advert for a big charity, and you can sense his awe and wonderment at the sights he encounters. It is clear the author is familiar with the city and with the process of filming a commercial.

This is a slow burning murder mystery, that radiates from the fictional hotel ‘The Village’, where the guests reside in chalets. The rooms are spotless, the electronics to regulate air conditioning and lights are at first baffling. Each chalet is just a little hub, each a microcosm of the bigger, eye-boggling Dubai, the mirage city that is all light-suffused modernity and pulsing energy. But the absurd is never far from the visitor experience, whether it is pressing one’s nose to the big windows of the snow globe that is Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates, where it is permanently Winter; or the multitude of retail experience that are integral to any visit, Gucci, Fendi, Prada – rip-offs thereof are ubiquitous. The edgy and fragile co-existence of the Western tourist, alongside the traditional values of the Emirati, is never far from the surface.

Tim’s team get into filming, however soon one of the team is found dead…. but under what circumstances? Was it murder most foul or an accidental death? The book is divided in 3 sections, it is the last part where the mystery is unfurled. A readable mystery set in Dubai.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Watson. It's one of those books which is hard to define as any one thing. People seem to be calling it a murder mystery and whilst it has elements of that this is not really the story of someone solving a murder.

Tim has had relative success in the advertising business but when an idea leads him to work on a huge charity advert in Dubai he thinks things are really on the up. He quickly gets to know the team working on the advert but he can't help but feel something is being kept from him. Then one of the team is found dead...

Tim is a lot like Xavier from my favourite Watson novel, Eleven. He's a passive, awkward man but is generally likeable and amusing. I couldn't help but be reminded of the author himself which is no bad thing as I have enjoyed Watson's comedy for years.

The best thing for me about this book was the setting. Its rare when an author manages to really capture the feel of a place and Dubai almost becomes another character here because of how well Watson does that. He describes Dubai as a place of luxury but gradually delves into the excess and pretendness of it all.

I very nearly gave this five stars but I wasn't totally sold on the ending. It just felt a little rushed and like the author didn't entirely know how to finish the book.

Another unique and enjoyable read from a great author- I await the next book impatiently.

[Hilary Rowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

So good until about three quarters of way in then totally ran out of steam, as if the author lost interest in the story and the characters. Such a shame, because it was deliciously well written up to then, reminiscent of JG Ballard's last few novels.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, unreal and insidious, but very, very good.

[Steven Pilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite book of his . Still good but lacks something

[Tamim Sadikali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think of Dubai and what comes to mind… Kitsch Arabia, third-world labourers and decadent Westerners negotiating medieval law. Or pristine beaches, unblemished blue skies, world-leading architecture and a shoppers’ paradise. Unless one has lived there, one’s perspective will likely be influenced by glossy promos or the international media, wherein Dubai gets measured via rudimentary metrics: millions of dollars, thousands of feet tall, and number of years in jail for kissing.

To get under the skin of the place, any place, one must travel – in person, or via the imagination. And in The Place That Didn’t Exist, Mark Watson’s Dubai-based novel brings together a number of strong ingredients: well-heeled ex-pats, a Hollywood star, and young guns seeking a career high amidst personal abandonment...

Read my full review on Bookmunch.

[Sana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who lives in the UAE, I found Watson's portrayal of Dubai quite insightful and in depth, to the point where this was a story focused more on Dubai as opposed to its label of a murder-mystery novel.

There are stages of Dubai which one experiences when one visits. It's surreal; it's glamorous; it seems to good to be true, at first. But there is such a vast difference in experience for those who visit it as rich folks and those who are the hands supporting the rise of this "picture perfect" city.

I was far more interested in the representation of Dubai rather than the plot line, and recommend this book on said basis.

The murder mystery therefore served as more of a subplot, and unfortunately is one which didn't end as well as I'd hoped - it seemed rushed, as if Watson was far more enthused and invested in Dubai to fully consider the conclusion of his actual story.

[Paige Belfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting to love it and to be broken by it. Somehow it exceeded my expectations in both aspects. In another beautiful addition to Mark Watson's work, The Place That Didn't Exist is an individual take on murder mysteries that showcases his brand of humour and insight flawlessly. My copy is already packed with post it notes next to lines that charmed me.

The best way I have been able to describe this book is that it healed the scars upon my heart then tore open a hundred new ones. It is a book that if you don't have to put it down every few pages to let a paragraph sink in then you aren't paying enough attention.

All I really have to say is that you should read this book.

