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Nightfall in Mogadishu
Nightfall in Mogadishu is a spy thriller and historical novel set in Somalia. It weaves the country’s history, politics and culture into a tale of international intrigue. Susan Chen, a CIA agent is sent to Mogadishu to thwart a plot to overthrow the government. She finds a nation that has lost its soul and is whirling into a vortex of violence and terror.
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2000
9 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Li
5 books159 followersI'm the author of two books: Journey Across the Four Seas and Nightfall in Mogadishu.
I write to understand the puzzles of my life, and it has turned out that what puzzles me puzzles other people as well.
My biggest puzzle was my mother. Like a dutiful Chinese daughter, I took my ailing parents into my home. My father was quirky as usual, no puzzle there, but my beautiful, saintly mother astonished me with her devilish behavior. I wondered who this stranger was. Fortunately, she loved to tell stories about her life. So I sat her down and recorded her stories. A fascinating tale unfolded. I can now say I understand my mother and love her for who she was. The title of the book, Journey Across the Four Seas, is the journey she took to bring her children to the Gold Mountain, also called America.
My other big puzzle was my job. I was the World Bank's loan officer for Somalia shortly before the country collapsed. At the time, the west was pouring money into Somalia to reward it for defecting from the Soviet camp. The investments were also to help the country develop into a modern state. Despite these efforts, the Somali government crumbled and the country plunged back into the Dark Ages. I wanted to understand what had gone wrong. After researching into Somali history and culture, I wove them into a spy thriller called Nightfall in Mogadishu.
I was born in Thailand, grew up mostly in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. at fifteen. I have a B.A. in English from University of California, Berkeley and a master's in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. I was also a journalist for the Asian Wall Street Journal and other news organizations. I now live in Northern Virginia with my husband.
I write to understand the puzzles of my life, and it has turned out that what puzzles me puzzles other people as well.
My biggest puzzle was my mother. Like a dutiful Chinese daughter, I took my ailing parents into my home. My father was quirky as usual, no puzzle there, but my beautiful, saintly mother astonished me with her devilish behavior. I wondered who this stranger was. Fortunately, she loved to tell stories about her life. So I sat her down and recorded her stories. A fascinating tale unfolded. I can now say I understand my mother and love her for who she was. The title of the book, Journey Across the Four Seas, is the journey she took to bring her children to the Gold Mountain, also called America.
My other big puzzle was my job. I was the World Bank's loan officer for Somalia shortly before the country collapsed. At the time, the west was pouring money into Somalia to reward it for defecting from the Soviet camp. The investments were also to help the country develop into a modern state. Despite these efforts, the Somali government crumbled and the country plunged back into the Dark Ages. I wanted to understand what had gone wrong. After researching into Somali history and culture, I wove them into a spy thriller called Nightfall in Mogadishu.
I was born in Thailand, grew up mostly in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. at fifteen. I have a B.A. in English from University of California, Berkeley and a master's in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. I was also a journalist for the Asian Wall Street Journal and other news organizations. I now live in Northern Virginia with my husband.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 27, 2023
This book was ok. The story was interesting, and I liked getting a look into Somalia during that time. The visual imagery was good, but beyond that, the writing was ok. It read a little like a B-movie, but overall, it was a quick, easy read that wasn't great but not too bad either.
January 24, 2012
Blurb from Amazon
Nightfall in Mogadishu is a spy thriller and historical novel set in Somalia. It weaves the country’s history, politics and culture into a tale of international intrigue. Susan Chen, a CIA agent is sent to Mogadishu to thwart a plot to overthrow the government. She finds a nation that has lost its soul and is whirling into a vortex of violence and terror.
My review
Susan is an undercover agent sent to Somalia to stop the destruction of the Somalia government, this is her first assignment. Whilst there she finds murder, brutality and something she wasn't expecting with harsh consequences.
I am not a fan of war books to be honest but with a woman able to defend herself and undercover I thought I would be able to get on with it. There is too much government and politics throughout the book for me, two things I don't understand and don't have one iota of interest in. I think if I had known some of Somalia's background maybe I wouldn't have been so lost.
