Honestly, when I was approved of being able to read this book, I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. It is a great and skillfully crafted combination of the crime, thriller, and suspense genres. It perfectly captures and explains the culture of the Gulf and there is a lot going on underneath the surface, making the plot twists absolutely addictive and breathtaking. The writing was exquisite, even though some chapters seemed a bit redundant to me. I definitely recommend this book to readers who are on the lookout for an intelligent and thought-provoking read with great twists and turns. Four out of five stars, and I would definitrely read another work of this author!

I am currently developing a section of the school library that will present a diverse and eclectic range of contemporary crime and thriller novels. This genre has been so popular in terms of what is being borrowed, but I feel like the young people are sticking to 'what they know' in terms of titles or writers that they've already heard of or have seen their parents reading. My mission is to include more novels like this one and improve the range and diversity of fiction that they can choose from in order to expand their reading horizons. I definitely think that I can also use sections of this novel to support students' own creative writing. I absolutely loved this book. It kept me gripped from the very first page and without giving away any spoilers, was a dark, intense and satisfying journey. I think that the young people will love its distinctive voice as well as be gripped by the story and intrigued to follow it to its tense conclusion. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for intelligent, credible writing with a strong hook that won't let you go. Treat yourself to Electric Souk

A fascinating read that really captures the culture of the Gulf. A tale of mystery and adventure that will sweep you away into the desert.

DECLINED TO REVIEW. I don't quite know what it is that causes about a third of all expat novels I read to fall flat into complete unreadability to me, like was the case with Rose McGinty's <i>Electric Souk</i>, with which I spent an entire month forcing myself through the first 100 pages before finally giving up. I suppose it's the same thing that makes expat travel diaries so unreadable to me as well, which is that so many of them are these lifeless logs of blase activities ("It was hot today; I visited a historic mosque; then my mates and I had an ale at an Irish pub") that the author thinks adds up to legitimate literature, but is really no more compelling than someone's discarded shopping list. This is exacerbated in McGinty's case by her decision to make the main "drama" of her book the administrative soap operas of a medical clinic in an (I think unnamed?) Arabian nation-state, which absolutely is not a substitute for a legitimately compelling narrative ("Oh no! The money for the clinic has been stolen by the corrupt medical board! <i>Whatever will happen?</i>"); she then alternates these scenes with ones of the expat staff getting drunk every night at an expat bar and bitching about all the administrative soap operas of their medical clinic, which is absolutely not a substitute for compelling character development. Based on the book's synopsis, I'm assuming the storyline gets a lot more exciting deeper into it; but that's worthless if you can't get through the pages leading up to the exciting part, like was the case with me. I no longer assign scores to books I don't finish, but it's safe to say that I don't recommended this.

This was a very vivid story based in the Middle East. Having lived there myself it was easy to become involved in the story and absorb all the sights and smells. The main characters leapt of the pages and the growing tension became almost unbearable. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

Really good book. Looking forward to read more books from this author.

Published by: Urbane Publications (23rd March 2017)

ISBN: 978-1911129820

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 5*

Synopsis:
Ireland's gone bust, and with it Aisling Finn's life. She flees austerity for adventure in the desert. But the Arabia she finds is not that of her dreams. Everyone is chasing a fast buck, a fast woman and another G&T. Expats and locals alike prickle with paranoia. Debonair fixer, Brian Rothmann, charms Aisling with champagne brunches and nights at Bedouin camps. But is Brian a hero or a desperate expat prepared to go to any lengths to get what he wants? Is this Aisling? Or is he using her as bait? Her only hope is Hisham, a local activist. But where do his loyalties lie? Aisling faces severe peril when the sleazy expat and blood-lusting desert worlds collide, as the Arab Spring erupts. She has to ask, whom can she trust? Can she trust her instincts?

Review:
Rose McGinty's debut novel is quite unlike anything I've read before. It's difficult to know what genre I'd class it as because it has elements of many, but I guess 'thriller' is as good as any. The description is breathtakingly good; I can almost taste the fragrant spices and see the jewel coloured pashminas in the hustle and bustle of the night time souk.
The characters are similarly brought to life. Aisling is likeable and believable throughout, Brian is in turn both charming and loathsome and there are plenty of other characters to like and dislike, Mozah and Laila in particular.
Electric Souk is fascinating, frightening, heartwarming, gripping, horrific, and hauntingly descriptive. I found out utterly compelling and read it in two long sittings as I was unable to put it down once I'd started! It will appeal to a wide range of readers.
Thanks to Matthew at Urbane for the ARC, via NetGalley, in return for my honest review.

I've started reading this book something like five times now. I finally made it past the first chapter. It's just hard to get into. I haven't skimmed ahead far enough to see if it gets better.

The premise is fine. Jobs are scarce back home, so fly to a foreign county (however dangerous the place may be for single, white women) and get a job there. A single white woman (heavy Irish accents are hard to read, by the way) greets our protagonist at the airport, takes her to the nearest bar (best place she can think of to be), ward off the men...

Sometimes, I'll revisit a book months later and discover I love it. This one may be one of those books. For now, if I commit my time to reading, the book had better take me somewhere I wanna go, inside the POV of a person I'd like to be.

My apologies for failing so many times to get into this one.

With its unique blend of exuberance and menace, Electric Souk is a journey and an adventure.

Electric Souk by Rose McGinty is by far an interesting read. It instantly takes readers on an epic journey. A young woman leaves her homeland for work in another country. A country full of war, distrust, and danger. The stakes are high. Never knowing who to trust, Aisling Finn puts her life in the hands of those around her. Spies, secret police, and work fill her days. At first, the novel shows Aisling following people as they live a fast life full of drinking and good times. But fear hangs deeply in the air. I never knew what to expect next. Rose McGinty writes a superb novel. Suspense, intrigue, and the mysterious lure of what may come. Electric Souk is definitely an electrifying tale. Resistance, destruction, and secrets on every page. The intensity builds. The charcaters are written in a way that visually tugs readers further into the book. Loyalties and deception are major the,es surrounding these interesting charcaters. Overall, I highly recommend reading Electric Souk to all.