[Tina (Sips & Scares) · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Die Stadt im Nichts“ erzählt die Geschichte um Werbetexter Tim, der für einen Werbespot, den er getextet hat, nach Dubai reisen soll. Dort lernt er sein Team kennen und ebenso die schöne Stadt der Emirate. Tims Erwartungen an Dubai werden nicht enttäuscht, Dubai ist tatsächlich genauso dekadent, wie er gehört hat. Alles läuft in geregelten Bahnen, der erste Drehtag ist geschafft (ohne etwas auf Band zu bekommen), und die After-Work Party in Tims Domizil ufert ein bisschen aus. Morgens dann die Ernüchterung: Der Produktionsleiter Raf wird tot aufgefunden. Die Stimmung kippt, wilde Vermutungen und Rätselraten, was genau passiert ist, sind an der Tagesordnung. Doch nach Tims Geschmack kehrt man viel zu schnell zur Normalität zurück, und während er sich noch über Verschwörungstheorien und verschleierte Morde, die als Missbrauch von Alkohol und Drogen dargestellt werden, lässt das nächste Unheil nicht lange auf sich warten. So geraten nicht nur Marks Kollegen und er selber in Verdacht, sondern auch die Organisation WorldWise, für die der Spot gedreht werden soll…

Mark Watson hat hier einen Roman vorgelegt, der teils Gesellschaftskritik, teils Krimi und teils Portrait Dubais ist. Mit seiner klaren, flüssigen Schreibe beschreibt er aus der Sicht Tims die Geschehnisse in der luxuriösen Stadt. Was anfangs noch sehr an „Ein Hologramm für den König“ von Dave Eggers erinnert, wird bald zum Verfolgungswahn-Trip: Tim fühlt sich nach den Ereignissen in Dubai nicht mehr willkommen, will abreisen, doch seine Karte ist gesperrt, das Internet wird ihm verweigert, und dadurch, dass er Schlafwandler ist, verdächtigt er sich selbst, Raf ermordet zu haben – er konnte ihn sowieso nicht leiden. In diesem Zwiespalt bewegt sich Tim, als ihm eine Frau des Teams unerwartet näher kommt.

In dieser Nacht konnte er lange nicht einschlafen. Das Bild des [Obdachlosen] in dem Türeingang ließ ihn nicht los. In gewisser Weise stand er für die vielen Notleidenden […] und hielt Tim vor Augen, wie wenig er das Leid dieser Menschen an sich heranließ. […] Die Welt war voller Katastrophen, die der Einzelne zumeist überhaupt nicht beeinflussen konnte. Politische Gefangene, Flüchtlinge, Hungernde. Da es unmöglich war, alles zu verändern, beschloss man irgendwann, gar nichts zu tun.

Weitab vom egozentrischen Gefühlstrip meiner aktuell gelesenen Bücher wollte ich mal wieder etwas mit einer spannenden Handlung lesen. Krimis sind absolut nicht meins, dennoch las sich der Klappentext von „Die Stadt im Nichts“ sehr gut und auch das Buch hat einen soliden Eindruck hinterlassen. Allerdings habe ich mich daran gestört, das trotz des abrupten Wechsels der Erzählperspektive im dritten Teil (der mich zugegebenermaßen sehr überrascht hat), nie wirklich aufgelöst wird, wie es zu einigen Gegebenheiten gekommen ist. Diese Tatsache und auch die, dass ich mich permanent an „Ein Hologramm für den König“ erinnert fühlte, nicht wegen der Handlung, sondern wegen der vorherrschenden Stimmung und auch aufgrund der Charakterisierung Dubais. Wobei in Eggers Roman die in Dubai geltenden Regeln noch als strenger beschrieben wurden, beispielsweise war Alkohol und dessen Konsum streng verboten, es gab keine Minibars und das Personal hätte es mit Sicherheit nicht geduldet, wenn dort getrunken worden wäre. In Watsons Dubai hingegen war es öffentlich bekannt, dass die Westler viel und gerne trinken und auch Drogen konsumieren, und das einfach so in ihren Suiten und Hotelzimmern. Ich weiß nicht, wie es in der Realität aussieht, aber das hat mich doch teilweise etwas verwirrt.




Die vollständige Rezension findet ihr auf meinem Blog: http://killmonotony.wordpress.com

[Isla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite a light read but it was an enjoyable one. Being set in Dubai, I was interested to read about the area, never having been but certainly being aware of what its image, a bit like a Las Vegas for the East. There are various characters who have their own quirks and indeed the main character, Tim, is someone I found quite likeable - a bit of an awkward clutz, I felt sorry for him at times and found myself trying to guess what truths might be discovered and who had committed the crime the novel is about. Its not a very dark read but its perfectly entertaining regardless.

