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A review by debbieg
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed
4.0
This was an absorbing and entertaining literary mystery. Kayyam is spending the summer in Paris with her parents. After meeting a young descendent of Alexandre Dumas, she becomes involved in the hunt for a treasure: literary, artistic or personal. Interwoven with her story is that of Laila, a young Muslim woman who may have influenced the work of Byron, Dumas and Eugene Delacroix. As a scholar of this period, I found the imaginative connection between these characters intriguing and not impossible, and I enjoyed the treasure hunt and the relationship between the young present-day protagonists. I admired the way the author allowed complexity into the modern-day relationships: all is not resolved neatly and motives are unclear on all sides. I liked the quite strongly feminist slant. Perhaps my one complaint - ironic, given one of the major themes of the book, that women in history have no voice - is that the historical story-line is given considerably less attention and depth than the modern-day plot line. I would have like to have heard more from Laila's own voice. On the whole, though, I would recommend this as a well-written, thoughtful, and enjoyable novel.
I was given an ARC of this novel by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an ARC of this novel by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.