The book does have some good that I could get on with, Susan is a great character. Strong, able, out spoken (when in a place where woman should be seen and not heard) and not afraid to go after something or someone in her way.
There is a lot of murder and brutality in the book and people and animals suffer so it isn't for the light hearted. There is also quite a bit of action in it but I got so bogged down with the political issues I couldn't enjoy any of the other aspects of the book. It is written well and the author has put a lot of heart and time into the book but it just isn't my kind of story but I did give it a bash. If you like reading about war and other countries then this is a book for you, sadly a 2/5 for me this time but I would read this author again as I did like her style just now the subject content.
Thanks to the author for giving me the chance to read this and you can get it for only £0.77 on Amazon for the kindle.
Nightfall in Mogadishu is a spy thriller and historical novel set in Somalia. It weaves the country’s history, politics and culture into a tale of international intrigue. Susan Chen, a CIA agent is sent to Mogadishu to thwart a plot to overthrow the government. She finds a nation that has lost its soul and is whirling into a vortex of violence and terror.
My review
Susan is an undercover agent sent to Somalia to stop the destruction of the Somalia government, this is her first assignment. Whilst there she finds murder, brutality and something she wasn't expecting with harsh consequences.
I am not a fan of war books to be honest but with a woman able to defend herself and undercover I thought I would be able to get on with it. There is too much government and politics throughout the book for me, two things I don't understand and don't have one iota of interest in. I think if I had known some of Somalia's background maybe I wouldn't have been so lost.
The book does have some good that I could get on with, Susan is a great character. Strong, able, out spoken (when in a place where woman should be seen and not heard) and not afraid to go after something or someone in her way.
There is a lot of murder and brutality in the book and people and animals suffer so it isn't for the light hearted. There is also quite a bit of action in it but I got so bogged down with the political issues I couldn't enjoy any of the other aspects of the book. It is written well and the author has put a lot of heart and time into the book but it just isn't my kind of story but I did give it a bash. If you like reading about war and other countries then this is a book for you, sadly a 2/5 for me this time but I would read this author again as I did like her style just now the subject content.
Thanks to the author for giving me the chance to read this and you can get it for only £0.77 on Amazon for the kindle.
October 26, 2011
This book is vastly different than Journey Across Four Seas but still sucks you right in. I was born in the mid-eighties so I really don't know much about the issues in Somalia during the early 1990s (except for Black Hawk Down; I know about that) so it was really interesting to get a little perspective on how truly crazy things were in that country at that point in time. I love books that truly give you a sense of place of where the characters are and what they are seeing and what they are doing. I think that creating a true sense of place can be really difficult a lot of times (it can be hard to make a place truly engage a reader if they don't really understand the context of the place)but Li does a really wonderful job.
I also really liked the character of Susan. She's smart. She's strong. And she knows how to kick some you-know-what. It's everything that I like in a hero. Thrillers are not my usual book fare but between the interesting location, the strong characters, and the great story, I found myself flying through the book in no time. I find a lot of times that thrillers are heavy on action but not heavy enough for me in substance. I most definitely did not find that in this book. It was fast-paced but still had a really good foundation.
Bottom line: Thrill seekers and non-thriller lovers alike will both like this fast paced story.
I also really liked the character of Susan. She's smart. She's strong. And she knows how to kick some you-know-what. It's everything that I like in a hero. Thrillers are not my usual book fare but between the interesting location, the strong characters, and the great story, I found myself flying through the book in no time. I find a lot of times that thrillers are heavy on action but not heavy enough for me in substance. I most definitely did not find that in this book. It was fast-paced but still had a really good foundation.
Bottom line: Thrill seekers and non-thriller lovers alike will both like this fast paced story.
June 11, 2011
Wow! This book was not something I would typically read but I really enjoyed it. I don't know a lot about Somalia so it was really interesting for me to read about all the chaos and upheaval there.
It is the early 1990s and CIA Agent Susan Chen is sent to replace a U.N. Representative in Somalia. Once there, Susan must try to stay alive while hunting someone who is killing high-ranking, international officials.
