by Mary Stewart
First published 2011
Christy Mansel arrives in Beirut expecting a pleasant Middle Eastern holiday. Instead she discovers her cousin Charles has vanished without explanation from his archaeological dig. Local authorities offer little help and conflicting stories emerge about his whereabouts. Christy refuses to accept the official dismissals and begins her own investigation into the remote mountain regions where Charles was last seen. She encounters suspicious locals, dangerous terrain, and evidence that her cousin stumbled into something far more perilous than ancient ruins. As Christy follows his trail deeper into the Lebanese wilderness, she realizes that finding Charles may cost her own life. The search becomes a test of family loyalty against mounting fear.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Beirut, Lebanon, Middle East
Period: Contemporary
400 pages · Paperback · Hodder & Stoughton