I'm not sure I'd call it a crime novel, nor a mystery, although there are elements of both genres contained within the plot. I'm happy to recommend this book in general, although if I were to criticise it, I'd say that towards the end, the final outcome seemed a bit obvious (not for the whole book but towards the end) and also the last chapter seemed a little unnecessarily long drawn out but otherwise its a light and enjoyable read and I'm perfectly happy to try out more of Marks books, given I wasn't aware, previous to buying and reading this book, that he wrote, only being aware of Mark from when he was on the TV series Taskmaster.

[Edith Wasserfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually bought this book because I loved the cover artwork (confessions of a graphic designer). It was an easy and engaging read. The ending was not quite what I expected, and I almost expected some more interesting secrets to be revealed at the end. I still had some unanswered questions about why some of the hotel employees acted so strange and treated Tim and the other guests in such an odd manner, why his internet stopped working, who knocked at his door, etc. When I got to the end I actually thought I may have missed some subtle cues that would have answered these questions (I may have), but I do feel there is still quite a bit of unsolved mystery when you reach the end of the book. Perhaps this is what the writer wanted - to make clear the strangeness and unexplained oddities of Dubai. Overall I found this book very interesting and the insights into Dubai's culture were fascinating - the mystery kept me reading till the end.

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not being familiar with the author’s stand-up comedy repertoire I approached the book with a clean slate. I expected a humorous mystery novel but soon learnt that the comedy simply stems from the protagonist’s hopeless existence. Tim Callaghan is a klutz who is not only out of his depth in Dubai but also in life. He won’t stand up for himself when a co-worker of equal position berates him in front of an audience. His role in the novel remains confusing throughout the story as he barely contributes to the ongoing television production. Was he written as an alter ego to the author? Comedians often like to portray themselves as mumbling dopes. Or was he conceptualized as a blank everyday man to encourage readers to identify with him? I failed at the latter as his immaturity irritated me more than it produced sympathy.

The book’s happenings are told through an omniscient narrator who focuses on Tim’s point of view. However, the story makes a 180 degree turn towards the end of book when it changes perspectives from Tim to his colleague Ruth. Such an unexpected shift in perspective inadvertently reveals the identity of the murderer to me. One could have been spared of the following 30-odd pointless pages. Nevertheless I dislike to skip parts so I persisted.

We learn more about Ruth’s life than we ever learn about Tim despite the book primarily focusing on him (what does that tell you about how empty his character is). Ruth’s life is an unoriginal sob story peaking at the death of her teenage son. Watson’s dry words “He was dead” didn’t make me feel sad for Ruth – they made me feel enraged. “Of course he died, of course he did,” I shook my head at the poorly conceived emotional blackmail. I didn’t get a chance to identify with her so now I was rejecting her.

Watson told us Ruth’s life story in order to explain her motive for murdering Raf. Yet nowhere did we learn that there was anything “wrong” with her. She’s obviously not a sociopath and I am sure there are many people with terrible lives who don’t murder the first person who reminds them of it. Hence the motive is poor.

The only interesting moment was the chapter where Tim dreamed of murdering Raf while sleepwalking. I became excited at this potential plot twist only to be disappointed when it was revealed as a simple dream.

The book is a very easy read written in simple English with the occasional fancy word (I had to google what are “tureens”). Topics include the conflict between dreams (sleep-induced or heart-produced) and reality, and how humans change their reality for it to take the shape of their dreams. I have never visited Dubai so perhaps I would have appreciated it more otherwise as much of it is focused on describing the city. If there is a positive to carry from reading this book it is the knowledge that anyone can write a novel these days! I can use this book to encourage my book-writing friends in their endeavors.

[Leah Hosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Watson writes the story of a young man far from home (literally and figuratively) who finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery.

The good: The author writes great characters. Always. His people are very human, very well thought out, flawed but likeable. It’s like reading about old friends, past neighbours, forgotten crushes. The reader cares because there is such a sense of familiarity.

The bad: While the backdrop of the book is exotic (Dubai!) and the underlying activity should be thrilling (murder!), neither amount to anything and they wilt in mundanity.

The conclusion: To keep my interest, a novel needs either extraordinary characters or unusual settings/proceedings. I’m here for escapism, I can get humdrum in Facebook, or in the news. The author’s flair for character and his gentle humour make for a book which is very nice, but unfortunately, ultimately forgettable.

