JIHADI: A LOVE STORY: "Superb debut" "A modern classic" "A Booker Prize novel yet to be discovered"

Here's a rundown of the initial reaction to JIHADI: A LOVE STORY, on which I worked from mid-2007 to November of 2015. The book is now available from Orenda Books.

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Edward F. Wilson, author of A VERY BRITISH ENDING, had this to say:

"An utterly fantastic tale ... a book for our time"

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CrimeFictionLover gave the novel four stars and called it "a highly-original, engaging, and thought-provoking literary thriller."

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Some very nice words indeed came in from The Well Read One, Safie Maken Finlay, who called the novel "a superb debut." (I had the honor of beta reading Safie's amazing book THE SPEAR OF TIME.)

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Steve Wright had this to say:

"In the same way that I have enjoyed reading the likes of Kati Hiekkapelto deliver powerful social commentary within first rate crime novels, it is exciting to find Yusuf, and publishing stable mate Paul Hardisty, elevating the thriller genre to a new level of provoking intelligence."

And on Goodreads he wrote:

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Publishers Weekly has weighed in, calling JIHADI: A LOVE STORY "smart and searing" -- this from the ABNA competition, where the book was a quarterfinalist.

Mari Hannah, author of THE SILENT ROOM, called the book "intelligent, intriguing, and moving in equal measure" and added this on Twitter:

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YEAH! Magazine noted that "the quality of the writing is superb" and ran an interview.

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Liz Barnsley wrote:

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Tony Hill gave the book a great review that made me wonder whether I was dreaming:

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Michelle Newby of TexasBookLover.com wrote:

"Timely and spookily prescient ... a magical mystery tour through a labyrinth of competing ambitions and motivations, wherein truth and justice are matters for interpretation."

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The novel got a 4.5/5.0 review from Louise Hector: "Complex, compelling, and important ... captivating throughout ... the makings of a modern classic." 

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Victoria Goldman called the book "intriguing, addictive, brutal, gripping, tragic and brilliant." And a snarky cat weighs in, too.)

And Richard Gibney wrote:

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 Cal Moriarty called the novel "a modern classic":

And Louise Beech, author of the astonishing HOW TO BE BRAVE, wrote:

Ian Patrick wrote:

"Put down your phone and engage your brain with what is surely a Booker Prize novel yet to be discovered."

The JIHADI: A LOVE STORY ebook is available now from London's Orenda Books. 

If you'd like a review copy, please reach out to my publisher Karen Sullivan.