A Grave in Gaza

"As Omar Yussef came along the passage, the flies left the flooded toilets to examine him. The filth in the latrines soon lured most of them back, but a small, droning escort orbited him as he sweated toward Gaza". This is the opening paragraph in, "A Grave in Gaza", the second installment in the "Omar Yussef" mystery series by Matt Beynon Rees. Rees was the Jerusalem Bureau Chief for "Time" magazine and still lives there, now working as a freelance journalist and author. The first book in the series ("The Collaborator of Bethlehem") was, in my opinion, a genre piece. In this book, the author appears to have established his metier. Omar Yussef is not a professional detective. Rather, he is a prematurely aged teacher, whose sense of justice has compelled him into the role of involved detective. The plot, which lacks some of the byzantine complexities characteristic of modern detective novels, is refreshingly linear. Without being a spoiler, suffice it to say that Omar Yussef becomes involved in an attempt to resolve the arrest of a teacher and is subsequently immersed in the investigation of more complex and inter-related criminal enterprises. This book is well written and it is brutally honest about the problems that exist in the Palestinian lands, it is (to borrow a phrase from the text), "...a textbook of Gaza history". There are plenty of clever analogies and adroit use of symbolism, such as the khamsin, a 50-day-long dust storm, which obscures the view and permeates the story. The author makes every effort to describe Palestinian Arab culture in a sympathetic fashion, yet, he is quite candid about the role of tribalism (replete with revenge killings), the pervasive corruption of the PLO/Fatah, the pernicious and self-serving interests of the various militias, the corrosive cultural influences, the rampant criminality, the bad governance and the pervasive atmosphere of despair (tinged with a fatalistic element of hope). Israel and Israelis, when they appear at all, do so as a background feature: necessary to the plot, but not a part of it. In summary, this is a first-class mystery and has other features of substantial interest: the author's narrative skills have gelled in this book. If the reader's attention is dulled by standard, academic histories, it would be hard to beat this book as a fascinating background source. I've pre-ordered the next Omar Yussef book in anticipation of another tour de force.

In the early pages of Matt Beynon Rees' new book, "A Grave in Gaza," one its characters observes that in the political and social devastation of today's Gaza territory "there is no single, isolated crime (here). Each one is linked to many others...when you touch one of them, it sets off reverberations that will be felt by powerful people, ruthless people." This is expressed as a friendly warning to the book's protagonist, Omar Yussuf Sirhan (Abu Ramiz), the principled teacher turned-detective, who travels to Gaza from the West Bank on a routine school inspection and finds himself trying to save first an imprisoned Palestinian whistleblower and very quickly after, his friend and kidnapped UN colleague, Magnus Wallender. Driven by personal decency and a sense of moral outrage, Omar Yussuf plunges into a labyrinth of gang warfare and dueling warlords on behalf of his colleagues and almost loses his own liberty and life. Author Rees deftly uses Omar Yussuf's pursuit of his colleagues' liberation to take a hard look at the pervasive corruption and physical degeneration that characterize life in Gaza for all those trapped in that small territory. Rees enhances his novel with impressive explanations of the history of the area and, more interestingly, with one wonderful character study after another. The author's graphic and continuing description of the ever-present dust storms and what they do the human disposition and the physical landscape, are highly effective and extremely discomforting. As intricate and good as the plot is in this novel, the character studies and descriptions of the place are even better. This is an insightful and wise book that is rich with wonderful writing. Highly recommended.

This second in Rees' series featuring the dogged 50-something former alcoholic Omar Yussef finds the Palestinian history teacher accompanying two UN officials - a Swede and a Scot - on a school inspection in Gaza. But they never get to the inspections. One of their UN teachers, who also teaches at the university, has been arrested for collaboration, a death-penalty charge, with the penalty likely to come before the trial. The teacher's actual crime? He has accused the university of selling degrees to the security services, of which there are several factions. Rees knows Palestinian politics, corruption, and ruthlessness and soon plunges the reader into this bewildering, hopeless mess of power struggles and intrigue. Though the first murder does not take place for more than 100 pages, the growing tension provides plenty of suspense. Inevitably, the tension explodes. Omar Yussef, acting as translator, go-between and investigator, fed up with Palestinian factionalism and corruption, finds himself at the center of a violent vortex. Rees, who lives in Jerusalem, paints a portrait of Gaza even more hopeless than the one you might construct from news accounts. From vicious dust storms to righteous thugs, the place teems with misery. But family remains at the core of ordinary life, with food and hospitality providing dignity and comfort. Deeply atmospheric and politically knowledgeable, Rees' novels are eye-opening page-turners.

I've learned more history from reading historical mysteries than I ever learned in school. And this isn't yet history but it soon will be. It's a far btter way to learn what's really going on in the Palestinian mess than any newspaper will ever give you. Now I get the reason why nothing good every happens in the Palestinian-Israel conflict. It makes clear where our (yours and mine) tax money goes when we give "foreign aid" to foreigh "govenments". I use the term loosely. It doesn't go to what Americans mean by governments. It goes to what Americans mean by criminals and gangsters. This is the best presentation I've come across re the "Middle East Mess". And its a great Who Dun It. Enjoy and learn. Learn and enjoy! Thank you, Mr. Rees.

Matt Rees' second Omar Yussef book will not disappoint fans of The Collaborator of Bethlehem, nor anyone interested in learning a little about the small battles Palestinians must fight every day just to survive. As in both his first novel and his earlier non-fiction book about the area, Cain's Field, Rees, thrifty with words, gives us a multi-layered and nuanced view of the world he depicts. Rees' Gaza is controlled by gangsters masquerading as politicians, where few good deeds go unpunished and good people try their best to cope. Unable though trying to bring about much good, Omar Yussef, the book's protagonist, instead pursues truth, and on the way finds that and irony. I do not want to give away the story, but I'll vouch that is a page turner that will please both mystery and Middle East book fans.