[Mindbait]

I've loved all of Waton's books so far, so bought this one having found out too much about it.

This is not his best work. It's not 'bad' by any stretch of the imagination, but where his previous works had slowly traced out the complex histories of interesting and genuine characters, this one just feels like it attempts the same thing but in a much more condensed space of time and falls somewhat flat in the attempt.

The book still provides an intriguing 'whodunnit' against the interesting and exotic backdrop of Dubai and was still incredibly readable, but Watson's novels "Eleven" "the Knot" and "Hotel Alpha" are far superior.

[Kim Phipps · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasnt my favourite of Watson's novels. I just found the story to be a bit flat and the culmination of the whodunnit element was a little disappointing.

All the way through the story, the reader is led to believe that there is something really sinister going on, only for it to turn out that it's just a financial crisis for the company involved which felt somewhat of a let down. I'd have liked something a bit more juicy.

Although I dont feel Mark Watson is the best in terms of the way he writes, I do always enjoy reading his novels so this one gets 3 stars from me.

[beewry_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. The main character Tim is empty and mind numbing, half the time I was reading, I was mentally checked out and thinking about something else. This book tries to reel you in by promoting itself as a murder mystery but you would expect those to be exciting, which this book is not. The only saving grace was the perspective shift towards to very end of the novel. It was interesting and the character who’s point of view it is written in is more exciting and narrative than the rest of the 240 or so pages.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

From watching Mark Watson's comedy this book was certainly not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed the way in which he decided to write this book, focusing on describing the strange reality of Dubai, and almost pushing aside the main mystery aspect of story. I loved the way that the characters and settings were described but I feel like the main plot got lost at times.

I'd certainly recommend reading this book if you like Mark Watson's comedy and I'm interested to see how his style of writing changes in his other books.

[Helena Wildsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, given the rating here on Goodreads. Technically the story is about a murder but it doesn't read like a murder mystery. It's very well written - subtle yet inciteful - and it's one that I recommended straightaway to my Dad, who loves books that are just straightforward and don't spend ages waffling on. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Mark Watson and will definitely look for more books by him.

[Jake Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barely a two act novel. The protagonist turns out not to be the protagonist at all. There is no antagonist because no one 'wants' anything. An odd perspective shift is employed in the brief (and concluding) second act. It seems this perspective shift is simply to 'explain' what happened. There is no causality.

An easy read, but a truly disappointing story.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were able it would have been 2 1/2.
The plot was a little implausible and for me half way through the book I was wanting to get to the end as it ran out of steam.
Having been to Dubai it did bring back a visual of how the city is a dichotomy of cultures...I was told by the locals the Middle East riviera! Mmmmm..think France and Italy would beg to differ!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I'd call this a murder mystery. The murder was not the focal point of the story as much as the location was. This is a story about Dubai. And after visiting Dubai myself a few years ago I really appreciated Watson's take on the city. Although I didn't particularly like the switch of narrators towards the end of the book, it was still an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars if I could.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit of a slow burner but such a twist and interesting ending! Wasn’t too sure what to expect when I first started reading with the beginning setting the scene and getting to know the main protagonist, however the build up before and after math of the murder is fascinating. A really genuine, interesting read.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Mark Watson’s books, but this was a disappointment. Whilst the artificiality and insincerity of Dubai are well explored, the story itself is oddly flat and unengaging. After a while, I stopped caring about Tim and his awkward adventures and it was a relief to have a change of narrator in Chapter 12. Sadly it wasn’t enough to raise the novel above 3 stars.

[Alexandra Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can hear Mark's voice telling the story when I read his books - I enjoyed this story with its wee twist. It is 'mild' crime fiction - very entertaining and amusing despite being a murder story. I hope Mark keeps writing coz I want to read more of his books!!

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy enough read for a holiday - Tim, naïve agency 'creative' is pulled out to Dubai on an ad shoot, but things take a turn for the dark. A decent account of Dubai, both back 10 years ago and now, though the denouement felt a bit rushed.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well observed story set in the un-real environment of Dubai but reflecting on this seemed to be the main point of the book. The third part told from Ruth's viewpoint was an interesting device but made the novel fizzle out.

[Cherryls Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy read, 'who done it' storyline. A murder during a working Dubai trip and a running theme of Dubai not feeling like a real place. This one will make you think of those murder mystery weekends people go on for fun, except this one was real.

[Catriona Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in this year's Hurricane Book Club. It was OK, but nothing special.