Review of Khanjar

[Seqhatsi Shata]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Khanjar" by Bob O'Brien.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Bob O'Brien’s Khanjar is a crime thriller fiction story about a Palestinian engineer, Paul Shehadeh. With a dream to build a pipeline and a desalination plant for his country, Paul Shehadeh leaves Palestine for America to research more on water pipelines and reservoirs. During his stay in New York, he lectures at Columbia University while at the same time continuing his research. His endeavor involves building a plant in Sinai to pipe water to Gaza and the West Bank. Interestingly, just weeks after his arrival in America, there was an attempted bombing of a reservoir. Is this a coincidence, or is Shehadeh responsible for it?

Khanjar is an amazing thriller! From the onset, it begins with a backstory that left me in anticipation and turning page after page in excitement. As a fan of Middle Eastern politics, my interests were sparked right then. The book's sequel is unpredictable and action-packed.
Consequently, the third-person narration sets an appropriate environment for it. I was expecting a dramatic irony after reading about the bombing, but to my astonishment, I was left in suspense and in the dark. The book’s cover is thought-provoking and dramatic. It teased me and left me wondering: "Does its red color layout symbolize bloodshed from the blade?"

Furthermore, I reminisced about moments from geography lessons about case studies such as Three Gorges Dam and Shangai. Although the book is fictitious, it shares political and historical facts that I found enlightening. The characters are real and uniquely developed. Lessons at a shooting range felt as real as they could be. Moreover, bomb-making chemistry raised my curiosity. I have never heard of caustic soda, so I found it intriguing and could not wait to hear more about it.

In conclusion, I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars. It discusses the global issue of a lack of clean drinking water in some countries. As it is based on crime, it uses language from such a semantic field, as seen with "forensic pathologies and autopsies." There was nothing to dislike about the book. The book is flawlessly edited, and I encountered no grammar mistakes. I recommend it to fiction fans and anyone who enjoys C/T/H/M books.

******
Khanjar
View: on Bookshelves