This book was filled with suspense and was fast paced. The author makes you feel like you are in the streets of Somalia with her descriptions. Her characters are well developed and I felt that I had a connection with Susan. There is some romance and some sex but it is mostly a really intense thriller. I learned about the fall of Somalia without even realizing it because it was so entertaining. I was up way past my bedtime last night to finish it but it was worth it!
It is the early 1990s and CIA Agent Susan Chen is sent to replace a U.N. Representative in Somalia. Once there, Susan must try to stay alive while hunting someone who is killing high-ranking, international officials.
This book was filled with suspense and was fast paced. The author makes you feel like you are in the streets of Somalia with her descriptions. Her characters are well developed and I felt that I had a connection with Susan. There is some romance and some sex but it is mostly a really intense thriller. I learned about the fall of Somalia without even realizing it because it was so entertaining. I was up way past my bedtime last night to finish it but it was worth it!
October 28, 2011
The mode in which people were assassinated was so chilling! The setting of this book is very well written, I could picture it vividly. I think the fact the author spent time in Mogadishu was a big factor in that.
The story at times was very slow and for a short while a bit boring, but once I got through that part it moved very quickly to the end. The ending was a bit brief and I would have liked a longer ending. I mean after building the story for the whole book, it was over very quickly and I didn't feel as though all aspects of the story got resolved.
'Nightfall in Mogadishu' is definitely not a genre that I read much, but I found it enjoyable. Susan was an interesting character and I would like to read more about her. Overall, a fast, fun read. If you like espionage/spy thriller type books this one is right up your alley.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
The story at times was very slow and for a short while a bit boring, but once I got through that part it moved very quickly to the end. The ending was a bit brief and I would have liked a longer ending. I mean after building the story for the whole book, it was over very quickly and I didn't feel as though all aspects of the story got resolved.
'Nightfall in Mogadishu' is definitely not a genre that I read much, but I found it enjoyable. Susan was an interesting character and I would like to read more about her. Overall, a fast, fun read. If you like espionage/spy thriller type books this one is right up your alley.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
July 20, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.
For those who are interested in an insider’s view of complicated recent history, this novel does a fantastic job of drawing broad outlines of the players in the game and introducing an element of real understanding to a convoluted situation. For those who appreciate strong female characters, too, there is a lot to love about Susan Chen, the protagonist, a recent CIA trainee testing herself in her first assignment. I had to chuckle that Li was able to turn the “they sent a woman to do a man’s job” into a subtle, ongoing joke that truly upset gender bias and expectation. For both of these reasons I can happily recommend this book–and am really looking forward to reading her next book, to see whether this first experience has built on Li’s strengths as an author.
For those who are interested in an insider’s view of complicated recent history, this novel does a fantastic job of drawing broad outlines of the players in the game and introducing an element of real understanding to a convoluted situation. For those who appreciate strong female characters, too, there is a lot to love about Susan Chen, the protagonist, a recent CIA trainee testing herself in her first assignment. I had to chuckle that Li was able to turn the “they sent a woman to do a man’s job” into a subtle, ongoing joke that truly upset gender bias and expectation. For both of these reasons I can happily recommend this book–and am really looking forward to reading her next book, to see whether this first experience has built on Li’s strengths as an author.
May 1, 2008
The best part of this book is its description of Somalia and how the country rapidly descends into chaos as a result of corruption, aid dependence and warring clan factions. Veronica Li skillfully evokes the factors behind the collapse of the country and the reader is drawn into the increasingly frightening mood. A former World Bank loan officer for Somalia, her depiction of the foreign community of aid workers who - some idealistically, others for cynical power politics - attempt to support the failing state is an insider's account. All this serious political content is seamlessly built into a highly readable and fast moving thriller with characters that the reader starts to care about. [I originally wrote this for Amazon.com.]
November 20, 2011
Great read, great price. This is definately a book out of my comfort zone, I don't usually read genre's like this one, but I think i'll definately read more. This is so much better then I expected it to be.
I don't know about some of the things going on in Somalia so it was interesting to read about what crazyness went on there. You get the sense of actually being there in the character of Susan Chen from the descriptions the author gives. Her characters are well developed, and although there are a few, I didn't get confused or lost. It's not a fast read, it contains a bucketful of information that has you wanting to know more and so you read on. Look forward to reading some of Veronica's other great reads.
