The End of the Sahara

On an early autumn morning in 1988, on the outskirts of an unnamed Algerian city, a shepherd stumbles upon the lifeless body of Zaza Zaghouani, a stunning nightclub singer who left her hometown seeking a brighter future. 

The story is set in 1988 Algeria. It takes place in just forty days, ending as mass protests erupt in the country. In a small town on the edge of the desert, plagued by a locust infestation and a food shortage, teetering on the brink of uprising, the body of Zakia Zaghouani—the singer at the Sahara Hotel—is discovered. Suspicion immediately falls on her lover, who is thrown into prison. The incompetent and greedy Inspector Hamid begins an investigation. So does the defense lawyer of the main suspect. Family, friends, and close ones give their testimonies, finding themselves confronted with their past. Secrets, betrayals, grudges, but also dreams and hopes shed light on their connection to the victim: each person harbors, for one reason or another, the desire to take revenge on her.

"Khatibi layers the story with vivid detail. Alexander Elinson’s translation from the Arabic feels lively and authentic. Khatibi handles each character with care and skill, unpeeling their personal stories, their web of connections and the grim reality of life in a one-party dictatorship." Financial Times: Best Thrillers of the Month 

"Mr Khatibi's book is cinematic, kaleidoscopic and tragic--a splendid achievement."--Wall Street Journal

"Brilliant." ---NPR's Fresh Air

"Elegant prose and a keen sense of place help bring the narrative to life. It’s a solid whodunit that doubles as a captivating look at a country in transition.“ Publishers Weekly

KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: "In the fall of 1988, shortly before the outbreak of mass youth riots in Algeria over unemployment and a lack of basic goods, a town’s collective anger over the murder of a nightclub singer reflects what’s to come. An absorbing novel that should broaden Khatibi’s following."

"Evocative, brooding, and perfectly hard-boiled!"--- CrimeReads

“Showcasing Said Khatibi's genuinely compelling, narrative-driven storytelling style, "The End of the Sahara" is a singularly riveting, suspense-driven read from start to finish. Unreservedly recommended.”---MBR (Midwestern Book Review) 

Saïd Khatibi is a novelist, travel writer, translator, and journalist born in 1984 in Bou Saâda, Algeria. He currently lives in Slovenia.  He writes in Arabic and French and translates between both. His novel Sarajevo Firewood, was shortlisted for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. His other novels are The Book of Errors which was published in 2013, and Forty Years Waiting for Isabelle which won the 2017 Katara Award for Arabic Novels. He has written a travel book about the Balkans, The Inflamed Gardens of the East, 2015, and has written extensively on raï music, including a book (Wedding Fire, 2010). The End of the Sahara won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award Young Author category in 2023.

Alexander Elinson is an Associate Professor of Arabic at Hunter College of the City University of New York.  He has translated two novels by Youssef Fadel: A Beautiful White Cat Walks with Me and A Shimmering Red Fish Swims with Me, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. He also translated Hot Maroc by Yassin Adnan, shortlisted for the same prize in 2022. His translation of Khadija Marouazi`s prison novel History of Ash was shortlisted for the 2024 EBRD Literature Prize.