Happy reading
Anna =)
I don't know about some of the things going on in Somalia so it was interesting to read about what crazyness went on there. You get the sense of actually being there in the character of Susan Chen from the descriptions the author gives. Her characters are well developed, and although there are a few, I didn't get confused or lost. It's not a fast read, it contains a bucketful of information that has you wanting to know more and so you read on. Look forward to reading some of Veronica's other great reads.
Happy reading
Anna =)
April 4, 2012
Nightfall in Mogadishu is a political thriller set in Somalia, which provides an interesting backdrop to the story of intrigue and murder. The main character, Susan, is a CIA agent working undercover at the World Bank, and throughout the novel she struggles to balance the responsibilities of these two roles, with her personal sense of right and wrong. Susan is a strong and determined character, and I would be interested in reading more novels featuring her.
I didn't know much about the situation in Somalia before reading this book, but the author has worked there, and her knowledge of Mogadishu comes through on every page to make the story feel realistic. There's a lot of detail packed in to the book, but it doesn't slow the pace (which is fairly relentless).
I didn't know much about the situation in Somalia before reading this book, but the author has worked there, and her knowledge of Mogadishu comes through on every page to make the story feel realistic. There's a lot of detail packed in to the book, but it doesn't slow the pace (which is fairly relentless).
August 14, 2012
Yes, there's a lot more to Somalia than pirates! When the World Bank's "res rep" in Mogadishu is murdered, his secret CIA bosses recognize the killer's style--they trained him. Into a country on the brink of disintegration they send agent Susan Chen, to hold the fort and find out what's going on. Through her eyes we meet a colorful assortment of vivid characters, and learn how handy Western shortcuts such as "good guys vs. bad guys" have helped turn a once-thriving mosaic of tribes into a failing dictatorship. I was drawn in immediately, & by ch. 3 I had to set everything else aside to finish this compelling action-adventure-mystery novel. Needs a copyedit, but well worth overlooking a few syntactic bumps in the road.
June 30, 2013
The author's thirteen-year career with the World Bank, her first-hand knowledge of Somalia, and her well-honed writing style converge into a suspenseful tale of intrigue, murder, and chaos within a country falling apart. The insight into the motivations of donor countries giving aid to a corrupt regime and the regime's use of such aid is fascinating, as is the strong, intelligent woman who is abruptly thrown into the mix to stop a killer who targets the international aid workers.
The characters are believable, the suspense palpable, and the conflicts intense. Bravo to the writer who gives us historical insight into a country, its culture, and its people while never losing the entertainment value of a well-written suspense novel.
The characters are believable, the suspense palpable, and the conflicts intense. Bravo to the writer who gives us historical insight into a country, its culture, and its people while never losing the entertainment value of a well-written suspense novel.
April 14, 2011
Fantastic read for 99cents on Kindle!
This book is a well-crafted combination of a spy thriller and an analytical review of Somalia's society shortly before it decended into chaos after the end of the Cold War. This is a must-read for those seeking to understand the disintegration of a country, which has many of the characteristics of Libya, especially its tribal structures and eccentric leadership. For those who seek a relaxed diversion through a fast-paced spy thriller, the book is entertaining and amusing with a bit of sex thrown in. And the reader gets all this for 99 cents. Enjoy!
This book is a well-crafted combination of a spy thriller and an analytical review of Somalia's society shortly before it decended into chaos after the end of the Cold War. This is a must-read for those seeking to understand the disintegration of a country, which has many of the characteristics of Libya, especially its tribal structures and eccentric leadership. For those who seek a relaxed diversion through a fast-paced spy thriller, the book is entertaining and amusing with a bit of sex thrown in. And the reader gets all this for 99 cents. Enjoy!
June 2, 2013
I think the author made the mistake of falling in love with her own character before writing the book. Because of this, Susan Chen (the main character) really wasn't developed enough for me to fall in love with her too. I did enjoy the little tidbits of Somali culture the book contained.
Read
December 8, 2011Not something I'd pick up on my own--way out of my comfort zone--but a very interesting book nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews